DREW FORNORO, 72
By: Richie Murray - USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (May 2, 2023)………Drew Fornoro, a three-time USAC National Midget feature winner who gained fame in the northeast as a nine-time Northeastern Midget Association (NEMA) driving champion during the 1980s and 90s, passed away on May 1, 2023. He was 72 years old.
Drew was a member of the legendary Fornoro racing family out of New Jersey consisting of his father, Nick Sr., and brother, Nick Jr., all of whom are inductees into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.
Drew was the son of 1950 American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) titlist and longtime Indy Car flagman, Nick Fornoro. Drew was also the brother of perennial champion Nick Fornoro Jr., who racked up six ARDC titles between 1982-1995.
Simultaneously to his brother’s successes with ARDC, Drew was terrorizing the NEMA circuit, capturing an astounding 85 feature wins and nine NEMA titles in 1983-85-86-88-92-95-96-98-99, both of which are series records.
Throughout the mid-1980s, USAC ventured to the northeast portion of the United States to compete in a string of tri-sanctioned events with ARDC and NEMA. Drew, teamed with car owner Gene Angelillo, mastered USAC’s first event in New Hampshire in his Mazda-powered engine on Independence Day, 1985 at Lee USA Speedway, one spot ahead of his brother in second.
One year later, in 1986, it was an all Fornoro week and an all Fornoro evening at the racetrack. One night after Nick Jr. took the top honors at Lee USA, it was Drew’s turn to shine as he led all 30 laps at Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway to best his brother who once again finished second right on Drew’s rear bumper.
During the summer of 1987, Drew scored again at Lee USA, making him just one of three drivers to win a USAC National Midget feature in all three seasons between 1985-87 along with Rich Vogler, Mel Kenyon, Kevin Olson and Nick Fornoro Jr.
Drew made his USAC National Midget debut in 1983 and last competed with the in 2004, making six feature starts and finishing inside the top-ten on four occasions with a best result of seventh in his final start at age 54 on the mile at Pennsylvania’s Nazareth Speedway.
In 2017, Drew Fornoro was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame. Drew is one of only two National Midget Hall of Famers to have both a father and sibling join him in this honor, joining Doug Caruthers and his sons, Danny and Jimmy Caruthers.
