Tony Ave (born 10 November 1968) is an American race car driver born in Hurley, Wisconsin, US. He competed in the Grand-Am Series from 2000 until 2002, in Formula Atlantic from 1996 until 2001, and in the Trans-Am Series since 2009. He also made three Indy Lights starts in 1993 and one Indy Pro Series start in 2003. He also has sporadic starts in NASCAR as a road course ringer.
Trans-Am In 2009, he was a regular competitor in the revived SCCA Trans-Am Series, driving a Chevrolet Corvette. In 2010, he brought Chevrolet its first Trans Am championship since Paul Gentilozzi in 1998.
Ave won the 2010 and 2011 Trans-Am Series Championships. Ave owns Tony Ave Motorsports, which has become one of the most popular race teams amongst fans. However, he mostly drives for Lamers Racing.
NASCAR
In 2004, Ave made his NASCAR Nextel Cup Series debut at Watkins Glen International when he drove the No. 80 car owned by Hover Motorsports, a satellite team of Joe Gibbs Racing. Starting 42nd, Ave dropped out after 84 laps with a brake problem, finishing 31st.
Ave returned to the Cup Series in 2009, competed at Watkins Glen on August 10, 2009 in the rain-delayed Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen. Ave completed eight laps and finished 43rd in his No. 37 Long John Silver's Dodge owned by Front Row Motorsports. Ave also participated in the NASCAR Nationwide Series' NAPA Parts D'Auto 200 presented by Dodge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as a road course ringer.
Ave participated in the No. 35 car owned by TriStar Motorsports in the 2010 Bucyrus 200 at Road America in his home state of Wisconsin. After racing in the top-ten for most of the race, he spun out on the final lap and dropped out of the top-ten. He returned to the No. 35 team for the other two road course races, finishing fifteenth at Watkins Glen and leading one lap in Montreal – his first and only lap led in his Nationwide Series career.
In 2011, Ave made his so far last NASCAR attempt at Sonoma, attempting to qualify his No. 38 Long John Silver's car for FRM. He was bumped out of the field by Andy Pilgrim and did not qualify.
Other racing In April 2002, Ave, along with Andy Hillenburg, tested for the Team Racing Auto Circuit series at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Four months later, Ave and Boris Said tested for TRAC at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
In 2016, Ave made an agreement with Bill Riley to build a prototype chassis for ELMS for the P3 and IMSA for the Prototype Challenge.
Motorsports career results SCCA National Championship Runoffs
Year Track Car Engine Class Finish Start Status 1991 Road Atlanta Lola T87/90 Ford Sports 2000 16 3 Running 1994 Mid-Ohio Van Diemen Ford Formula Continental 22 7 Retired XFR GS-94 Toyota Formula Atlantic 10 2 Retired 2007 Heartland Park Chevrolet Corvette Chevrolet GT1 1 1 Running 2008 Heartland Park Ford Mustang Ford GT1 2 2 Running 2019 VIR Chevrolet Corvette Chevrolet GT1 2 1 Running Acura RSX Honda GT3 11 2 Retired 2020 Road America Ford Mustang Ford GT1 1 2 Running Nissan 240SX Nissan GT3 7 4 Running 2022 VIR Nissan 350Z Nissan GT2 4 3 Running Acura RSX Honda GT3 1 3 Running 2023 VIR Nissan 350Z Nissan GT2 13 2 Retired Acura RSX Honda GT3 1 1 Running Stohr WF1 Suzuki Prototype 2 4 5 Running Mercedes-AMG GT4 Mercedes-AMG T1 4 4 Running 2024 Road America Swift 016a Mazda Formula Atlantic 3 3 Running Ford Mustang Ford GT1 DNF 13 Retired Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup Porsche GT2 6 7 Running Honda Civic Honda GT3 10 1 Running Mercedes-AMG GT4 Mercedes-AMG T1 2 3 Running 2025 Road America Swift 016a Mazda Formula Atlantic DNF 2 Retired Chevrolet Camaro Chevrolet GT1 1 1 Running Nissan 350Z Nissan GT2 6 5 Running Honda Civic Honda GT3U 8 1 Running 2026 Road America Swift 016a Mazda Formula Atlantic 9 3 Running Mazda Miata Mazda EP 3 4 Running Chevrolet Camaro Chevrolet GT1 1 1 Running Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup Porsche GT2 4 4 Running Honda Civic Honda STU DNF 18 Retired
NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Sprint Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Pts Ref 2004 Hover Motorsports 80 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL RCH CLT DOV POC MCH SON DAY CHI NHA POC IND GLN MCH 83rd 70 Ford BRI CAL RCH NHA DOV TAL KAN CLT MAR ATL PHO DAR HOM 2009 Front Row Motorsports 37 Dodge DAY CAL LVS ATL BRI MAR TEX PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV POC MCH SON NHA DAY CHI IND POC GLN MCH BRI ATL RCH NHA DOV KAN CAL CLT MAR TAL TEX PHO HOM 67th 34 2010 TriStar Motorsports 35 Chevy DAY CAL LVS ATL BRI MAR PHO TEX TAL RCH DAR DOV CLT POC MCH SON NHA DAY CHI IND POC GLN MCH BRI ATL RCH NHA DOV KAN CAL CLT MAR TAL TEX PHO HOM N/A 0 2011 Front Row Motorsports 38 Ford DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL MAR TEX TAL RCH DAR DOV CLT KAN POC MCH SON DAY KEN NHA IND POC GLN MCH BRI ATL RCH CHI NHA DOV KAN CLT TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM N/A 0
Nationwide Series NASCAR Nationwide Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Pts Ref 2009 Jimmy Means Racing 52 Chevy DAY CAL LVS BRI TEX NSH PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI GTY IRP IOW GLN MCH BRI CGV ATL RCH DOV KAN CAL CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM 145th 46 2010 TriStar Motorsports 35 Chevy DAY CAL LVS BRI NSH PHO TEX TAL RCH DAR DOV CLT NSH KEN ROA NHA DAY CHI GTY IRP IOW GLN MCH BRI CGV ATL RCH DOV KAN CAL CLT GTY TEX PHO HOM 87th 281
Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Pts Ref 2000 Brevak Racing 31 Ford DAY HOM PHO MMR MAR PIR GTY MEM PPR EVG TEX KEN GLN MLW NHA NZH MCH IRP NSV CIC RCH DOV TEX CAL N/A 0
ARCA Re/Max Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) ARCA Re/Max Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Pts Ref 2002 Burroughs Motorsports 53 Ford DAY ATL NSH SLM KEN CLT KAN POC MCH TOL SBO KEN BLN POC NSH ISF WIN DSF CHI SLM TAL CLT 108th 125 2003 Bobby Gerhart Racing 7 Pontiac DAY ATL NSH SLM TOL KEN CLT BLN KAN MCH LER POC POC NSH ISF WIN DSF CHI SLM 82nd 330 Hendren Motorsports 66 Pontiac TAL CLT SBO 2006 Fast Track Racing 11 Chevy DAY NSH SLM WIN KEN TOL POC MCH KAN KEN BLN POC GTW NSH MCH ISF MIL TOL DSF CHI SLM 140th 110 CyberSpeed Racing 87 Chevy TAL IOW 2007 DAY USA NSH SLM KAN WIN KEN TOL IOW POC MCH BLN KEN POC NSH ISF MIL GTW DSF CHI SLM TAL TOL N/A 0 2008 66 DAY SLM IOW KAN CAR KEN TOL POC MCH CAY KEN BLN POC NSH ISF DSF CHI SLM NJE TAL TOL 141st 75
References
External links
Tony Ave Racing Products official website