Peter Cozzolino | Driver Bio

Peter began racing at age eleven and won more than seventy-five kart races before his sixteenth birthday, as well as two New England Championships (1983 and 1984). Looking back, Peter says, “I’ve wanted to race for as long as I can remember. My dad was very supportive. I didn’t appreciate until much later how much he sacrificed to help get me started.”

At age sixteen, Peter stepped up to Formula Fords, winning a pair of championships with the Eastern Motor Racing Association and the Race Car Club Of America. He also won the Vanderbilt Cup in the Tommy Thompson Memorial race.

At eighteen, Peter moved to SCCA National Formula Fords, winning three Nationals and setting a track record at Mosport, Canada. He competed in the SCCA National Championship at Road Atlanta finishing fourth after breaking a gear box.

After completing high school, Peter enrolled at Waterbury State College to study Mechanical Engineering. During the summer of 1990, he traveled to Canada to compete in the Export-A Formula 2000 Challenge, his first professional experience. Finishing eleventh in points, he drove a factory backed Van Diemen RF-90 to “Rookie of the Year” honors, becoming the first American to win that award in the history of the series.

After college, Peter relocated to Indianapolis to drive Sprint cars. His first season’s efforts earned him the 1992 “Sprint Driver Rookie of the Year” award from Hoosier Auto Race Fans, an organization composed of track owners, promoters, and series sponsors.

From 1993 to 1995, Peter continued to race Sprint cars on paved tracks throughout the Midwest. He won several heat races and recorded several top five finishes. Near the end of the season, he decided to explore switching to stock cars. Cozzolino would travel to North Carolina and attended the last few events in the now defunct American Speed Association (ASA) AC-Delco Challenge Series races,

At the beginning of 1996, Cozzolino went to work for Nott Motorsports, moving to Spring Lake, Michigan. In 1997, while continuing to work for the team, he got his first racing experience in ASA, competing in four races in a team car. He completed 1,083 of 1,100 possible laps (98.5%) with his best result a 10th place at Indianapolis (Now O’Reilly) Raceway Park, where he finished in front of all six of the rookie drivers in the race.

During the 1997 season, he met Denny Crookston, a successful concrete contractor from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Denny entered his Chevrolet Monte Carlo in several ASA races. Crookston wanted to run a full season in 1998 and was looking for a driver. After the season ended, they reached an agreement to form a new team and Cozzolino began his stock car racing career in 1998 and was the ASA Rookie Runner-up to current NASCAR Nextel Cup star Jimmie Johnson.

In 1999, he made the move to the Sunoco Super Series (Now CRA Super Series), capturing Rookie of the Year honors. He finished third in Sunoco points in 2001, posting three victories. In 2002, Cozzolino returned to ASA and in 2003 scored his first career victory at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Cozzolino added a second victory in three events at Berlin (MI) Raceway in August of 2003. He placed 10th in the final point standings, posting two top-five finishes and five top 10s. He also competed in the series in its’ final season in 2004 before the historical tour disbanded.

The veteran Hoosier State driver came on strong at the end of the 2005 season, his first in ASALMS competition, to crack the Top 10 in the final points standings. Two Top five finishes in the last two events of the season, including a season high third place finish at the Rockford (IL) Speedway on October 29, 2005 helped Cozzolino towards six top 10 finishes and a 10th place finish in points during the season.

Cozzolino was one of three ASALMS competitors to run the full schedules in both the ASALMS Challenge and Northern Divisions during the 2006 season.

The Indianapolis, Indiana veteran established himself as a top notch contender week in and week out. Cozzolino finished his Challenge Division schedule with One Top Five finish, a fourth place showing in the Automotive Resources/AC-Delco 200 at the Jennerstown (PA) Speedway on July 29, 2006. Cozzolino also recorded an impressive Six Top 10 finishes to secure the ninth spot in the final ASALMS Challenge Division points chase.

In the ASALMS Northern Division, Cozzolino was a factor throughout the 2006 season as the 37-year-old finished the season with One Top Five and an impressive Seven Top 10 finishes to finish fourth in the final ASALMS Northern Division Points Standings. Cozzolino’s season high finish was a fifth place showing in the Missouri 100 Presented by Midwest Diesel Performance in the ASALMS Northern Divisions’ inaugural event on May 6, 2006 at the I-70 (MO) Speedway.

During the 2007 season, Cozzolino competed full-time in both the ASALMS Challenge and Northern Divisions. In the ASALMS Challenge Division, he picked up his first career ASALMS Feature Win, which came in the Radfest / Race Against Drugs 200 at the Motor Mile (VA) Speedway on April 21, 2007. Also recorded Three (3) Top Five finishes and Eight (8) Top 10 showings. Cozzolino also picked up 10 Top 15 finishes.

In ASALMS Northern Division competition, he picked up Three (3) Top Five finishes with a season high of Second coming in the A.S.I. Limited 100 Presented by Lucas Oil Products and Ed Martin Automotive Group at his home track of the O’Reilly (IN) Raceway Park at Indianapolis on April 28, 2007. Cozzolino also recorded Five (5) Top 10 finishes and Seven (7) Top 15 showings.

He also picked up One (1) Fast Qualifier Award, which came in the rained out Great Lakes 100 at the Owosso (MI) Speedway on August 18, 2007. This is second year in a row, the Indianapolis, Indiana driver has finished in Fourth Place in the final ASALMS Northern Division Points Standings!

2008  was one of the highlights of his career.   The team decided to focus on the ASA Challenge series and forgo the North series.  Setting 4 track records,  and a worst finish of 5th with the exception of a broken drive shaft at Salem speedway.   It came down to the final laps of the last race of the season at Gateway Speedway running up against Jacob Goedy.   He need 3 positions ahead of him to take the Championship.    With 6 laps to go this was accomplished with a 4th place finish.   7 top 3 finishes and 10 top 5 finishes gave the McDonalds team their first ASA Challenge Championship!

In 2009 the team was struck with 2 major crashes and one broken motor.   In spite of adversity,  they were able to pull off a 5th place in points in the ASA Challenge Series.