7R was derived from a tribute and remembrance to the late Tony Renna. 7R was Tony’s quarter midget number and he continued to display it on the back of his helmet throughout the rest of his career. However it is much more than a tribute in name, as it also represents our commitment to modeling our business and day to day practices after the principals that Tony believed in and lived his life day in and day out!
Tony’s Story
Tony Renna (November 23, 1976 – October 22, 2003) was an American race car driver raised in DeLand, Florida who raced in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. He made seven starts for Kelley Racing in 2002 and 2003 including the 2003 Indianapolis 500 where he finished 7th. His best finish was fourth place at Michigan International Speedway in 2002. Following his impressive performances Renna signed to drive for Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2004 IndyCar Series season alongside Scott Dixon, but during an offseason tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on October 22, 2003, his car spun and became airborne, smashed into the catch fence and shredded apart. Renna died instantly.
Tony Renna was a determined young Californian who fought his way through the junior open-wheel ranks with limited funding and refused to be denied his place on the Indy Racing League grid.
He was professional, understated and a get the job done on the track rather than with your mouth kind of guy. That outlook on life resonated with his teammates and fellow racers. Tony was classy, he always knew how to dress well and present himself well. He wasn’t flamboyant in any way; he just knew how to be respectful and was always professional.
Tony’s drive to succeed and his refusal to accept when things didn’t work out for him were evident early on. “It didn’t end the best for him in Indy Lights with PacWest, and you see a lot of guys, talented guys, who fall off the radar when things go wrong at that level” says Porsche factory driver Patrick Long a close friend. “But Tony never gave up. He latched on with the Kelley Racing guys and was right there when they needed a stand-in driver. He could have gone elsewhere after Lights, but Tony stayed true to his dream of becoming an Indy car driver and never gave up!”
Fast forward a few years and Tony was signed by Chip-Ganassi to one of the most prized drives, if not the most prized drive in IndyCar, shows a guy who was just unwilling to stay down. Before things opened up in IndyCar, he was scraping money together to run a late model out of Las Vegas- to a couple of years later, showing up to the racetrack with a helmet in his hand and coaching and being a test driver and reserve driver with Kelley. “It really was a true testament to what an amazing talent and man Tony was.”
“I think what he stood for, was that he was a quiet fighter. He wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer, there were tough seasons he had and Tony always knew that he could do the job. That inspired me and everyone around him!” said Long
7R CEO Sean Jones was a close friend, manager and mentor/advisor at different times for Tony throughout his career and continues to be for Patrick Long.