1. Anthony James Renna was an American racing driver who competed in Indy Lights and the Indy Racing League from 1998 to 2003.
62 Facts About Tony Renna
1. 2.
Tony Renna began competitive racing at the age of six, winning 252 races and two national quarter-midget championships before the age of 15.
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Tony Renna progressed to car racing at 16, competing for three years in the Barber Dodge Pro Series and partnering with stock car driver Jerry Nadeau to finish second for the United States team at the 1996 EFDA Nations Cup.
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Tony Renna progressed to Championship Auto Racing Teams' developmental series Indy Lights, winning one race during his three seasons in the championship from 1998 to 2000.
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In 2002, Tony Renna signed with Kelley Racing to be its test driver in the IRL, and was the driving coach and spotter to actor and Infiniti Pro Series participant Jason Priestley.
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Tony Renna competed in seven races for Kelley Racing before signing a contract to drive for Chip Ganassi Racing in the 2004 IndyCar Series.
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Tony Renna was the first driver to be killed in an accident in the IRL since Scott Brayton died during practice for the 1996 Indianapolis 500.
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Tony Renna was born in Victorville, California, on November 23,1976, to jockey and meat-company owner Joe Renna and his wife Mary.
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Tony Renna had two sisters; he was a cousin of George Steinbrenner IV, co-owner of Harding Steinbrenner Racing.
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Tony Renna was educated at Bishop Moore High School and Father Lopez Catholic High School, graduating from the latter in 1995.
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Tony Renna was engaged at the time of his death, and was due to marry in Hawaii on November 22,2003.
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Tony Renna spent his Friday nights at Horsemen's Park in Ocoee, refined his driving ability at circuits in Barberville, Bithlo and New Smyrna Beach, and was taught by former driver Ralph Liguori.
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Tony Renna focused full-time on racing after deeming himself inadequate at Little League Baseball.
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Tony Renna began focusing on an opportunity in open-wheel racing, idolizing drivers Rick Mears, and Al Unser Jr.
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Tony Renna went on to drive a quarter-midget, a mini sprint, a motocross bike, and a micro-sprint.
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Tony Renna won 252 races, and two national quarter-midget championships before the age of 15.
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Tony Renna's mechanically inclined father constructed and maintained the machinery that Renna drove, and acted as his crew chief.
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Tony Renna's mother was his timekeeper, and one of his sisters acted as a tire changer.
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At age 16, Tony Renna progressed to car racing, competing in the Skip Barber Formula Ford Racing Series in 1993, in a bid to become a road course ringer.
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Tony Renna took one win and seven top-three finishes for tenth in the final points standings.
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Tony Renna's form improved the following year, when he won eight races and achieved three-second-place finishes to win the series championship.
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In 1995 Jim O'Bryan, an employee of American driver development organization Racing for America, asked if Tony Renna was interested in driving in Europe; Tony Renna said he was but his father was unsure because the family budget was strained through entering selected rounds of the 1995 Barber Dodge Pro Series.
23.
Tony Renna tested a Mark Bailey Racing-owned Ralt Formula Three car.
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Tony Renna secured a category win at Pembrey Circuit that was later nullified because of an infraction, three pole positions, and three podiums.
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In 1996, Tony Renna returned to the United States with a depleted budget.
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Tony Renna competed in a Dodge-powered Mondiale car in the 1996 Barber Dodge Pro Series, finishing seventh in the Drivers' Championship with 105 points from three podium finishes and two pole positions.
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Tony Renna was named the 1996 Barber Dodge Pro Series Rookie of the Year, and won a Skip Barber Racing School Big Scholarship.
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Tony Renna won the Team USA Scholarship over six other candidates and participated at the 1996 EFDA Nations Cup at Donington Park.
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Tony Renna partnered with stock-car driver Jerry Nadeau in a Formula Opel Lotus car, finishing second to win the silver medal.
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Tony Renna was selected as a finalist for the Team Green Academy as one of the top 5 of 25 competitors, and was nominated for the Lynx Racing Scholarship.
31.
