Camaro driver bests tough Pro Modified field at Toronto Motorsports Park
during Cayuga Dragway's Xtreme Mayhem Nationals
CAYUGA, ONTARIO (June 17, 2011) – The competition was strong, but at the end of the day Eric Latino won the Pro Modified Racing Association race at the Xtreme Mayhem Nationals at TMP's Cayuga Dragway.
With his new G-Force Race Cars 1969 Camaro Pro Modified, Latino, from Whitby, Ontario, held off Vito Montesano in the final round to take the win with a 6.758-second, 232.95 mph run against Montesano's 6.630-second, 157.76 mph. Montesano, of Maple, Ontario was the driver to beat all weekend as he qualified his 1969 Camaro Pro Modified in number one spot with a 5.889-second run. Latino qualified number two in the field with a 5.898-second, 243.72 mph posting. Both teams ran five-second passes consistently over the weekend.
"It wasn't pretty, but it was a win," said Latino after his victory. "The car has been awesome all weekend, and the first full pass in testing with it gave us a 5.87."
The win was Latino's second in PMRA competition.
Latino thanked his Team Green partners, well-known Pro Modified car owners Rob and Ann Sporring, engine guru Al Billes, tuner Paolo D'Alimonte, along with crew members Pete and Rachel Olin, Gord Campbell, and son Matthew. Latino also wanted to thank his sponsors who support his team.
"Everybody did their job over the weekend," Latino continued. "Everything clicked. It was a great weekend."
With his new Camaro, Latino eliminated Derek Hawker of Corbyville, Ontario and Mark Nielsen of Brantford, Ontario before going up against Montesano in the final. Montesano shut down Gary Irving of Toronto, Ontario in the Al Hinds Corvette, and the Camaro of John Russo of Middletown, Massachusetts, who recorded top speed of the meet with a 245.81-mph pass.Hawker made the show as number one alternate when Terry Brown of Caledonia, Ontario, who qualified seventh, could not make the elimination rounds. Former IHRA Funny Car Champion Rob Atchison of London, Ontario, debuted his new Corvette Pro Modified at the PMRA event, and spent the weekend with some shakedown runs learning about his new car.
Latino said after the race that it took the crew some time to adjust to the new car, but once they found the combination, the car responded well."The car wanted a different set up then what the Jerry Bickel 38 Chevy Pro Mod needed to get down the track," he noted. "The crew figured out the new G-Force car in just eleven incremental runs with the twelfth pass going straight down the track to a 5.87 elapse time."
With two rounds of the six-event season completed, Montesano leads the 2011 Championship Point Award Series presented by Magnum Auto Parts and Patio Passport with the smallest of margins, 581 points over the 580 points of season-opener winner Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario. Latino is third with 563 points, just ahead of Irving with 560 points. Fifth at present is Jeff Roth of Kitchener, Ontario with 556 points.
The next round of PMRA racing will take place at the Canadian Nitro Nationals July 1-3 at the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park.
