Arbitelle Hopes to Carry Family Name to Sick Week Win
Like many of us, Rich Arbitelle can trace his racing roots to his father, Dick Arbitelle. But Rich’s first love wasn’t racing, but instead he focused on skateboarding.
“I grew up around drag racing all my life, but decided to go skateboarding instead when I was younger,” said Rich. But when injuries forced Rich to close the book on skateboards, he found a 1987 Chevrolet Camaro, and immediately felt it would serve a purpose.
“I never lost the love for racing, but didn’t decide to start actually doing it until my father passed away,” Rich admits. “It was everything I needed in my life and I’ve been racing ever since.”
The Camaro introduced Rich to drag-and-drive competition at the age of 45, when he entered Hot Rod Drag Week in 2018.
“I entered as a tribute to my father, and also a tribute to legendary skateboarder Pstone after they passed,” said Rich. The car sported the V6 engine and a 5-speed, and although it carried the nickname ‘Slow-n-Low Camaro’ it made an impact on Rich.
“I didn’t know that first pass would change my life,” Rich said. “A 17-second pass never felt so good.”
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Following the initial drag-and-drive experience, Rich moved into bracket racing, including racing for two seasons at Atlanta Dragway before it closed at the end of 2021. He hopes to use his bracket racing skills in the Dial Your Own (DYO) class at the 2023 Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive.
“I’m going to use my last three years of bracket racing experience in the sportsman class to my advantage and pre strategize to the best of my ability,” Rich states of his approach for the DYO class. But just getting to do his second drag-and-drive event is something Rich is looking forward to.
“The feeling of traveling with other racers on the streets and highways is a feeling like no other,” he says. “I didn’t know drag racing could be much cooler until I experienced a drag and drive event.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Rich Arbitelle