The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
BIRTHDAY WISH
Willoughby man gets to take ‘Frankie’ for a run at Painesville Speedway Mom thanks everyone who helped turn son’s dream into reality
As a man who loves fast cars, Charles DeCapua celebrated his 29th birthday on July 29 at an ideal place — The Painesville Speedway.
But the Willoughby resident wasn’t sitting in the bleachers watching auto racing action.
Instead, DeCapua, who has cerebral palsy, took his 1985 Pontiac Trans Am onto the speedway for a solo run since the track did not have regular racing that day. DeCapua spent about 40 minutes driving around the track while family members watched, shot video, and applauded while he enjoyed his birthday present.
“He has been wanting to do something like this for a long time,” said DeCapua’s mother, Dina DeFilippo.
Coming up with a plan to turn his dream into reality began during a casual conversation between his father, John DeFilippo, and Rae Ann Kenney, the family’s neighbor on Adkins Road.
“I guess my husband mentioned it to Rae Ann,” Dina DeFilippo said.
At that point, Kenney swung into action and called Randy Maggio, owner of the speedway.
Maggio not only gave his permission for the birthday drive, but also towed DeCapua’s car from
“It’s a great opportunity, I’m glad we were able to do this for him and we’re happy that everyone came out and supported him while doing it.” — Randy Maggio, Painesville Speedway owner
his home to the speedway on July 29. Although DeCapua once had a temporary permit, he has yet to secure his driver’s license. As a result, most of the driving DeCapua’s done is limited to taking the Trans Am back and forth in the driveway, and performing burnouts that produce clouds of smoke from the rear tires.
DeCapua moves around mostly in a wheelchair, so after arriving at The Painesville Speedway he was helped into the Trans Am’s driver’s seat by his father.
That car has proven to be a labor of love for the father and son since they acquired it about 14 years ago.
“It was sitting in somebody’s back yard for like 10 years before they bought it,” Dina DeFilippo said. “The only thing in it was the floorboards. Everything else was out of it. No engine, no seats, nothing. (DeCapua and his father) built it from the ground up.”
DeCapua dubbed the car “Frankie” because its composition is similar to that of Frankenstein.
“(The car) is an ‘85, but it’s got parts from 1985 to 1992, so like Frankenstein, the car was built out of different pieces and parts, so too is this car. That’s why he was named Frankie,” Dina DeFilippo said.
Before driving it onto the track on Fairport Nursery Road in Painesville Township, DeCapua put a smiling Frankenstein doll next to him in the passenger seat.
As he completed his first lap around the track, a loud cheer erupted from the group of DeCapua’s family members. However, it was clear he didn’t want to end his trek after a single time around.
“He’d go around until it ran out of gas,” John DeFilippo said.
DeCapua also delighted his fans by stopping the car occasionally on the track and doing burnouts, which emitted large clouds of smoke.
His mother fought to hold back tears of joy as she watched her son zoom around the track in his beloved car.
“I can’t thank everybody enough who came together with this to put this together for my son,” she said.
In a previous interview with The News-Herald, she recounted some of the physical struggles her son has endured and overcome throughout his life.
DeCapua was born seven weeks premature and doctors diagnosed him with cerebral palsy at about 11 month of age.
Dina DeFilippo also said her son had surgery for a stomach and intestinal problem when he was 2 months old. He also had two surgeries during his childhood to repair his eyes being severely crossed.
Amid all of those physical challenges, she said her son graduated magna cum laude with a 4.0 grade-point average from Mentor High School in 2010.
“(Cerebral palsy) did not affect his brain in that area (intellectually),” she said. It just affects his muscles.”
The Painesville Speedway ensured that DeCapua got special recognition when he finished up his momentous drive. Speedway staff attached a checkered flag to his car for a victory lap, and then DeCapua received a trophy and parked his car in front of a sign declaring him a Featured Winner.
“It’s a great opportunity, I’m glad we were able to do this for him and we’re happy that everyone came out and supported him while doing it,” Maggio said.
Much like a professional race car driver who’s the center of attention in victory lane after winning a race, DeCapua fielded questions from a few reporters who came out to cover his birthday event.
“I’m very excited, however, I’m very worn out,” he said, after his debut on the Painesville Speedway track.
Asked what message that would want to give others who read the story about his birthday drive, DeCapua sought to provide inspiration.
“Don’t be afraid to achieve your dreams,” he said. “If you want to do it, go for it.”
DeCapua’s father said he was happy to be part of his son’s accomplishment at the speedway on July 29.
“To see him enjoying this, it’s more than worth it,” John said. “If he breaks (the car), I told him I’ll fix it.”