Fred DeSarro was a hydroplane racer as a late teenager in the Rhode Island area.
In 1970, DeSarro won the NASCAR Modified National Championship driving the Sonny Koszela "Woodchopper" Special #15.
Among several tracks, they raced regularly that season at Albany-Saratoga on Friday nights and won the Modified Championship there as well.
In 1974 DeSarro won the first of four (1974–1977) consecutive Thompson Modified division track championships, winning 14 feature events alone during the 1974 season.
DeSarro was critically injured during a practice session at the Thompson International Speedway on October 8, 1978 when his car launched over the sandbanks in turn 3.