Cynergy Composites develops ultra light 1969 Camaro Pro Modified body

G-Force Race Cars will use new body for new car for PMRA's Jay Santos

STRATHROY, ONTARIO (January 26, 2010) - One of the main theories in winning a drag race is power. The more power a car makes, the quicker it can get down to the finish line. 

But since the advent of the sport, racers have also tried to reduce weight in their cars. The lighter a car is, the faster it will go.

Over the past few years, reducing the weight of the car body in racing has been an important element in producing quicker times. Working through light metal and fiberglass from the past, today's builders of Pro Modified and Top Sportsman bodies work with the strong yet light carbon fiber. 

Just before Christmas of 2009, Cynergy Composites put the finishing touches on its newest body, a 1969 Chevy Camaro, and shipped it off to noted Pro Modified builder Jim Salemi at G-Force Race Cars of Western New York. 

Based in Southern Ontario, Cynergy has been at the forefront of body development in the popular Pro Modified class, and has raised the bar with the new Camaro.

"We've been working hard the last three years on the Ultra-Light Technology," said Tim Hodgins of Cynergy. "Just like engine builders spending time on the dyno - we've spent countless hours and thrown more materials in the dumpster than we would like to admit trying to push the envelope, but the result is our lightest and strongest body to date."

Some of Cynergy's customers include such Pro Modified notables as Alex Hossler, Mike Castellana, and Danny Rowe, as well as Pro Modified Racing Association regulars Mark Nielsen, Mike Stawicki, and the Grainy Brothers. This new Camaro is being built for Jay Santos of Milton, Ontario, who will compete with the new car this season in the PMRA.

"Two years ago, our lightest body was 56 pounds," Hodgins explained. "This new body is 46 pounds, which is a dramatic difference when the average Pro Modified body weighed about 80 pounds.

"We've pushed the technology to its limit."

Hodgins went on to say that the body composite of gel coat, resin, fibers, and honeycomb is actually stronger than an 80-pound comparable body. He also said the cost associated with the new body is about 50 percent more than the heavier body.

Cynergy worked with G-Force in developing the new body.

"We've adopted what the Big-Three (automakers) developed in their wind tunnels for Pro Stock," explained Jim Salemi of G-Force. "We worked on many factors in developing this new body, including aerodynamics, properly fitting all rear tire sizes used in Pro Modified, and windshield angles. Our goal has been to reduce the size and reduce the weight, and to make it as small and light as possible."

Hodgins said he has built literally hundreds of the 1967-68 Camaro and Firebird bodies, plus quite a few of the 1970 ½ F-body, adding this new Camaro is totally new, and "we changed every inch from the 67-68 body."

The new Santos car is expected to be ready by late May of this year, according to Salemi. The car will feature a MSR Performance-inspired Fat Head Hemi with a screw blower and a torque convertor driven transmission. The car will compete in PMRA and ADRL racing.

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