Cannister gets first taste of nitro at Pittsburgh Nitro Jam this Friday and Saturday
NEW ALEXANDRIA, Pa. (May 19, 2011) – It will be déjà vu all over again for Laurie Cannister this weekend in Pittsburgh – sort of.
While Cannister will return to the familiar seat of a Funny Car this Friday and Saturday at the Pittsburgh Nitro Jam at Pittsburgh Raceway Park – a ride she piloted to an IHRA World Championship in 2008 – it won’t exactly be the same as the multi-time champion trades in alcohol power for the raw excitement of nitro behind the wheel of the “Bullet Bob” Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car this weekend in Pittsburgh.
Cannister, who won the IHRA Alcohol Funny Car World Championship back in 2008, will get her first taste of nitro racing this weekend at the Pittsburgh Nitro Jam against Nitro Jam veterans Peter Gallen, Mike McIntire and Greg Jacobsmeyer at the famed track in New Alexandria.
“We started the 2011 Nitro Jam season with Richard Hartman driving, but his job as a Top Fuel crew chief had conflicting dates with our Nitro Jam events,” said Bob Floch, owner of the ‘Bullet Bob’ Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car. “Ironically, it was Richard’s dad who suggested we call Laurie to see if she’d be interested in driving for us. We also got in touch with former champion Mark Thomas and he was very enthusiastic about Laurie driving our car.
“He told us that Laurie and her husband Dale would be a ‘perfect fit’ for us. And when we finally met and spent some time with Laurie and Dale we knew she was our pick as driver.”
Adding to the excitement of her nitro debut is the fact that she is behind the wheel of a proven winner. Over the past two seasons a number of different drivers have piloted the ‘Bullet Bob’ machine in Nitro Jam competition with Hartman putting the car in victory lane at Maryland International Raceway last season.
Now Cannister, one of only two female competitors on the Nitro Jam tour, will get an opportunity to once again prove that she can compete with the best beginning this weekend.
The legendary “Bullet Bob” machine has proven it is capable of visiting victory lane, doing so in Maryland last year with Richard Hartman behind the wheel
“The first time we fired the car with Laurie in the seat, I knew from the huge smile on her face that we had her hooked,” Floch said. “Laurie is used to handling a funny car and she is familiar with the tracks we will be racing on. Really the only difference for her will be in the clutch. Laurie is used to leaving the starting line at high RPMs as opposed to leaving basically on an idle like we do with the fuel car. The nitro car is also a two-speed so she will have one less shift to make.”
Over the course of her famed Alcohol Funny Car career Cannister recorded eight wins in 11 finals culminating with a dominating championship victory in 2008. She also recorded a championship in Pro Outlaw several years prior giving her two IHRA championships in her illustrious career.
“It is thrilling to have a former world champion in the car. She earned her Alcohol Funny Car championship by beating some of the best in the business and in the process of earning that title she also earned the respect of those she beat,” Floch said. “She is a tough competitor, but more importantly a smart competitor. She doesn’t get rattled under pressure and does her job in the car.”
Cannister will now throw her hat in the ring against three of the top four drivers in points including current points leader Peter Gallen and the “Poverty Stricken” crew this weekend at Pittsburgh Raceway Park.
Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car will be one of three nitro classes in competition this weekend, joining the stars of Pro Fuel and Nitro Harley. This weekend’s Pittsburgh Nitro Jam will also feature a huge show including a showdown between the Grave Digger monster truck and the Shockwave jet semi, Megasaurus, wheelstanders and more.
Don’t miss the biggest nitro party in the history of western Pennsylvania this Friday and Saturday at Pittsburgh Raceway Park. For more information visit http://www.nitrojam.com/ or call (724) 668-7600.
