Tony Renna
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Anthony James Renna (November 23, 1976 – October 22, 2003) was an American racing driver who competed in
Indy Lights Indy NXT (pronounced "Indy Next"), previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as INDY NXT by Firestone for sponsorship reasons. Indy NXT is the highest step on the Roa ...
and the
Indy Racing League IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR), is an auto racing Governing body, sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two Auto racing, racing series: the premier IndyCar Serie ...
(IRL) from 1998 to 2003. Renna began competitive racing at the age of six, winning 252 races and two national quarter-midget championships before the age of 15. Renna progressed to car racing at 16, competing for three years in the
Barber Dodge Pro Series The Barber Dodge Pro Series was an American open-wheel auto racing series promoted by the Skip Barber Racing School from 1986 to 2003. It was one of the first professional spec series for open-wheel racecars in North America. The races were prima ...
and partnering with stock car driver
Jerry Nadeau Jerry Anthony Nadeau (born September 9, 1969) is an American former stock car racer. He competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. He started racing go-karts before moving up to car racing, driving in the 12 Hours of Sebring, the European Formu ...
to finish second for the United States team at the 1996 EFDA Nations Cup. He progressed to
Championship Auto Racing Teams Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) was a Governing body, sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 1979 until dissolving after the 2003 CART season, 2003 season. CART was founded in 1979 by team owners formerly ...
' developmental series Indy Lights, winning one race during his three seasons in the championship from
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
to
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
. In 2002, Renna signed with
Kelley Racing Kelley Racing is a former Indy Racing League team founded by Fort Wayne, Indiana-based car dealer Tom Kelley that fielded a Delphi (auto parts), Delphi sponsored car for Scott Sharp during its entire existence from 1998 in IRL, 1998 to 2004 in IRL ...
to be its
test driver In motorsport it is common to have one or more test drivers who work with the mechanics to help develop the vehicle by testing new systems on the track. In specific motorsports Formula One In Formula One, the term third driver is used to designa ...
in the IRL, and was the driving coach and spotter to actor and
Infiniti Pro Series Indy NXT (pronounced "Indy Next"), previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as INDY NXT by Firestone for sponsorship reasons. Indy NXT is the highest step on the Road t ...
participant
Jason Priestley Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian-American actor and television director. Priestly starred as virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000). His other television roles in ...
. Renna competed in seven races for Kelley Racing before signing a contract to drive for
Chip Ganassi Racing Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization competing in the NTT IndyCar Series. They have formerly competed in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, Global Rally ...
in the
2004 IndyCar Series The 2004 IRL IndyCar Series was dominated by two teams, Andretti Green Racing and Rahal Letterman Racing. While there was great parity in 2003 between Honda and Toyota powered teams, in 2004 Honda began to outshine Toyota bringing their teams ...
. During an October 2003 tire test at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a motor racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, and and formerly the home of the U ...
, Renna was killed instantly in a collision with a retaining fence. He was the first driver to be killed in an accident in the IRL since
Scott Brayton Scott Everts Brayton (February 20, 1959 – May 17, 1996) was an American race car driver on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event. Brayton was killed in practice after qualifying ...
died during practice for the
1996 Indianapolis 500 The 80th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 26, 1996. This was the first Indy 500 contested as part of the new Indy Racing League, under the overall sanctioning umbrella of USAC. It ...
. As a consequence of Renna's death, car speeds and horsepower were reduced through a reduction in engine sizes and aerodynamics were altered in a bid to prevent cars becoming airborne. A memorial fund and IRL award were named after him.


