Last month the Corvette racing fraternity lost one of its most colorful competitors of the 1960s, and I lost an old friend.
A fierce competitor, Frank Dominianni raced Corvettes with and against the biggest, most well-financed names in the sport and won: Mark Donahue, Dick Guldstrand, Roger Penske, Dick Thompson, Don Yenko and others. He had no sponsors; built, race-prepped and drove his red #69 fuel-injected, solid axle Corvettes. A master at engine and chassis dyno tuning with aircraft engine building and maintenance credentials, Frank owned and operated a landmark Long Island speed shop since 1947, Hi-Speed Equipment in Valley Stream, NY. Photo above with Frank behind the wheel of #69 and Jan Hyde, Bridgehampton, 1978.
After serving in WW II with General Patton and being awarded a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Presidential Citation, the Brooklyn born and raised car guy came home and operated a small gas station shop. Approximately two years later, he opened Hi-Speed Equipment that is still in its original location. He installed engine and chassis dynamometers, the first in the area, and became known on the East Coast for his Chevy/Corvette engine building and dyno tuning expertise. His speed shop also earned a reputation for building and tuning engines for exotic imports like Ferraris and Maseratis. He was never afraid to tackle complex machines that few shops would let in the door. NOTE: Before Joel “Mr. Motion” Rosen installed a Clayton chassis dyno at his original Motion Performance location in Brooklyn, he brought his modified ’55 Olds to Hi-Speed Equipment to have Frank dyno-tune it.
My relationship with Frank, above, started in the late-1950s when I was a freelance photo-journalist doing car features for digest-size hot rod and custom car magazines, including Custom Rodder and CAR, SPEED & STYLE which I became Editor of in 1961.
I would visit Hi-Speed Equipment periodically; watch Frank work on the dyno in between blueprinting an exotic Italian Weber-carbureted, multi-cam V8 or a highly modified 283 small-block. He always had endless stories; I listened and learned.
Frank actually had the 94th competition license issued by SCCA and, over the years, built and raced Crosley Hotshots, MGs, an Elva, Allard and some open-wheel cars. However, he earned his track cred racing Corvettes. Fuel injected Corvettes were his passion, starting with the first injected Corvette in 1957. But it was between 1962 and 1966 that Frank Dominianni and #69, run as a 1961 model with a 283 FI motor and as a 1962 model with 327 FI power, chalked up an impressive win record on the SCCA circuit.
Frank’s flamboyant driving style, often drifting around corners at Bridgehampton Raceway like a Sprint car driver to stay ahead of some of the more professionally-prepared competition, treated Corvette racing fans to non-stop, action-packed shows. Over the years Frank and his red #69 competed and won in SCCA local, regional and national A & B/Production competition. In 1964, Frank won the coveted B/Production National Championship. As years went on, Frank found it more difficult racing in A & B/P, classes “owned” by later model, more sophisticated Sting Rays and Shelby Cobras. In April 1966, Frank ran his last races in #69.
Approximately four years after hanging up his helmet, Frank sold #69 to one of my Corvette friends, Jan Hyde (http://www.registryofcorvetteracecars.com/), who still owns the solid-axle ’60 FI Corvette purchased during his college days. I did a story on it in VETTE magazine and we became friends. After running EMRA Time Trials at Bridgehampton and some vintage races, Jan eventually loaned it to the Long Island Auto Museum to display until he decided what he would do with it.
In 1981, Jan, right, with Frank at the track, committed to having #69 restored to original racing specifications by Richard Englehardt at A&R Corvette Service, Patterson, NY. Upon completion Jan entered it in historic racing events. After sustaining extensive damage from a broken axle during a race at Road Atlanta in 1996, it was rebuilt by Bob Aliberto. In 2002, Jan sold #69 to Mid-America Motorworks’ Mike Yager for his impressive Corvette collection. Mike has been a friend since he started Mid-America Corvette (now Motorworks) in Effingham, IL in the 1970s.
Frank Dominianni ordered his ’62 Corvette new and it has accumulated more than 10,000 racing-only miles. Ordered for the track, Frank opted for the 327/360 FI engine (RPO-582), below, fiberglass 24-gallon fuel tank (RPO-428), wide steel wheels (RPO-276), racing suspension, heavy-duty brakes (RPO-687), off-road exhaust (RPO-441 and B-W T-10 four-speed (RPO-685). Its MSRP was just $5,200!
Over the years I lost contact with Frank. Jan Hyde and I kept in touch and we all got together in September 1978 at IMPA Test Day at Bridgehampton and I covered the day in VETTE. Later we would meet once a year at Frank’s legendary birthday parties. A serious world-class cook, once a year Frank would throw a birthday bash for his friends at the shop that was equipped with a full kitchen. He did all the cooking and my wife and I counted the days until Frank’s next birthday. NOTE: His Italian-style fresh Bluefish cooked in tin foil with tomatoes, onions and Frank’s secret spices over an open fire, could’ve easily earned a Michelin star!
In 1969 Frank ordered an L88 Corvette for Bob Essecks, prepped it and was part of the team that ran Daytona and Sebring that year. When Essecks dropped out, John Paul Sr. took his place. While Jan Hyde owned #69, Frank ran some laps at Bridgehampton (1978) and at the Monterey Historics (Corvette was honored marque) at Laguna Seca (1987). Frank, below, 1962, Bridgehampton.
Less than a year ago Frank and I exchanged some emails and we talked about the early days of dyno tuning in the New York City area and all the different kinds of cars he worked on. It was hard to believe that he was 86 years old and raving about driving his 2010 Corvette Grand Sport! Last month while visiting his wife Catherine at a nursing home, he dozed off in a chair by her bedside and never woke up.
A fierce competitor, Frank Dominianni loved life and lived it to the fullest. He never really retired and never stopped driving Corvettes. His wife, two daughters, a son, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren survive him. He will be missed.
For more information on Frank Dominianni’s racing career and his Corvettes, please visit the Registry of Corvette Race Cars coverage,
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=vfidabdab&v=001J8BvtJGIt7s0P_FiXuXHj7xQdPzlY1Eelk9f5kWBq6z_7TSfS7Qez8eyjcZWCofi9p7AeZQ__cUbAIFhiGcbkHRm-d_o3ffYyDgOa25ZaG6usayOKn0jOhE55EjI5u84wBRj-iWaLUA%3D
Check out this 2009 video interview, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i1c0qCF8DI