Clarizio and Zember make racing debut

Two 1998 Fallbrook High School graduates made their auto racing debut February 5.

Cory Clarizio and Jeff Zember drove a Toyota pickup truck in the Mojave Desert Racing Association competition in Lucerne Valley. They finished ninth among nearly 30 entrants in their class.

“We were very happy,” Clarizio said of the finish.

“Had a blast. It’s a competitive class because they don’t have too many restrictions, but we had a good time,” Zember remarked.

The two spent one and a half years building the truck. “It’s a lot of time and work,” Clarizio remarked.

Both were willing to engage in such work in order to race. “We wanted to do it since we’ve been in high school,” Zember said.

“We’ve been going to them for a long time,” Clarizio noted.

The off-road course consisted of three laps, each of which was just over 50 miles. Clarizio drove the first lap and Zember drove the second and third laps.

The top ten result was a bonus for Clarizio and Zember. “We were satisfied just to finish,” Clarizio said.

It didn’t hurt that Clarizio works as a mechanic for Toyota of Temecula. “The truck held together,” Zember remarked.

Clarizio credits smart driving as the main factor in success at off-road racing. “It’s just being consistent,” he explained.

Clarizio and Zember are sponsored by Brett’s Smog, Costello’s Auto Repair, and Quality Clutch and Transmission.

“Can’t wait for the next one,” Clarizio said.