Andrea Ruotolo’s path to the banks of South Boston Speedway are far different than anyone else. It’s a guarantee that it isn’t even close. Ruotolo was born and reared just outside of Naples … the one in Italy, not Florida. He didn’t come to the United States permanently until 2005 and he had already been bitten by the racing bug.

These days Ruotolo is best known as the owner of Italian Delight Family Restaurant. His restaurant is again sponsoring Saturday’s race at South Boston Speedway and has been sponsoring Austin Thaxton’s Late Model Stock car for five years. And this year he’s crawling through the window of a Budweiser Hornet Division car to try his hand at the real thing.