Lots of changes for Skull Motorsports PMRA Pro Modified entry in 2009

Lots of changes for Skull Motorsports PMRA Pro Modified entry in 2009

New car, new team members, and new horizons for Ralph Andreacchi

MAPLE, ONTARIO (May 7, 2009) – Skull Motorsports has a new Pro Modified for 2009, and the new car could prove to be a major force in Pro Modified Racing Association racing.

“It was time for a change,” said Ralph Andreacchi, co-owner and driver of the 1963 Corvette Pro Modified, a new car from the previous 1953 Studebaker.

There are several other changes for 2009, including the involvement of long-time friend Tony Piselli, who is the other team owner for the new endeavor.

“Tony and I are good friends, “Andreacchi explained. “We’ve been friends since our early teens.”

He added that Piselli will also start learning to drive the Pro Modified as Andreacchi steps away from the cockpit to focus more on tuning duties with the Corvette.

“Eventually we’ll strap him in there,” said Andreacchi. “I will drive the car initially but eventually Tony will take over and I will focus on the tuning. Tony has a lot of drag racing experience (mostly 10 inch tire stuff) but not yet in Pro Modified. We will take our time to make him comfortable. We will crawl and take baby steps before we start running."

A veteran PMRA racer, Andreacchi’s 2008 season was highlighted with a win at the Grand Bend Motorplex on Labor Day. The team took the new car to the IHRA Rockingham race recently, and after some initial passes getting his feet wet with the torque converter car, Andreacchi ran a career-high 6.09 pass with the car, and qualified seventh in the field, going out with a stout 6.12 against John Russo with a 6.02.

But Andreacchi was very pleased with the new car, and the new combination.

“Honestly we surprised ourselves a bit,” he said. “We never expected to come along as quickly as we did. I never even drove a torque converter car before in my life. I struggled on the first two passes and then slowly got the hang of it.”

The Corvette is powered by a BAE 526 Hemi, tweaked and set up by ace Pro Modified tuner Al Billes. Behind the engine sits a Lenco from Bruno’s Automotive. A Kobelco K-11 supercharger feeds the engine, as does an Al Billes fuel system. The Corvette is from Tim McAmis Race Cars.

The Skull Motorsports car is sponsored by R2B2 Motors, Deserts Plus Restaurants, JE Construction, VP Fuels Ontario, Dimmi Bar, Performance Tire, Al Billes Racing, Stratford Motor Products, MNC, and Jon Salemi.

Along with Andreacchi and Piselli, the crew consists of Eric Grenci, Walter Carriero, and Rob Cesario. Andreacchi added his association with Billes will continue with the team’s engine program, and he will make himself available when his schedule permits.

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, the Ideal Supply & NAPA Auto Parts presents Hot August Nationals August 8 and 9 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: Roger Richards