Early and personal life

Tony Renna was born in
Victorville, California Victorville is a city in Victor Valley in San Bernardino County, California. Its population as of the 2020 census was 134,810. Victorville is the principal city of a Victor Valley–based urban area defined by the United States Census Bureau: ...
, on November 23, 1976, to jockey and meat-company owner Joe Renna and his wife Mary. He had two sisters; he was a cousin of
George Steinbrenner IV The Steinbrenners are an American family of Irish-German descent. The family has owned the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball since George Steinbrenner purchased the franchise in 1973. After George's death, Hal Steinbrenner, his son, becam ...
, co-owner of
Harding Steinbrenner Racing Harding Racing logo prior to partnership Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport was an auto racing team that competed in the IndyCar Series. Founded as Harding Racing in 2017 by businessman Mike Harding, the team would form partnerships in 2019 ...
. The family moved to
Apple Valley, California Apple Valley is an incorporated town in the Victor Valley of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Its population was 75,791 as of the 2020 United States census. The town is east of and adjoining to the neighboring cities of Victor ...
, from
Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...
, in 1975 and Renna's parents subsequently divorced. His family later moved to the
Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...
neighborhood of College Park before residing in
DeLand DeLand is a city in and the county seat of Volusia County, Florida, United States. The city sits approximately north of the central business district of Orlando, and approximately west of the central business district of Daytona Beach. It is a ...
. Renna was educated at
Bishop Moore High School Bishop Moore Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando, Florida. The school is located within the Diocese of Orlando, and remains the only Catholic high school in Greater Orlando. ...
and
Father Lopez Catholic High School Father Lopez Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando. 413 students are enrolled. History The first campus was funded by the president of D ...
, graduating from the latter in 1995. As a child, he was a
batboy In baseball, a bat boy or bat girl is an individual who carries baseball bats to the players on a baseball team. Duties of a batboy may also include handling and preparing players’ equipment and bringing Baseball (ball), baseballs to the umpi ...
for the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
baseball team, and played
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
, basketball and baseball. He was engaged at the time of his death, and was due to marry in Hawaii on November 22, 2003.


Junior career


Karting and sprint cars

Renna began go-kart racing in Orlando at age six. He spent his Friday nights at Horsemen's Park in Ocoee, refined his driving ability at circuits in Barberville,
Bithlo Bithlo is a census-designated place and an unincorporated community in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,268 at the 2010 census, up from 4,626 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan ...
and
New Smyrna Beach New Smyrna Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States, located on the central east coast of the state, with the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The downtown section of the city is located on the west side of the Indian River and the ...
, and was taught by former driver Ralph Liguori. Renna focused full-time on racing after deeming himself inadequate at Little League Baseball. He told his father of his choice of career, and was asked, "Do you know what you're asking for? Do you know you are asking for the
brass ring A brass ring is a small, grabbable ring that a dispenser presents to a carousel rider during the course of a ride. These dispensers are filled with a large number of iron or steel rings and a single or a few brass rings. The rings can then be to ...
and the
Olympic gold medal Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
?". Renna began focusing on an opportunity in
open-wheel racing Formula racing, also known as open-wheel racing in North America, is any of several forms of Open-wheel car, open-wheeled single-seater Auto racing, motorsport. A "formula", first devised by Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA for ...
, idolizing drivers
Rick Mears Richard Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is an American former race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (197 ...
, and Al Unser Jr., and wanted to drive for
Team Penske Team Penske (formerly Penske Racing) is an American professional auto racing organization, competing in the IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. Debuting at the 1966 24 Hours of Day ...
. Renna went on to drive a quarter-midget, a
mini sprint A mini sprint is an American type of open-wheel racing vehicle. Mini sprint cars resemble the shape of a full-size sprint car racing, sprint car and the size of a midget car racing, midget car. Although often used liberally to describe several dif ...
, a motocross bike, and a micro-sprint. He won 252 races, and two national quarter-midget championships before the age of 15. His mechanically inclined father constructed and maintained the machinery that Renna drove, and acted as his crew chief. Renna's mother was his timekeeper, and one of his sisters acted as a tire changer.


