5/22/2010 by Scott Eddy, StarNewsDaily.com
The fourth place finish Chad Valone came home with in the super late model feature at Stateline Speedway this past Saturday represents the consistency with which the Warren, Pa. driver was able to notch the 2009 track championship.

This season, though, Valone is hunting a few more checkered flags.

In 36 starts a year ago, Valone notched 19 top five finishes in his No. 2V ford en route to the title and Stateline Driver of the Year honors.

“Consistency was the reason I won the championship. Running up front you stay out of most of the trouble and can just drive the car,” Valone said “Consistency is the key to championships. Good equipment, a little luck, and good driving all play into consistency.”

All those near misses at race victories left the 11-year veteran hungry entering the new season, though.

“Last year I think I had like six second place finishes. This year I need to push harder and get victories,” he said. “My goal is to get five to seven victories and I know I am capable of doing it.”

Valone notched a heat victory last Saturday at Stateline and ran in the top three for much of the feature before ending up fourth. A second place finish on March 27 at Mercer Raceway Park and fast cars all spring have him feeling that the wins are just around the corner.

“My race car is running awesome,” he said. “They’ve been bad fast. I just have found some bad luck, but I have good feelings that things will change soon. I have a second place already and I think if I would have been smarter in that race I may have been in Victory Lane.” This season, David Scott runs a Valone Ford as well, taking third in his No. 3 last Saturday and won the 30-lap Emory Mahan memorial on May 1.

Throughout the year, Valone travels the tri-state area to compete. Aside from Mercer, he has made several trips to Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., and is running for the track championships at each Eriez and Stateline Speedways. With dates scheduled at McKean County Raceway and Little Valley Speedway as well as a possible handful of Canadian series events, Valone and his team work nearly year-round to stay at the front of the pack.

“It seems like our season starts at the end of our racing series,” Valone, 37, said. “Hopefully we can get a couple week breather, but that usually doesn’t happen. It seems that the work never ends and then we arrive at the track to do it all over.”

Tracy Magnuson of Frewsburg has been Valone’s crew chief for the past seven years, and another Frewsburg native, Dave Cheney, also serves on the crew. Valone’s father, Ralph, has worked with his son since the outset of his racing career. Joe Shelters of Kiantone joined the team in January. Valone Ford/Lincoln Mercury, Magnum Graf-X, Lias Tire, CFR Racing, 5150 Race Trailers, Custom Race Engines and Rocket Chassis sponsor the team.

“Tracy and I are best friends and have learned a lot of this together,” Valone said. It takes time for him to learn what I like in a car and I think we have done well with that. Every driver likes something different as we have found out over the years.”

Valone hopes the team’s chemistry and lessons learned throughout their time together helps score not only more victories in 2010, but a few of the biggest trophies in the area. A near miss at last seasons McKean County Raceway (Smethport, Pa.) Fall Classic $12,000 to win still is clear in the Pennsylvania driver’s mind.

“I had a straight away lead going through lap traffic, smelling the victory in 20 more laps and I took the left rear off the wheel,” he said of hitting the cushion wrong. “It was a very expensive mistake. The wheel that would have prevented the mistake was in the trailer and should have been on the car. We now have five inner beadlock wheels.”

While repeat championships would be nice, right now wins are top priority.

“We look forward to having a lot of fun this year,” he said, “and hopefully a bunch of wins.”

This weekend’s Budweiser super late model $4,000 to win event at Stateline wouldn’t be a bad place to start.

Chad Valone Diecast cars will be here on May 11, but are available for pre-ordering TODAY! Limited quantities of the 1:24 and 1:64 scale cars will be on hand. Contact Chad @ 814-688-6557 or chad2v@yahoo.com for availability.

Pricing as follows:

1/24 SCALE - $65 + Shipping
1/64 SCALE - $16 + Shipping