Venice Perno has been honoured for his performance on and off the drag racing track.
The 55-year-old Stoney Creek native was inducted into the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame on Oct. 15 during the hall of fame's Second Annual Gala at Hotel Universel in Montreal. He was among 23 legends recognized for being engaged at the top level for more than 25 years and making a tremendous contribution to the sport.
"It's an absolute honour," Perno said. "I thought maybe in a few more years when I've done a few more things that would possibly be the time to do this, but if they think enough of what I've done now, that's great."
Perno's fuel for drag racing was evident at a young age.
He would get lost in fast car books for hours in the public school library.
His favourites included Hot Rod and Car Craft magazines.
"I’d read every word in the magazine from front to back," Perno said. "I’d just dive into those magazines like there was no tomorrow."
Perno's love of drag racing revved up as he got older.
He spent time at the track and longed to get behind the wheel of his own fast car.
His wish became a reality when he befriended racer Jamie Groves in the early 1980s.
Perno said he didn't have the financial means to support a car and Groves was having problems with his then 1972 Mercury Comet, so the pair decided to pool their money.
“I sold my hot rod, took that money and built a motor," he said. "We put it in the Comet and started drag racing. I think, between the two of us, we won close to $8,000 at bracket races in 1987.”
Perno and Groves raced together for about six years.
Perno also established The Performance Cellar in 1990 in Stoney Creek. The shop caters to drag and track racers, along with high-performance street car drivers, and offers advice, parts and service.
Perno said he opened the store for fellow sport enthusiasts and to feed his race car habit.
"I needed to have a facility that allowed me better access to information and parts," he said. "I knew I wanted to branch out more and needed a backbone somewhere. Luckily, the shop became a successful home base.
Perno ended up buying a Ford Thunderbird in 2000.
He rebuilt the Thunderbird and optimized it for faster runs.
Perno went on to garner multiple International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) class victories, and an IHRA Pro Am Ironman win, Can Am win and one record in August 2008.
Perno said he continued to push the throttle.
But his quest for going faster resulted in a mistake, he said.
"I crashed the Thunderbird," Perno said. "With the knowledge I'd gained from driving that car, I took six months to think about what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be and what I needed to do to get there."
Perno ended up purchasing a Ford Mustang in 2009.
He laboured over the Mustang for three years and his hard work paid off.
Perno went on to set the eighth-mile record at his first National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) outing in October 2012, quarter-mile record at his second NHRA race two weeks later and lowered those records again in the spring of 2013.
He also won his class at the NHRA Jegs Sport Nationals in September 2013 and lowered the NHRA quarter-mile record to 9.23 and reset the eighth-mile record to 5.82 in the spring of 2015.
In addition, he was a finalist at the IHRA Pro Am in Grand Bend this past summer.
Perno said the “learning curve never ends” for the sport.
Everything you pick up, you put back into the race track, he said.
For Perno, that also means passing on the knowledge.
He has mentored a number of racers over the years and strives to bring more and more to the track.
When asked what he loves most about the sport, Perno said, “the people.”
“I’ve met so many amazing people on my journey,” he said, adding his wife has been a huge support on that journey. “If somebody’s car is broken, everybody’s in their trailer getting it fixed up. They’re the best bunch of people you ever want to meet.”
Venice Perno has been honoured for his performance on and off the drag racing track.
The 55-year-old Stoney Creek native was inducted into the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame on Oct. 15 during the hall of fame's Second Annual Gala at Hotel Universel in Montreal. He was among 23 legends recognized for being engaged at the top level for more than 25 years and making a tremendous contribution to the sport.
"It's an absolute honour," Perno said. "I thought maybe in a few more years when I've done a few more things that would possibly be the time to do this, but if they think enough of what I've done now, that's great."
Perno's fuel for drag racing was evident at a young age.
He would get lost in fast car books for hours in the public school library.
His favourites included Hot Rod and Car Craft magazines.
"I’d read every word in the magazine from front to back," Perno said. "I’d just dive into those magazines like there was no tomorrow."
Perno's love of drag racing revved up as he got older.
He spent time at the track and longed to get behind the wheel of his own fast car.
His wish became a reality when he befriended racer Jamie Groves in the early 1980s.
Perno said he didn't have the financial means to support a car and Groves was having problems with his then 1972 Mercury Comet, so the pair decided to pool their money.
“I sold my hot rod, took that money and built a motor," he said. "We put it in the Comet and started drag racing. I think, between the two of us, we won close to $8,000 at bracket races in 1987.”
Perno and Groves raced together for about six years.
Perno also established The Performance Cellar in 1990 in Stoney Creek. The shop caters to drag and track racers, along with high-performance street car drivers, and offers advice, parts and service.
Perno said he opened the store for fellow sport enthusiasts and to feed his race car habit.