Early car racing career

At age 16, 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 In NASCAR, a road course ringer, also known as road course specialist, road course expert, or a road runner, is a non-NASCAR driver who is hired by a NASCAR Cup Series or NASCAR Xfinity Series team to race specifically on road courses. , current ...
. He took one win and seven top-three finishes for tenth in the final points standings. His form improved the following year, when he won eight races and achieved three-second-place finishes to win the series championship. In 1995 Jim O'Bryan, an employee of American driver development organization Racing for America, asked if Renna was interested in driving in Europe; 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 The 1995 Barber Dodge Pro Series season was the eleventh season of the series. Dodge replaced Saab as the series engine provider. 1995 was also the first season the series was sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing. All drivers used Dodge powered Goodyea ...
. O'Bryan met the Renna family again in mid-1995 at
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a road course auto racing facility located in Troy Township, Morrow County, Ohio, United States, just outside the village of Lexington. It hosts a number of racing series such as IndyCar, IMSA WeatherTech Sportsc ...
and agreed to compete in
Formula Three Formula Three (F3) is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers. History Formula Three (adop ...
. Renna tested a Mark Bailey Racing-owned
Ralt Ralt was a manufacturer of single-seater racing cars, founded by ex-Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham to Bernie Ecclestone. Ron and his brother had built some specials in Australia in the 1950s under ...
Formula Three car. Team owner Mark Bailey was complimentary towards Renna, whose father signed him to drive for Murray Taylor Racing until he pulled out due to budget concerns. In the UK, Renna drove six races in a Dallara F394-
Vauxhall Vauxhall ( , ) is an area of South London, within the London Borough of Lambeth. Named after a medieval manor called Fox Hall, it became well known for the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. From the Victorian period until the mid-20th century, Va ...
car for
West Surrey Racing West Surrey Racing is a UK-based motorsport team run by New Zealander Dick Bennetts. He is responsible for masterminding the careers of such names as Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen, Jonathan Palmer, Rubens Barrichello, Maurício Gugelmin and Eddie ...
in the 1995 British Formula Three Class B Championship. He secured a category win at
Pembrey Circuit Pembrey Circuit is a motor racing circuit near Pembrey village, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is the home of Welsh motorsport, providing racing for cars, motorcycles, karts and trucks. The circuit's facilities have also been used for a single-venue ...
that was later nullified because of an infraction, three
pole position In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the ra ...
s, and three podiums. In 1996, Renna returned to the United States with a depleted budget. He competed in a
Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence, Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
-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. He was named the 1996 Barber Dodge Pro Series Rookie of the Year, and won a Skip Barber Racing School Big Scholarship. Renna won the
Team USA Scholarship The Team USA Scholarship is a scholarship program which allows young American people, American racecar drivers to compete outside of the United States. Each year, a competition is used to select the best young racecar drivers in the United States, ...
over six other candidates and participated at the 1996 EFDA Nations Cup at
Donington Park Donington Park is a motorsport Race track, circuit located near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England. The circuit business is now owned by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision organisation, and the surrounding Donington Park Estate, sti ...
. He partnered with stock-car driver
Jerry Nadeau Jerry Anthony Nadeau (born September 9, 1969) is an American former stock car racer. He competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. He started racing go-karts before moving up to car racing, driving in the 12 Hours of Sebring, the European Formu ...
in a Formula Opel Lotus car, finishing second to win the silver medal. 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.


