SCARBOROUGH, ONTARIO (October 21, 2009) – When long-time Sportsman racer Eric Latino stepped up into the wild world of Pro Modified racing late in 2008, his debut with the 1938 Chevy Coupe in the Pro Modified Racing Association was a big learning curve.
Latino enlisted the valuable help of Tony Pontieri and Paulo Delemonte at the first PMRA race of 2009 and the team got in the show at Cayuga. But for the next two races, Latino and the team were having some problems getting the Jerry Bickel-built race car down the track.Then the services of G-Force Race Cars’ Jim Salemi were employed, the pieces of the puzzle started falling into place.
“For the first three races, we were still learning,” said Latino, who placed fourth in the PMRA Championship Point Award Series for 2009. “Jim came on board and we really started to get the car sorted out. We then went from eighth in points to fourth. Jim is calm and cool at the track, and his knowledge is endless,” Latino continued. “He worked along well with everyone and brought out the best in them.”
Powered by a Veney 526-cubic inch Hemi Supercharged engine, Latino and the team, which consists of crew chief Peter Olin, Rachael Olin, Matthew Latino and Ryan Olin, started to show its potential. While the team qualified for the first two shows of the 2009 season, they demonstrated the car’s possibilities when Latino drove the Chevy to the PMRA final at Grand Bend in July of 2009, held during the IHRA MOPAR Canadian Nationals.
“We were now getting down the track every time,” commented Latino. “We were getting the car sorted out, thanks to Jim’s help.”
Latino also mentioned he was pleased with the efforts of his crew.
“My thanks go out to Peter, Rachael, and the others,” he said. “They have been on this learning process with me from the start, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without their time and hard work.”
The team finished the season on a good note, qualifying third in the sixth and final race at the Cayuga Dragway losing in the semi to eventual event winner Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario.Sponsored by Redline Automotive, Global Emissions Systems, Magnum Auto Parts, NGK Spark Plugs, Hoosier Racing Tire, Pro Racing Fuels, Don Butt Auto Body and Ellesmere Fabricators, Latino hinted a new car may be in the works for 2010, but he added he will return to the PMRA for the next season.
“We’re talking about a new car,” he said, “but that depends on things. But we will be back with the PMRA for sure.”
The PMRA and Quick 32 Sportsman Series Championship Point Award Series winners will be honored at the Champions Banquet on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at The Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel in the Oak Room in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
For more information contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher at 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 sixth year of operation in 2010. 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 competed at event venues in Ontario, Quebec, and New York State.
The PMRA competed 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, and the South-western Ontario track of the Grand Bend Motorplex at the 10th Annual MOPAR Canadian Nationals July 17 to 19, the Stratford Spectacular Hot August Nationals presented by Ideal Supply & NAPA Auto Parts August 8 and 9 and the Thunder by the Beach Weekend on September 5 and 6.
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".
Several of the PMRA events were 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.
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