Tony Renna made one appearance in the US F2000 National Championship for DSTP Motorsports in its No 23 Van Diemen-Ford car at Walt Disney World Speedway in January 1997, finishing ninth.
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Tony Renna continued to race in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, entering eight races and claiming three podium finishes and two pole positions to score 54 points and place tenth in the championship.
33.
In September 1997, Mattco Raceworks founder and owner Matt Cohen hired Tony Renna to drive for its Indy Lights team for the 1998 season.
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Tony Renna moved from DeLand to a studio in New York City later that year to be closer to the team.
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Tony Renna visited Mattco's headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey four days per week to acquaint himself with the team.
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Tony Renna, still contracted to Mattco, sought employment in either NASCAR's Busch Series or the Truck Series.
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Tony Renna drove a partial 1999 Indy Lights schedule for PacWest, and was the test and development driver for its CART team.
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Tony Renna drove the No 17 vehicle, gaining two top-ten finishes and a 16th-place finish in the drivers' championship with 22 points.
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Tony Renna undertook a two-day test session at Firebird Raceway in December 1999 as preparation for the season.
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Tony Renna changed his car number to 18; he attained top-ten finishes in every round during the season except for two due to consecutive retirements: a mechanical failure at Milwaukee Mile and an accident in Detroit.
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Tony Renna finished fifth in the drivers' championship with 105 points.
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Tony Renna finished 17th and was 54th in the final standings with nine points.
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Tony Renna spent much of the year seeking employment with race teams, visiting garages, writing letters to them, and networking within the Indy Racing League.
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Tony Renna served as Priestley's spotter, and the two became friends.
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Tony Renna was employed as Kelley Racing's IRL test driver, curtailing his stock car driving to focus on the job.
46.
Tony Renna listened to radio communication from Kelley Racing driver Al Unser Jr.
47.
When Unser went into an alcohol rehabilitation center in Connecticut in July 2002, Kelley Racing searched for a replacement driver for two events and asked Tony Renna to fill in for Unser because he demonstrated enthusiasm.
48.
Under the observation of three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, Tony Renna passed an IRL-sanctioned, four-phase, rookie test at Texas Motor Speedway that allowed him to compete.
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Tony Renna switched his car number from 7 to 78, and took two more top-ten finishes for 24th overall with 121 points.
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Tony Renna continued to work as Unser's spotter and drove go-karts to maintain his fitness.
51.
Tony Renna accepted the role; Tom Kelley allowed him to leave on October 1 and join CGR, because he could not guarantee Tony Renna would drive for Kelley Racing in 2004.
52.
Tony Renna lost control of the vehicle, without having made any prior collision with the trackside SAFER barriers, which did not appear to have suffered a mechanical fault.
53.
Tony Renna's car spun sideways, just after the turn's apex and rotated 90 degrees to the left into the infield grass.
54.
Tony Renna, who was equipped with a HANS device, was killed instantly by massive internal trauma.
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Tony Renna was transported by ambulance to Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital, about a six-minute drive away, where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 9:43 local time.
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Tony Renna was the first fatality in the IRL since Scott Brayton was killed during practice for the 1996 Indianapolis 500, and the first in American open-wheel racing since Greg Moore died in a major accident during a CART race at California Speedway in 1999.
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An autopsy was conducted by Marion County Coroner John McGoff, who determined Tony Renna died instantaneously after sustaining fatal, blunt-force head and chest injuries from the high force of the impact.
58.
The results of the investigation into Tony Renna's death were released to the public on December 19,2003; the investigation was prolonged because the incident happened during a private test session.
59.
The IRL concluded the spectator fences worked as designed and the speed at which Tony Renna was traveling was similar to those monitored in accidents at the circuit in recent years.
60.
Tony Renna was called "a rising star in motor racing" by Nilima Fox of The Independent, and was described by Reggie Yates of The News-Sentinel as "a driver open-wheel fans wanted to see succeed".
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Tony Renna was well-liked; Renna was described as quiet, tender-hearted, benevolent, a man who adored his family, energetic, enthusiastic, and vibrant.
62.
In January 2004, Father Lopez Catholic School renamed its annual golf tournament after Tony Renna to raise funds for the memorial foundation.