Joseph ""Tinker Joe"" Martincic 77 Ormond Beach drove his final victory lap surrounded by family and friends Sunday Dec. 2 2007 after a long illness. Joe was born December 25 1929 to the late Frank and Josephine Martincic in Cleveland Ohio. He married LaVerne Wilhelm in August 1956 and moved to Euclid Ohio in 1961. He enjoyed a long and successful racing career by designing building and driving dragsters supermodifieds and sprint cars. He was known for bringing new innovations to the sport and amassed many wins and championships at several tracks in the Northeast. In 1971 Joe and his wife created the Mini Car Mod Shop a business through which they built and sold fiberglass kit cars dune buggies and custom accessories. Joe moved his family to Ormond Beach in 1975 and relocated their business to Holly Hill where it was renamed Daytona Automotive Fiberglass. He played a large role in creating the ""MiGi a kit car based on the 1952 MG TD as well as designing and building the ""Moya a car in which he incorporated several design features from some of his favorite classic cars. After his retirement Joe was inducted into the Lorain Speedway Hall of Fame in Wickliffe Ohio in 2005. He enjoyed participating in his grandson's budding go-kart racing career and building and flying radio control airplanes of his own design. He was a member of the Daytona Beach Radio Control Association as well as the Flagler RAMS. Through the years he was a loving husband father and role model and always put the needs of his family first. Joe was predeceased by brothers Frank and Ernie; sister Dorothy; and son Michael. Joe is survived by his loving wife of 51 years LaVerne; daughter Laura Ward and husband Greg; son Joseph and wife Joann; granddaughter Mallorie Allen; grandson Zack Martincic; goddaughter Chrissie Pruitt (Phillips); and extended family members Ed and Helen Kuhel Tom and Mitzi Sejnowski and Marty and Jane Zimmerman. Family will receive friends in a celebration of his life at Lohman Funeral Home Ormond from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Friday December 7 followed by a memorial service at 7 p.m. Memorial donations may be made in his name to The National Breast Cancer Foundation 2600 Network Blvd. Suite 300 Frisco TX 75034. Condolences may be shared with the family online at www.lohmanfuneralhomes.com. Arrangements are under the careful direction of Lohman Funeral Home Ormond.