Later junior career

Renna made one appearance in the
U.S. F2000 National Championship The USF2000 Championship Presented by Continental Tire is an American racing series using an American variation of the Formula Ford standard, "F2000", that resumed operation for the 2010 season. As of 2022, it is sanctioned by the United States ...
for DSTP Motorsports in its 23
Van Diemen Van Diemen International, Ltd. was a British race car manufacturer based in Snetterton, Norfolk, United Kingdom. The company had a reputation for high-volume production runs of its cars, the most well-known of which is its series of Formula For ...
-
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
car at
Walt Disney World Speedway Walt Disney World Speedway was a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida, Orlando. It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indian ...
in January 1997, finishing ninth. He continued to race in the
Barber Dodge Pro Series The Barber Dodge Pro Series was an American open-wheel auto racing series promoted by the Skip Barber Racing School from 1986 to 2003. It was one of the first professional spec series for open-wheel racecars in North America. The races were prima ...
, entering eight races and claiming three podium finishes and two pole positions to score 54 points and place tenth in the championship. In September 1997, Mattco Raceworks founder and owner Matt Cohen hired Renna to drive for its
Indy Lights Indy NXT (pronounced "Indy Next"), previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as INDY NXT by Firestone for sponsorship reasons. Indy NXT is the highest step on the Roa ...
(at the time
Championship Auto Racing Teams Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) was a Governing body, sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 1979 until dissolving after the 2003 CART season, 2003 season. CART was founded in 1979 by team owners formerly ...
(CART)'s feeder series) team for the 1998 season. Renna moved from DeLand to a studio in New York City later that year to be closer to the team. He visited Mattco's headquarters in
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Englewood Cliffs is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 5,342, an increase of 61 (+1.2%) from the 2010 census count of 5,281, which in turn reflected a ...
four days per week to acquaint himself with the team. Driving the 77
Lola Lola may refer to: Places * Lolá, a or subdistrict of Panama * Lola Township, Cherokee County, Kansas, United States * Lola Prefecture, Guinea * Lola, Guinea, a town in Lola Prefecture * Lola Island, in the Solomon Islands People * Lol ...
-
Buick Buick () is a division (business), division of the Automotive industry in the United States, American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American automobil ...
car, he won at
Michigan International Speedway Michigan International Speedway (formerly named as the Michigan Speedway from 1997 to 2000) is a D-shaped oval superspeedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. It has hosted various major auto racing series throughout its existence, including NASCAR, Cham ...
, took two pole positions, and had six top ten finishes to place eighth in the drivers' championship with 68 points. In April 1999, CART imposed a one-year suspension on Mattco Raceworks from its racing series for illegal engine modifications in the car of Renna's teammate Mark Hotchkis. Renna, still contracted to Mattco, sought employment in either
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
's
Busch Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...
(now Xfinity Series) or the
Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck-based stock cars. The series is o ...
. Motor-racing journalist Jeremy Shaw and the Team USA Scholarship made the
PacWest Racing PacWest Racing was a Champ Car racing team owned by Bruce McCaw founded in 1993. The team's first full-time season was the next year, 1994, with drivers Dominic Dobson and future Indy Racing League co-champion Scott Sharp. In 1995, the team swit ...
team aware of Renna's potential. He drove a partial 1999 Indy Lights schedule for PacWest, and was the test and development driver for its CART team. Renna drove the 17 vehicle, gaining two top-ten finishes and a 16th-place finish in the drivers' championship with 22 points. Having signed a five-year contract in late October 1999, Renna returned to PacWest Racing for the 2000 Indy Lights, and continued as its test and development driver. He undertook a two-day test session at Firebird Raceway in December 1999 as preparation for the season. 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 The Milwaukee Mile is a oval race track in the central United States, located on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb west of Milwaukee. Its grandstand and bleachers seats approximately 37,000 spectat ...
and an accident in
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
. Renna finished fifth in the drivers' championship with 105 points. Before the 2001 racing season, an agreement for Renna to drive for PacWest's CART team fell through, and he was released from its Indy Lights operation. Renna was less active in professional car racing during the year, making one appearance in the SpeedVision World Challenge at
Mosport International Raceway Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport Park and Mosport International Raceway) is a multi-Race track, track motorsport venue located north of Bowmanville in Clarington, Ontario, Canada, approximately 75 kilometers (47 miles) east of To ...
in May, driving the 12 SSC Parts/TC Kline
BMW M3 The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M GmbH. M3 models have been produced for every generation of 3 Series since the E30 M3 was introduced in 1986. The initial mod ...
. He finished 17th and was 54th in the final standings with nine points. He spent much of the year seeking employment with race teams, visiting garages, writing letters to them, and networking within the
Indy Racing League IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR), is an auto racing Governing body, sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two Auto racing, racing series: the premier IndyCar Serie ...
(IRL). Renna was employed as a driving instructor at
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway (track complex formerly known as Las Vegas Speedway Park from 1993 to 1996, Las Vegas Speedway in 1992, Las Vegas International Speedway from 1990 to 1992, as the Las Vegas International Speedrome from 1972 to 1990) is a ...
's
Derek Daly Derek Patrick Daly (born 11 March 1953) is an Irish former racing driver, businessman and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from to . Born and raised in Dublin, Daly won the British Formula Three Championship in 1977, before partici ...
Performance Driving Academy, and competed in NASCAR
late model Late Model stock car racing, also known as late model racing and late models, refers to a type of auto racing that involves purpose-built cars simultaneously racing against each other primarily on oval tracks. This type of racing was early-on ...
stock car events for Dick Cobb on a weekly basis at the track.


