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IRL: Trucelli backs Pikes Peak Champ...
Regester to test for Bignotti

Answer: George Bignotti.

Bignotti, a legend in Indy Car racing, is the force behind 87 Indy Car wins and 7 Indianapolis 500 victories. Bignotti’s formula for winning? Make sure the cockpit is fitted with a driver worthy of his car.

Rumor has it that Bignotti is fitting Bobby Regester into his car and turning him loose on a Phoenix test track soon to see if Regester can live up to the significant buzz that has followed him this year.

Bignotti will be gunning for the Indy 500 and the Indy Racing League (IRL) Championships next season and Regester promises to be powerful ammunition.

Regester came to the attention of Bignotti, recently, after a phone call tipped him to Regester’s aggressive year on the track. While first place victories eluded Regester this year, dramatic headlines did not.

Three notable races, this year, revealed Regester’s considerable talent:

Race 1. July 4, Colorado Springs, CO. The annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Racing for Herzog Motorsports and Chevrolet in a S10 Chevy Super Truck, Regester left his team mate, Robby Unser, sitting on the mountain shaking his head. Regester’s time was a blistering 7 seconds faster than Unser had raced, using the same truck, in two prior Pike’s Peak races. No stranger to Pikes Peak, Regester has posted three 1st place victories on the legendary mountain and, in 1994, set a track record that still stands today.

Race 2. August 10, Cedar Rapids, IA. - Hawkeye Downs. Racing for Truscelli Team Racing, Regester took the wheel of a Turbo Powered Indy Car for the first time on an oval. By lap 50, Regester powered the car into the lead while the rest of the pack faded helplessly behind. The car, owned by Bud and David Hoffpauir, was clearly dominating the event. Race fans were leaving the stands to get popcorn. And then, the throttle gave out. In the local press, the story wasn’t so much that somebody else won, it was that a mechanical fluke in Regester’s car gave it away.

Race 3. September 16, Calgary, Canada. Race City Motorsports 2.1 mile road course. Every race fan at the track that day stared transfixed, as they witnessed Regester stage an unbelievable come-from-behind charge to a the finish. Regester, behind the wheel of a turbo-powered Indy Car owned and by Bud and David Hoffpauir, pulled into the pits during the pace lap because of a shifter malfunction. As the competition whipped by 180 mph plus, the clock ticked by. By the time Regester rejoined the race, he was two and a half laps down. But he wouldn’t stay there.

A dozen laps later, Regester had caught up and passed every car on the track; in the process, posting the fastest lap time of the day, a scorching 1:11.90. A yellow flag went up and Regester moved up again. As the race leaders watched in disbelief, Regester sank his teeth into the asphalt in a blistering effort to bring home the checker. But the lap count was short and Regester had to settle for a third place podium finish. He may not have won the race, but he stole the headlines. There wasn’t a rivet of doubt that Regester was the fastest man on the track that day.

What’s next for Regester?

The Bignotti test, of course.

And, as of this writing, Truscelli Team Racing has Regester slated for another attempt on Pike’s Peak; perhaps, this year, in the Unlimited Class. Regester would love to be the first to shatter the 10 minute barrier.

Joe Truscelli says he will also field a team to race the American Indy Series (AIS) circuit, putting Regester behind the wheel of a turbo-powered Indy Car for a second consecutive season.

Bud and David Hoffpauir have stated, flatly, that Regester is of the same caliber as Jim Guthrie (AIS Champion) and Buddy Lazier (1996 Indy 500 winner). The Hoffpauirs should know. They’ve logged over 2000 miles of testing with Buddy Lazier.

There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that if it moves, Regester can move it faster. Whether it’s an Indy Car, Winston Cup Car or Pikes Peak Unlimited Car, look for a blur on a race track near you.

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