QUAKER CITY RACEWAY For Ryan Martino, drag racing is family venture

YSU punter Ryan Martino also is a drag racer, with help from his family.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- This fall, Ryan Martino will embark on his senior season as a punter with the Youngstown State football team.
But, for this spring and summer, the Cardinal Mooney High graduate will be drag-racing his car at area tracks with the help of his family.
Martino, in his first year competing with a 2000 Cavalier that he purchased last winter, has the benefit of a three-man pit crew that consists of his grandfather, Fred Martino; father, Tom Martino; and uncle, Jim Martino.
The family's next venture is the Falken Tire Ohio Import & amp; Truck Bash Saturday and Sunday at Quaker City Raceway in Salem.
Martino, who is majoring in merchandising and marketing at YSU, will be competing in the Dragfest event in the automatic division of the all-motor four-cylinder class.
Last Wednesday night, he won a race in the sports compact division at Quaker City in 18.3 seconds over the quarter-mile strip.
Loves family racing
Martino loves the family aspect of racing.
"It's nice because it brings us together as a family. It's a great time, There are not that many sports events that you can compete in with your family. It's a place where you can go and interact with your family," said Martino, who called the family's drag-racing "a family hobby."
In fact, he has been influenced by his father's life-long interest in cars and racing, and bought his car as a project for him and Tom to work on in Tom's garage.
But Tom, a graduate of Struthers High, races his own car.
"I am the main driver of this car. [My father] has his own car, a Cintas rear engine dragster," said Ryan, who has souped-up his Cavalier with performance enhancements, but doesn't always use them, although he will in this weekend's ITB Bash.
"I race without the performance enhancements to see how much I will gain by adding the enhancements.," said Martino. " This weekend, I will add the enhancements to see how I do, so I will know how valuable the enhancements are."
In Dragfest Saturday
Martino, whose car is painted white with a black hood and silver graphics, will be competing in the Dragfest Saturday. The time trials are from noon to 4 p.m. with the eliminations beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The ITB Bash is one of the largest gatherings for sports compacts, minis, sports trucks and low-riders in the Midwest in various competitions. It is being held in the area for the second straight year after being held last year at the Canfield Fairgrounds.
Show hours are Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vehicle registration at the gate is $40 per vehicle. Ticket prices are $10 at the gate.
kovach@vindy.com