Abby Romeo in the Jr DragChamp Spotlight

This week’s DragChamp Jr. Racer Spotlight is all about 2021 Keystone Raceway Park 8-11 Year Old Track Champion, Abby Romeo.

NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA- Abby Romeo started racing Junior Dragsters five and a half years ago and has since captured back-to-back track championships at Keystone Raceway Park. Drag racing is a family tradition in the Romeo Family, her grandfather started racing in 2001. This past year, she aged out of the 8-11 year old class and this season has moved up to the 12-17 year old class. She currently competes at Keystone Raceway Park and her first final round appearance was at the Night of Fire in 2018.

Current Race Car

Abby just recently got a new car but her previous Junior Dragster was a 2003 Mike Bos that ran 8.90-9.00s in the eighth of a mile. She raced that car for three years and it will be passed down to her younger sister this year. The engine onboard is a Craws Racing ZR3.

Abby’s Accomplishments

• 2019- Won an Ironman at the IHRA Sportsman Spectacular (first ever win) at Keystone
• 2020- 8-11 Points Championship at Keystone
• 2021- 8-11 Points Championship at Keystone
• On May 23, 2021, she got baptized, missed time trials. Dialed the car in and won a Sniper Series Event at Keystone

Outside of Racing

When Abby isn’t behind the wheel of her race car she can be found doing gymnastics, hanging with her best friend, Haylee, spending time on YouTube or Pinterest. Her favorite sport is Volleyball and she loves to cheer on the Penn State Volleyball team. She is really good at waking up early (her bus comes at 6:05), math, and geometry. Her favorite movie is Five Feet Apart and likes to watch the Netflix TV Series, The Home Edit.

Abby’s Q&A

What’s on your bucket list, future goals, what do you hope to achieve?

My biggest dream is to go to Norwalk’s Halloween Classic. I love the track so I’d love to be there for over a week. Make it to the IHRA World Finals.

What is your favorite race car, and why? 

My favorite race car would have to be a blacked out S-10, with bright purple rims, with underglow. I’ve seen a couple at 15k at keystone. 

Who has made the biggest impact on your racing success?

My dad has been there ever since I started. He’s always making sure I am happy, and in a good mood even when we are at the track. My dad always makes sure he’s in the lanes to run me and my sister each race, and soon my brother. Even when he’s racing himself. 

Who do you look up to in the sport?

My grandmother 100%, she’s my all time biggest supporter, of all time, and always will. She not only is a person to look up to but she’s always there making sure we are okay. My grandma won Division 3 Bracket Finals in 2019, (HER FIRST IRONMAN!) 

Tell us what you do for a living?

Full-Time Student

How do you support your racing, side hustle, sponsor, partner, etc.?

Real Painting Ink, Jones Transmission Cooling Systems, Shuman Motorsports, and Romeo Racing Family. 

Who do you hate to see in the other lane, and why?

I really don’t hate to see anyone, it’s just a sport at the end of the race anyway. 

What’s the hardest part of drag racing?

Stripe, not only trying to be consistent at the stripe but taking car lengths sometimes may teach you something. If you think about it, the other lane is gonna try to be the same, so you gotta work around both at the same time. 

What’s your most embarrassing moment in a race car?

I believe 2018, my first Division 3 Bracket finals, dad told me to turn right a little bit using hand signals and I shut the car off and held up the race for a moment. 

What are you saying to yourself just before you stage the car? 

I take a deep breath, and go, “breath, have fun, you got this.” (sometimes i repeat you got this multiple times), and then i stage. 

What do you enjoy the most at the racetrack?

Watching the final rounds is a lot of fun to do with a group of people, or riding golf carts once racing is over.  Also, hanging out with friends & family. 

Are you superstitious?  If so, what are they?

I am superstitious, and I get it from my dad and grandma.

Do you love to win or hate to lose?

As much as I love to win, it’s not always the end of the world when I lose…I am just happy to be able to race the season with my friends and family win or lose.

Which are you better at the starting line or the finish line?

Finish Line

What motivates you to continue racing?

What motivates me the most, is my whole family races, and it’s so much fun once we all get into rounds & we are running stuff down to the lanes or speeding down to watch,is the fun part to me.

If money were no object, what would your racing operation look like?  Car, trailer, class, race schedule, etc.

So, my friends & family know that I could go on for months about this but….I’d have a white stacker, with a huge motorhome that fits 12+ people, because you know we have to have the storage, and we would race absolutely every weekend, I would have a 4.50s dragster, and I would be scared to race it, but why not! 

How often do you use a practice tree?

So, practice tree’s actually stress me out, if I look at it too long it makes me just really overwhelmed. 

What is your daily driver?

I can’t drive yet, but I absolutely can’t wait to drive, (ask my family members)

Favorite music, artist?

Country, Morgan Wallen all day everyday! 

Would you rather hang out with a crowd or have a quiet evening at home?

Hanging out with a crowd.

What’s your favorite thing to eat?  Individual item, meal, or restaurant?

My favorite fruit is peaches. Favorite food, is chicken alfredo (preferably my grandmas) with mashed potatoes, with chicken gravy, and creamy corn! And my favorite restaurant is Olive Garden! 

Who would you like to thank, who helps you the most?

I’d like to thank, My dad for all the hard work he puts into me & my siblings’ cars, My mom for always being another one of my biggest supporters, and for always making up some tasty track snacks! My grandfather, for keeping us going these seasons and starting our racing career! My grandma for being my biggest role model, and the person I will always look up to for absolutely anything. I wanna also thank Bowman Performance also, for being there. My Uncles, and my aunts for always wondering how I do every race day!

Maw gene, my grandmother; for always trying to be up at the track and watch us from the bleachers! Papap, my great grandfather for always helping us at the track, always coming up and watching us, and being me and my sisters biggest supporters when it comes to racing. Thank you, Al Lynch, Bob Jones, Brandon Shuman, Greg Miller, and track crew! Thank you! 

What is a piece of advice you’d give to an aspiring racer?

My advice is never take time for granted, you’ll understand once you hit november and your car is sitting in your garage.

For more DragChamp Jr. Spotlights, click here.