He shyly admits his impressive record that includes three first-place finishes, three second-place finishes, and finishing in the top 10 in the remaining five races. "The first time I raced, it was such a rush. I was really nervous but the danger aspect disappeared as soon as I took the wheel," Picelle said. "But nothing could compare to the feeling I had when I won my first race. To see that checkered flag, that was a great feeling."
His love of racing is reflected in his restaurant's decor - pictures or race cars and sports cars adorn the walls. And his passion has been passed on to his fiancee, Valerie Mazzola. Picelle said she travels with him to all the races and has begun performing crew duties, such as taking measurements and temperatures and keeping statistics.
He also said Mazzola uses his car to compete in Auto Cross racing, which involves timed events in large parking lots. She is the current leader in the ladies class where they compete. He said there is no money involved in amateur racing but winners get either a trophy or certificate. He said he hopes his collection keeps growing. "This is an expensive sport and I can't compete as much as I would like because of the expense, but I love every minute of it," he said. "this is a dream come true."
By Marly Kosinski, 2003. Displayed with permission from the Record-Courier