IndyCar Series career

Kelley Racing Kelley Racing is a former Indy Racing League team founded by Fort Wayne, Indiana-based car dealer Tom Kelley that fielded a Delphi (auto parts), Delphi sponsored car for Scott Sharp during its entire existence from 1998 in IRL, 1998 to 2004 in IRL ...
team owner Tom Kelley and general manager Jim Freudenberg were introduced to Renna in 2000. The three became acquainted; Renna inquired about employment at the team, and signed a contract in May 2002. In mid-2002, Renna and his business manager suggested he should coach actor
Jason Priestley Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian-American actor and television director. Priestly starred as virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000). His other television roles in ...
, who raced in the developmental Infiniti Pro Series that year; Kelley Racing was enthusiastic about the idea and agreed. Renna also served as Priestley's spotter, and the two became friends. He was employed as Kelley Racing's IRL test driver, curtailing his stock car driving to focus on the job. Renna listened to radio communication from Kelley Racing driver Al Unser Jr. during races, learning patience, and acted as his spotter. When Unser went into an alcohol rehabilitation center in
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
in July 2002, Kelley Racing searched for a replacement driver for two events and asked Renna to fill in for Unser because he demonstrated enthusiasm. Under the observation of three-time
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
winner
Johnny Rutherford John Sherman Rutherford III (born March 12, 1938), also known as "Lone Star JR", is an American former automobile racing driver. During an Indy Car career that spanned more than three decades, he scored 27 wins and 23 pole positions in 314 start ...
, Renna passed an IRL-sanctioned, four-phase, rookie test at
Texas Motor Speedway Texas Motor Speedway (formerly known as Texas International Raceway from September to December 1996) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. It has hosted various major races since its inaugura ...
that allowed him to compete. In his first two races driving Kelley Racing's 7 Dallara-
Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...
vehicle in the
2002 Indy Racing League The 2002 Indy Racing League (IRL) was one of transition, with two reigning CART championship teams, Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing, joining the series with full time entries. The Oldsmobile engine was rebranded as a Chevrolet, an ...
, Renna took consecutive top-ten finishes at
Nashville Superspeedway Nashville Superspeedway is a tri-oval intermediate speedway in Lebanon, Tennessee. The track has held a variety of racing events since its opening in 2001, including NASCAR and the IndyCar Series. It is currently owned by Speedway Motorsport ...
and Michigan International Speedway. After Unser returned from rehabilitation, the team expanded its roster to three cars because they were impressed with Renna's performance and obtained sponsorship to allow him to continue driving. Renna switched his car number from 7 to 78, and took two more top-ten finishes for 24th overall with 121
points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...
. After the season concluded, a budget decrease led Kelley Racing to reduce its roster from three to two cars, leaving Renna without a race seat; he remained an employee of the team. Renna continued to work as Unser's spotter and drove go-karts to maintain his fitness. The difficulty in finding sponsorship to compete in races restricted Renna primarily to being a test driver, but he made a single race appearance in the
2003 IndyCar Series The 2003 IRL IndyCar Series brought some of the biggest changes in its history. The league adopted the name IndyCar Series, after a settlement with CART prohibiting its use had expired. Several former CART teams brought their full operations to ...
, the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
. Starting from eighth place, Renna finished in seventh. In Indianapolis,
Chip Ganassi Racing Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization competing in the NTT IndyCar Series. They have formerly competed in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, Global Rally ...
(CGR) managing director Mike Hull told team owner
Chip Ganassi Floyd "Chip" Ganassi Jr. (born May 24, 1958) is an American businessman, former racing driver, current team owner and member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. He has been involved with the North American auto racing scene for over 30 ye ...
that Renna was a driver to take notice of. In October 2003, Ganassi offered Renna a driving role in his team for the
2004 IndyCar Series The 2004 IRL IndyCar Series was dominated by two teams, Andretti Green Racing and Rahal Letterman Racing. While there was great parity in 2003 between Honda and Toyota powered teams, in 2004 Honda began to outshine Toyota bringing their teams ...
in place of
Tomas Scheckter Tomas Scheckter (born 21 September 1980) is a South African former racing driver best known for his time in the IndyCar Series. Early years Scheckter was born in Monte Carlo to 1979 Formula One season, 1979 Formula One World Champion Jody Sche ...
— who moved to
Panther Racing Panther Racing was an American open wheel auto racing team. It was one of the oldest continually operating teams in the IndyCar Series. Four years in a row (2008–2011), the team finished second at the Indianapolis 500. Formation The team was ...
—and to partner 2003 IndyCar Series champion
Scott Dixon Scott Ronald Dixon (born 22 July 1980) is a New Zealand racing driver who races the 9 Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) Dallara DW12-Honda car in the IndyCar Series. He is a six-time drivers' champion of the IndyCar Series, having claimed the title in ...
. Renna accepted the role; Tom Kelley allowed him to leave on October 1 and join CGR, because he could not guarantee Renna would drive for Kelley Racing in 2004.


