Eugene J. Lenzi is a former American racing driver and currently owns a restaurant

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Lenzi raced in the

Atlantic Championship The Atlantic Championship is a formula race car series with races throughout North America. It has been called Champ Car Atlantics (after its former name), Toyota Atlantics (due to the series' previous history of using Toyota-powered engines) ...

, Formula Super Vee among other series.

Racing career

Lenzi grew up with Bignotti-Cotter Racing team owner

Dan Cotter Daniel Joseph Cotter (April 14, 1867 – September 4, 1935), was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played with the Buffalo Bisons (PL), Buffalo Bisons of the Players' League in . Cotter played in one game for the Bisons on July 16, 1890. He ...

as their neighbor. Lenzi first appeared on the national racing scene in the SCCA National Championship Runoffs in 1984 and a year later, 1985. In 1985 and 1986 Lenzi joined Prather Racing. Prather Racing was headed by Edward Sexton and was the Swift dealer for the SCCA Central division. With Intercar Racing Lenzi graduated into the

SCCA Formula Super Vee The SCCA Formula Super Vee was one of the longest running Formula Super Vee championships in the world. Twenty racing season were contested. Most of the races were sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America in some occasions the races were sanct ...

. The driver started the season in a Martini Mk.47. Lenzi scored his best finish in a

Ralt Ralt was a manufacturer of single-seater racing cars, founded by ex-Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham to Bernie Ecclestone. Ron and his brother had built some specials in Australia in the 1950s under t ...

in sixth place at

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

. Later in the season Lenzi raced the unsuccessful

Anson Anson may refer to: People * Anson (name), a give name and surname ** Anson family, a British aristocratic family with the surname Place names ;United States * Anson, Indiana * Anson, Kansas * Anson, Maine ** Anson (CDP), Maine * Anson, Missouri * ...

SA6 (designed by Gary Anderson. Befriended engineer Peter Jacobs and Lenzi founded Baci Racing in 1987 to race in the

. At the Night before the 500 Lenzi won his only race in the series, at Indianapolis Raceway Park. In 1988 Lenzi was successful in the series finishing second in the championship. For 1989 Lenzi graduated into the

scoring his best finish at

Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen International, nicknamed "The Glen", is an automobile race track located in the town of Dix just southwest of the village of Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It was long known around the world as the hom ...

. Lenzi finished in third place, behind

Jocko Cunningham Joseph Oliver "Jocko" Cunningham (born October 30, 1950) is a former racing driver who competed in the SCCA/ECAR Formula Atlantic series from 1986 to 1990. He finished second in the championship in 1988 and won the championship in 1989. Among his 7 ...

and Colin Trueman.

Restaurant business

Up until 1994 Lenzi worked at Gene & Georgetti's, a steakhouse founded in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in the 1940s. The restaurant was founded by Lenzi's grandfather, Gene Michelotti. The company sponsored Lenzi's racing career through most of the years. In 1992 Gene & Georgetti's was sold by Michelotti to Marion and Tony Durpetti. In 1994 Lenzi founded his own steakhouse, Erie Cafe, with his wife Toni Lenzi.

Great steakhouse lawsuit

Lenzi and Gene & Georgetti's came into a legal struggle in 1995. Opening Erie Cafe E.J. and Toni referred to their family ties to E.J.'s grandfather Michelotti. As they actively referred to Gene & Georgetti's, without the latter's consent, Gene & Georgetti's filed a lawsuit. G&G claimed that the opening invitation and other advertisement violated the Lanham Trademark Act. The case came before

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (in case citations, N.D. Ill.) is the federal trial-level court with jurisdiction over the northern counties of Illinois. Appeals from the Northern District of Illinois ar ...

judge Elaine E. Bucklo. Judge Bucklo ruled that the Lanham Trademark Act was in place to protect customers against, for example, confusing advertisements. As the plaintiff did not bring forward any evidence proving any confusion caused, the judge ruled in favor of Erie Cafe.

Motorsports results

SCCA National Championship Runoffs

American Open-Wheel racing results

(

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in ''italics'' indicate fastest race lap)

Formula Super Vee

Atlantic Championship - East Coast

American Racing Series

Atlantic Championship

References

{{reflist Atlantic Championship drivers Indy Lights drivers Formula Ford drivers SCCA National Championship Runoffs participants Racing drivers from Illinois SCCA Formula Super Vee drivers