The 51
One car, prepared by the man who drives it.
The 51SK is a blue SK Modified owned by John Volpe, prepared and repaired by Rob Janovic Jr. between Saturdays, and still running at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. The number has been on the team's car since 1987.
01The car
What shows up on a Saturday night.
- Division
- SK Modified
- Car number
- 51SK
- Owner
- John Volpe
- Driver
- Rob Janovic Jr.
- Crew chief and spotter
- Greg Hanner
- Home track
- New London-Waterford Speedbowl
- Track
- 3/8 mile, two grooves
- SK Modified wins
- 26
- Championship
- 2007 SK Modified
- Qualifying record
- 14.183 seconds, set July 9, 2005
02Preparation
Built in the shop, not bought off a shelf.
Rob is a hands-on owner and driver. He builds it, repairs it and sets it up himself, which is why the car shows up looking the way it does and why it has stayed a contender through four decades of rules changes.
- Weeknight prep. The car gets worked on after hours at the shop in North Branford, then loaded on the trailer.
- The same people every week. The crew that races the car is the crew that maintains it. Nobody hands it off.
- Repaired, not replaced. Damage from a Saturday is fixed before the next race, not written off.
03The archive
From the team photo box.
Video
The 51 on YouTube.
A playlist the team curates as clips turn up: race footage from the Speedbowl, restarts, and the nights worth watching twice.
Put your name on the car.
Sponsorship packages start with a decal and go up from there, and every dollar stays on this car.
See the sponsorship packages