Death

Renna made his first on-track appearance for CGR in a private
Firestone Firestone may refer to: *Flint or firestone *Firestone (surname) Places Liberia * Firestone District, Margibi County, Liberia United States * Firestone (Phoenix, Arizona), a listing on the National Register of Historic Places in Phoenix, Arizona ...
tire-test session at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a motor racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, and and formerly the home of the U ...
on October 22. The track and the tires on his car were cold. At 9:20 am
Eastern Daylight Time The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, and the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico. * Eastern Standard Time (EST) is five hours behin ...
( UTC−05:00), while on his fourth lap driving the 10
G-Force The g-force or gravitational force equivalent is a Specific force, mass-specific force (force per unit mass), expressed in Unit of measurement, units of standard gravity (symbol ''g'' or ''g''0, not to be confused with "g", the symbol for ...
-
Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...
car, Renna entered turn three below the normal
racing line In motorsport, the racing line or simply "the line" is the optimal path around a race course. In most cases, the line makes use of the entire width of the track to lengthen the radius of a turn: entering at the outside edge, touching the "apex"—a ...
at . He 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. Renna's car spun sideways, just after the turn's
apex The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics) A-Bomb Abomination Absorbing Man Abraxas Abyss Abyss is the name of two characters appearing in Ameri ...
and rotated 90 degrees to the left into the infield grass. Air penetrated the vehicle's bottom, causing it to lift as it skipped over the grass. While travelling airborne, the car turned about another 30 degrees to the left. The bottom of Renna's car struck the outside retaining fence above the SAFER barrier at the exit to turn three, causing a deceleration of more than , a force that the human body is unable to withstand. This destroyed the car, splitting it into two, throwing its
gearbox A transmission (also called a gearbox) is a mechanical device invented by Louis Renault (who founded Renault) which uses a gear set—two or more gears working together—to change the speed, direction of rotation, or torque multiplication/r ...
into the nearby grandstand, snapping the fence posts, and scattering debris over the track and grandstand walkway. The first layer of grandstand in the track's north section was lacerated. Renna, who was equipped with a
HANS device A HANS device (head and neck support device) is a type of head restraint and a safety device in motorsports. Head restraints are mandatory when competing with most major motorsports sanctioning bodies. They reduce the likelihood of head or neck ...
, was killed instantly by massive internal trauma. No one else was injured. The cockpit tub that holds the driver inside the car was ensnared in the fence and dangled there with Renna still in it. IRL medical personnel arrived at the scene and were unable to restart Renna's heart. He was transported by ambulance to
Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital is a hospital part of Indiana University Health, in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the largest hospital in the state of Indiana and one of only four regional Level I Trauma Centers in the state. It has ...
, about a six-minute drive away, where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 9:43 local time.


