Anthony Lazzaro

Who is Anthony Lazzaro?

Anthony Lazzaro is a NASCAR and sports car driver. He is usually classified as a NASCAR road course ringer, however he has made other starts in the NEXTEL Cup. He also has open-wheel oval racing experience.

Lazzaro started in karting, winning numerous World Karting Association championships between 1987 and 1992.

Lazzaro came-up through the open-wheel ranks, first racing in the Olds Pro Series in 1993, winning at Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen, Dallas and again at Road Atlanta. He won the pole at Mid Ohio and a podium finish of third with other podium finishes at the Moroso National S2000 and at Trois Rivieres. He was also the Hooter Formula Cup Champion in 1995, winning 6 of the 14 races and 9 poles. As a rookie in 1996, in the Toyota Atlantic Series, he won the race at the Milwaukee Mile. He won races in 1997 and 1998. His rise culminated in a Toyota Atlantic championship in 1999. That year he won 4 races.

Lazzaro first began racing stock cars in the ARCA in 1999. At the ARCA event at the Talladega Superspeedway that year, Anthony was injured in a multi-car wreck late in the race after he made contact with Bil Baird and spun down to the grass, before his Thunderbird lifted off the ground and slammed the Turn 3 banking before being t-boned by Skip Smith. Lazzaro suffered a compression fracture of the thoracic T3 vertebra in the crash that eliminated half a dozen cars.