Two cars, and one crew that keeps both of them on the track.
The blue car is the 51SK, an SK Modified, and it still runs at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. The black car is a Tour-type Modified. Both are owned by Rob Janovic Jr. and John Volpe, and both are repaired by the team between Saturdays. The number 51SK has been on the SK car since 1987.
What shows up on a Saturday night.
- Division
- SK Modified and Tour-type Modified
- Car number
- 51SK, SK Modified
- Owners
- Rob Janovic Jr. and 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
Built in the shop, not bought off a shelf.
Rob is a hands-on owner and driver. He builds them, repairs them and sets them up himself, which is why both cars show up looking the way they do and why the team has stayed a contender through four decades of rules changes. The black Tour-type car gets the same treatment as the blue SK: what breaks on a Saturday is fixed before the next one.
- Weeknight prep. Both cars get 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 cars is the crew that maintains them. Nobody hands it off.
- Repaired, not replaced. Damage from a Saturday is fixed on both cars before the next race, not written off.
From the team photo box.
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 both cars.
Sponsorship packages start with a decal and go up from there, and every dollar stays on the team.
See the sponsorship packages