Aftermath and investigation

Renna was the first fatality in the IRL since
Scott Brayton Scott Everts Brayton (February 20, 1959 – May 17, 1996) was an American race car driver on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event. Brayton was killed in practice after qualifying ...
was killed during practice for the
1996 Indianapolis 500 The 80th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 26, 1996. This was the first Indy 500 contested as part of the new Indy Racing League, under the overall sanctioning umbrella of USAC. It ...
, and the first in American open-wheel racing since Greg Moore died in a major accident during a CART race at
California Speedway Auto Club Speedway (known as California Speedway before and after the 2008–2023 corporate sponsorship by the Automobile Club of Southern California) was a , D-shaped oval superspeedway in unincorporated San Bernardino County, California, ne ...
in 1999. An autopsy was conducted by Marion County Coroner John McGoff, who determined Renna died instantaneously after sustaining fatal, blunt-force head and chest injuries from the high force of the impact. On the afternoon of October 27, Renna was given a memorial service at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church; another took place four days later at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Deland, Florida, and was attended by 400 people.
Darren Manning Darren Manning (born 30 April 1975) is a British motor racing driver who has raced in the IRL IndyCar Series for Chip Ganassi Racing and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Career history Early career Manning was born in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire ...
took Renna's seat at CGR. The week after Renna's death, the IRL began an investigation, involving officials from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, CGR and Firestone. Because Renna's crash occurred during a private test session, with the media and public not allowed to enter the speedway, there were no eyewitnesses, photographs or video footage of the accident. The car was impounded at the track; the connectors on its
black box In science, computing, and engineering, a black box is a system which can be viewed in terms of its inputs and outputs (or transfer characteristics), without any knowledge of its internal workings. Its implementation is "opaque" (black). The te ...
were severely damaged, rendering officials unable to download the on-board electronic data it contained. The black box was sent to its manufacturer in the United Kingdom, where data stored in the car's
accident data recorder The accident data recorder (ADR, German commonly abbr.: UDS, also accident (data) writer) is an independent electronic device that records before, during, and after a traffic accident relevant data and thus resembles a flight recorder. It can ...
was downloaded to determine whether a mechanical failure contributed to Renna's crash. The results of the investigation into 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. According to the report, the data provided to the IRL "did not produce a 100 percent conclusion as to why the tragic accident occurred. There are many unknown possibilities that could have contributed to the cause of the accident." The report focused on the way the car lifted into the air and the events surrounding Renna's death. The IRL concluded the spectator fences worked as designed and the speed at which Renna was traveling was similar to those monitored in accidents at the circuit in recent years.