"I needed to have a facility that allowed me better access to information and parts," he said. "I knew I wanted to branch out more and needed a backbone somewhere. Luckily, the shop became a successful home base.
Perno ended up buying a Ford Thunderbird in 2000.
He rebuilt the Thunderbird and optimized it for faster runs.
Perno went on to garner multiple International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) class victories, and an IHRA Pro Am Ironman win, Can Am win and one record in August 2008.
Perno said he continued to push the throttle.
But his quest for going faster resulted in a mistake, he said.
"I crashed the Thunderbird," Perno said. "With the knowledge I'd gained from driving that car, I took six months to think about what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be and what I needed to do to get there."
Perno ended up purchasing a Ford Mustang in 2009.
He laboured over the Mustang for three years and his hard work paid off.
Perno went on to set the eighth-mile record at his first National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) outing in October 2012, quarter-mile record at his second NHRA race two weeks later and lowered those records again in the spring of 2013.
He also won his class at the NHRA Jegs Sport Nationals in September 2013 and lowered the NHRA quarter-mile record to 9.23 and reset the eighth-mile record to 5.82 in the spring of 2015.
In addition, he was a finalist at the IHRA Pro Am in Grand Bend this past summer.
Perno said the “learning curve never ends” for the sport.
Everything you pick up, you put back into the race track, he said.
For Perno, that also means passing on the knowledge.
He has mentored a number of racers over the years and strives to bring more and more to the track.
When asked what he loves most about the sport, Perno said, “the people.”
“I’ve met so many amazing people on my journey,” he said, adding his wife has been a huge support on that journey. “If somebody’s car is broken, everybody’s in their trailer getting it fixed up. They’re the best bunch of people you ever want to meet.”
Venice Perno has been honoured for his performance on and off the drag racing track.
The 55-year-old Stoney Creek native was inducted into the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame on Oct. 15 during the hall of fame's Second Annual Gala at Hotel Universel in Montreal. He was among 23 legends recognized for being engaged at the top level for more than 25 years and making a tremendous contribution to the sport.
"It's an absolute honour," Perno said. "I thought maybe in a few more years when I've done a few more things that would possibly be the time to do this, but if they think enough of what I've done now, that's great."
Perno's fuel for drag racing was evident at a young age.
He would get lost in fast car books for hours in the public school library.
His favourites included Hot Rod and Car Craft magazines.
"I’d read every word in the magazine from front to back," Perno said. "I’d just dive into those magazines like there was no tomorrow."
Perno's love of drag racing revved up as he got older.
He spent time at the track and longed to get behind the wheel of his own fast car.
His wish became a reality when he befriended racer Jamie Groves in the early 1980s.
Perno said he didn't have the financial means to support a car and Groves was having problems with his then 1972 Mercury Comet, so the pair decided to pool their money.
“I sold my hot rod, took that money and built a motor," he said. "We put it in the Comet and started drag racing. I think, between the two of us, we won close to $8,000 at bracket races in 1987.”
Perno and Groves raced together for about six years.
Perno also established The Performance Cellar in 1990 in Stoney Creek. The shop caters to drag and track racers, along with high-performance street car drivers, and offers advice, parts and service.
Perno said he opened the store for fellow sport enthusiasts and to feed his race car habit.
"I needed to have a facility that allowed me better access to information and parts," he said. "I knew I wanted to branch out more and needed a backbone somewhere. Luckily, the shop became a successful home base.
Perno ended up buying a Ford Thunderbird in 2000.
He rebuilt the Thunderbird and optimized it for faster runs.
Perno went on to garner multiple International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) class victories, and an IHRA Pro Am Ironman win, Can Am win and one record in August 2008.
Perno said he continued to push the throttle.
But his quest for going faster resulted in a mistake, he said.
"I crashed the Thunderbird," Perno said. "With the knowledge I'd gained from driving that car, I took six months to think about what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be and what I needed to do to get there."
Perno ended up purchasing a Ford Mustang in 2009.
He laboured over the Mustang for three years and his hard work paid off.
Perno went on to set the eighth-mile record at his first National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) outing in October 2012, quarter-mile record at his second NHRA race two weeks later and lowered those records again in the spring of 2013.
He also won his class at the NHRA Jegs Sport Nationals in September 2013 and lowered the NHRA quarter-mile record to 9.23 and reset the eighth-mile record to 5.82 in the spring of 2015.
In addition, he was a finalist at the IHRA Pro Am in Grand Bend this past summer.
Perno said the “learning curve never ends” for the sport.
Everything you pick up, you put back into the race track, he said.
For Perno, that also means passing on the knowledge.
He has mentored a number of racers over the years and strives to bring more and more to the track.
When asked what he loves most about the sport, Perno said, “the people.”
“I’ve met so many amazing people on my journey,” he said, adding his wife has been a huge support on that journey. “If somebody’s car is broken, everybody’s in their trailer getting it fixed up. They’re the best bunch of people you ever want to meet.”