Most racing folk dread the winter months, because it is a
long and boring stretch. With nothing to do as far as racing, it
seems like an eternity. Now, in my case, the winter is a time to
give back, and it will now be a busy winter season. Steve
“Pitbull” Trimboli has supported me with a warm shop, parts,
tools and financial assistance for years. Anything I’ve needed
for my #29 Pitbull Motors enduro truck has been given or
provided by Steve.
Another long-time good friend and fellow racer, Eddie Colon,
was with me hanging out at Steve’s busy shop one weekend. Steve
asked Ed how his #18 enduro truck was doing. Ed mentioned that
his racing has been put on the back burner because of a blown
motor. Steve asked what type of motor he had, what year, etc,
etc. Once it was established what motor he had, Steve says to
Ed, “There’s one under the tarp, right over there, take it with
you.” And just like that, Ed’s racing was back on track, (no pun
intended). This was the beginning of “Team Pitbull Racing.”
Steve “Pitbull” Trimboli operates and owns a foreign car
repair shop in the heart of Freeport, specializing in
Mercedes-Benz repairs. He and the shop are named alike because
you will always see one of a handful of intimidating pitbulls
lurking around, a whistle away. He has a passion for pitbulls,
hence his nickname and the name of the shop, “Pitbull Motors.”
The locals see a constant flow of motorcycles, racecars, luxury
cars, classic cars, muscle cars - you name it, it has been in
and out of his shop. He has a love for speed and it reflects in
his daily driver, an SS Pickup truck, equipped with a big block,
or a Harley (on the nicer days). Not far away is a 95mph capable
race-power boat, and motorcycles, dirtbikes, quads, and fast
toys are scattered all about the shop.
Steve has watched many a race, for years. During the last
enduro race of ’08, Steve turned to me and said, “I have to
race, I’m tired of watching.”
One week passed, and Steve called me and said, “I bought a
Benz, I’m going to run in the 4 cylinder division.”
He told me, “I want to be the first guy to race a
Mercedes-Benz at Riverhead Raceway. I mentioned to him, in all
the races I’ve ever seen, I’ve never seen or heard of a
Mercedes-Benz running in an enduro race. He may actually be the
first to complete the task at hand.
And so the story begins. We’re going to chronicle the whole
process of making a racecar. We’re going to turn this smashed
up, worn out, retired Mercedes into a competitive enduro racing
machine.
This past weekend we all gathered at the shop to start the
long task at hand. First things first, put it on a lift and see
what we’re up against. We were like three surgeons looking over
a sick patient on a gurney. We were prepared with a clipboard,
and plenty of paper to note what we found. Unfortunately, a lot
was found that needs to be done. The list seemed endless.
After two hours of dissecting the car, we were finally
finished. To be competitive, no corners can be cut. There is no
way around it. Everything found MUST be done. Safety is first,
and most important. Luckily, with the thorough Inspection,
cracks were found in the floor around the rear shocks. This
could have been a nasty future problem. It is a perfect example
of why a thorough inspection must be done. Many, many
mechanical problems were found as well. We have now begun the
process, and the staff at LongIslandJam.com has agreed this will
be a fun process to follow along. We will photograph and
document the long and tedious project on our plate.
‘Stage One” is done. We know now what needs to be done. We
have a list of parts longer than Santa’s toy list. With a game
plan in order, “Stage Two” will be coming soon.
The Team Pitbull Mercedes Winter Project has begun…enjoy the
ride.
Source: Andy Owen/LongIslandJam.com
Posted:
December 15, 2008
