Al Hinds, Gary Irving back for 2009 PMRA season with Corvette Pro Modified

Al Hinds, Gary Irving back for 2009 PMRA season

with Corvette Pro Modified

Now in its second year, car should show true potential

WATERLOO, ONTARIO (April 30, 2009) – After a season with a new car, Al Hinds said he’ll be ready to show the team’s full potential for the 2009 Pro Modified Racing Association Tour.

“We haven’t made a lot of changes, he said recently. “But we’ve got more power courtesy of Carl Spiering and Terry Vince at ERD (Engine Research & Development).”

The Corvette’s fuel system is built by ERD, and supplies the fuel to the Alan Johnson 526-cubic inch TFX engine. A PSI supercharger sits on top of the engine, and a Lenco three-speed transmission is coupled to it.

With Pro Modified veteran driver Gary Irving behind the wheel of the Hinds Motorsports 2004 Corvette, the team had a shakedown year in 2008 learning the new racecar, and although they did not make all the events, there were moments that showed the new car was a force.

During qualifying at the Grand Bend Motorplex in 2008, Irving set the pace as top qualifier with a 6.119-second, 223.99 mph pass. Unfortunately they went out in the first round during that race, but Hinds commented the car should be sorted out for the first race of the season at Cayuga May 16 and 17.

The multi-colored, visually stimulating Corvette is once again sponsored by Quaker State, but Hinds said the former graphics have been replaced with more traditional logos of the oil company.

Performance World Custom Car Shows, Suds Express Car Washes, Jiffy Lube, NGK Spark Plugs, Medeco Security Locks, Roberts Boxed Meats, Lowdown Hot Rods, DTI Diversified Transportation, and Strange Engineering round out the team’s sponsorship.

The Corvette, sitting on a Lowdown Hot Rods chassis, is totally IHRA and NHRA legal, and Hinds added the team plans to compete in selected events with both sanctions.

Along with car owner Hinds and driver Irving, Tom VanDerGeld will be co crew-chief with Irving. Mike Wagg will also help in the mechanical duties, and Al Heaney will provide other necessary duties while the team is at the track.

Hinds mentioned the team plans to compete at more PMRA races in 2009. “We want to participate more this year,” he said. “We were sorting out the car last year, but we’ve got the tune-up now. We’ll be at the majority of the races.”

Hinds also mentioned he may drive the Corvette occasionally, but Irving will be the main person behind the wheel.

“Gary and I may share some of the driving duties,” he said. “But Gary knows his stuff. Why change if it’s not broke?”

Hinds also mentioned he believes the car is capable of some fast passes, and is ready to tap into the car’s potential.

“And I want to give Gary the opportunity to go in the five’s.”

The PMRA, www.PMRA.ca, will compete at several drag strips in 2009, including dates at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario, starting with the season opener on May 16 and 17, June 13 and 14 and the season-closer on September 19 and 20, at St. Thomas Dragway in Sparta, Ontario on July 11 and 12, and the South-western Ontario track of the Grand Bend Motorplex at the 10th Annual MOPAR Canadian Nationals July 17 to 19 and on September 5 and 6.

Several of the PMRA events will be run in conjunction with the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts, www.Quick32.ca, offering fans a great show of drag racing.

For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher Bruce@PMRA.ca

About the Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA):

The Pro Modified Racing Association, www.PMRA.ca, was organized late in 2004, started racing operations in 2005, and is entering its fifth year of operation in 2009. The PMRA is a self-governing organization with input from its teams, and adheres to the technical and safety rules as outlined by the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). The series has event venues in Ontario, Quebec, and New York State.

Cars in the PMRA capture the true spirit of hot rodding, and the class is one of drag racing’s most exciting and colorful classes, offering a diverse group of race cars with different types of 2,500-horsepower supercharged, nitrous powered and turbocharged engines.

Combining classic body styles and modern equipment, constructors are permitted, within established rules and parameters, to modify and enhance the cars in both appearance and performance. The cars are fuelled by gasoline or methanol, propelling them down the quarter-mile in low six-second times at over 200 miles per hour. The PMRA provides drag race fans the opportunity to see, hear, and experience the popular Pro Modifieds, known as "the world's fastest door slammers".

Photo Credit: Mike Goodwin - www.mgdigital.ca