Personality and legacy

Tony Renna was called "a rising star in motor racing" by Nilima Fox of ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', and was described by Reggie Yates of ''
The News-Sentinel ''The News-Sentinel'' was a daily newspaper based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The afternoon ''News-Sentinel'' was politically independent. The papers suspended publication in November 2020, after the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic. Early history ' ...
'' as "a driver open-wheel fans wanted to see succeed". He was well-liked; Renna was described as quiet, tender-hearted, benevolent, a man who adored his family, energetic, enthusiastic, and vibrant. As a consequence of his fatal accident and major crashes involving drivers
Kenny Bräck Per Cenny "Kenny" Bräck (born 21 March 1966) is a Swedish former race car driver. Until his retirement from racing, he competed in the Champ Car, CART, Indy Racing League and the IROC series. He won the 1998 Indy Racing League championship and t ...
,
Hélio Castroneves Hélio Castroneves (; born Hélio Alves de Castro Neves; 10 May 1975) is a Brazilian auto racing driver. He competes part-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 06 Dallara-Honda for Meyer Shank Racing. He is one of four drivers to have w ...
,
Gil de Ferran Gil de Ferran (11 November 1967 – 29 December 2023) was a Brazilian professional racing driver and team owner. De Ferran was the 2000 and 2001 Champ Car champion driving for Team Penske and the winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500. He also ...
and
Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
in 2003, the IRL mandated rule changes from the
2004 Indianapolis 500 The 88th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 30, 2004. It was part of the 2004 IndyCar Series season and the ninth Indy 500 sanctioned by the IndyCar, Indy Racing League. Buddy Rice ...
onward with the intention of reducing power by ten percent—approximately —and reduced speeds of around . Accordingly, car engine sizes were reduced from 3.5 L to 3.0 L and aerodynamics were altered in a bid to prevent cars becoming airborne. The Tony Renna Memorial Fund was established in
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
to continue the driver's work, which was based on his "approach to life of caring about others". The fund supports
Autism Speaks Autism Speaks Inc. is an American non-profit autism awareness organization and the largest autism research organization in the United States. It sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governm ...
, the Team USA Scholarship and the
Surfrider Foundation The Surfrider Foundation is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental organization that works to protect and preserve the world's oceans, waves and beaches. It focuses on plastic reduction, water quality, beach access, beach and surf spot preser ...
through public donations. In January 2004, Father Lopez Catholic School renamed its annual golf tournament after Renna to raise funds for the memorial foundation. The same year, the IRL renamed its Rising Star Award after Renna. The award is given to "an up-and-coming IndyCar Series driver who embodies the qualities of the late Renna". At the season-ending Lime Rock Rolex Sports Car Series race and the
2013 Petit Le Mans The 16th Annual Petit Le Mans presented by Mazda was the 2013 edition of the Petit Le Mans automotive endurance race, held on October 16–19, 2013, at the Road Atlanta circuit in Braselton, Georgia, United States. The race was the final R ...
of the
American Le Mans Series The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le M ...
, sports car driver and Renna's protégé
Patrick Long __NOTOC__ Patrick Brian Long (born July 28, 1981) is an American professional racing driver, one of 18 Porsche factory racing drivers, and the only American to hold that distinction. Racing career Sports car racing Following a successful career ...
sported a helmet livery similar to Renna in celebration of his mentor's career on the tenth anniversary of his death.


Motorsports career results


Career summary


American open-wheel racing results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) (Small number denotes finishing position)


Complete USF2000 National Championship results


Indy Lights


IndyCar


= Indianapolis 500 results

=


See also

* List of fatalities at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway


Notes


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Renna, Tony 1976 births 2003 deaths Bishop Moore High School alumni Sportspeople from Victorville, California Sportspeople from DeLand, Florida Racing drivers from California Racing drivers from Florida IndyCar Series drivers Indianapolis 500 drivers Indy Lights drivers EFDA Nations Cup drivers Racing drivers who died while racing Sports deaths in Indiana Barber Pro Series drivers U.S. F2000 National Championship drivers PacWest Racing drivers