15-year-old Joe Bongiorno from Wisconsin has been recognized as a top contender in legends racing for most of his career. Last year as a rookie, he was the National Young Lions Runner-up and the Wisconsin Young Lions State Champion.  Bongiorno has been acknowledged for his clean record both on and off the track. He participates actively at the track; preparing his racecar for each race. Currently, Bongiorno tops the Young Lions (Dirt) Nationals Points with a lead of 125 points! This season Joe has 4 feature wins, 6 second place finishes, and he is currently leading the points for INEX Young Lions, Beaver Dam Raceway, and the Wisconsin Dirt Legends Series.

Joe's passion for racing is unending.  He respects and understands the history and legends of the sport.  As previously mentioned, he is an integral part of the maintenance and setup of his car each and every week.  He is able to come off of the track and make the necessary adjustments to improve his performance.  When he is not racing at his regular tracks, he is seeking out other dirt and asphalt tracks to attend, whether it is to race or just observe.  In his short racing career, he has earned the respect of drivers and fans as an aggressive yet clean driver.  Joe's career has been a grassroots operation from the start, with his dad and grandpa as the main, original crew members.  We've now added a cousin and Joe's best friend to round out the crew.  

Joe really loves to race on dirt.  Coming from karting, he has a smoother style than a lot of other dirt drivers.  He feels that racing on dirt is a great way for him to learn how to become a better driver.  Many of Joe's role models have risen the ranks from a dirt racing background.  He respects how extremely difficult it is to make racing a career.  He soaks up as much information as he can from veteran drivers at the track, and he is constantly educating himself about all aspects and types of racing.  At some point, he would love to get the opportunity to drive a sprint car.  Joe has had the opportunity to race on the same night as the World of Outlaws three times, picking up two wins, making those races even more special.  He is looking forward to racing at the Knoxville Nationals in August.   

Joe shows a special interest in the mechanics of racing, and he is in an engineering program at Greenfield High School.  He is from the same community as Alan Kulwicki grew up, and Joe admires and respects the way Alan's knowledge of engineering played such an important role in his driving success.  Joe would love to follow in Alan's footsteps by earning an engineering degree and having a career in racing.

In addition, Joe is on the honor roll at school and is one step away from becoming an Eagle Scout.