PMRA Victoria Day Weekend Challenge at Toronto Motorsports Park

PMRA Victoria Day Weekend Challenge at

Toronto Motorsports Park

Ike Maier paces Pro Modified Racing Association Pro Modifieds

CAYUGA, ONTARIO (May 16, 2009) – After two rounds of qualifying, Ike Maier of Tottenham, Ontario paced the field in the season opening Pro Modified Racing Association at the Cayuga Dragway at Toronto Motorsports Park.

Driving the Maier Motorsports 1963 Corvette Pro Modified, Maier set low elapsed time of the day with a 6.310-second, 223.80-mph pass on the Cayuga quarter-mile. Joe Boniferro of Niagara Falls, Ontario was next in the Smokin’ Joe’s 1999 Avenger with a 6.340-second, 221.56-mph run, while Gary Irving of Toronto took third in the Al Hinds 2004 Corvette at 6.391-seconds, 209.17-mph. Jack Grainy of Niagara Falls, New York, and Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario rounded out the top five.

The PMRA Pro Modifieds will continue May 17 with its final qualifier during the Victoria Day Weekend Challenge at noon. Final eliminations will begin for the eight-car field starting at 2:00 pm.

With all three rounds of qualifying complete in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts, Todd Hope of Norwich, Ontario leads the Top Dragster contingent with a 6.453-second, 208.65-mph clocking. Next is Michael Hinbest of Orangeville, Ontario, and Stratford, Ontario’s Spencer Hyde is third.

On the Top Sportsman side of the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, Scott Wildgust of Wartburg, Ontario took top qualifier in the J&J Roth Racing 1957 Chevy at 6.893-seconds, 199.43-mph. Jim Bersani of Cicero, New York qualified second, with Kevin Wicke of Stratford, Ontario in third.

Round one of Quick 32 Sportsman Series eliminations begin May 17 at 11:30 am. The final round will see the Top Dragster eliminator pair off with the Top Sportsman eliminator, and the winner of this round will be the champion of the inaugural event in this new series.

The PMRA is headlining the two-day event, which includes racing in the new Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts, which features dragster versus door-slammer action with quick six and seven-second cars, the TNT Super Series, and the popular Can-Am Stock/Super Stock Series.

There will also be a tribute for the late John Massingberd, producer and host of Raceline Radio. John contributed greatly to the sport over the years, and a special ceremony in his honor will take place at Cayuga on Sunday, just prior to the start of final eliminations.

Also on hand for the Victoria Day Challenge will be Jet Cars, the Harley Davidson Destroyers, and Bracket Racing.

As one of the veterans in Jet Car racing, Al Hanna will debut his Firebird Jet Funny Car at Cayuga with Ken Hall at the wheel. Second-generation driver Rich Hanna and his “First Strike” Jet Funny Car will also be competing. This car has run at over 290 mph and is recognized as the fastest car in the class.

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: Bill Mehlenbacher Photography - www.nxphoto.com and Canadian Drag Racing Photos - www.canadiandragracingphotos.com