Top Sportsman team takes victory at Canadian Nitro Nationals at TMP's Cayuga Dragway
CAYUGA, ONTARIO (July 6, 2011) – For the third time in as many races, a new victor was declared in Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts drag racing competition.
Bob Bauer Jr bested a large field of Top Sportsman and Top Dragster entries at the Canadian Nitro Nationals at the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park to claim his first series win."Our weekend was up and down a bit," said the Elma, New York racer after the event. "But when we needed to be good we were."
Driving his big-block nitrous injected 2007 Pontiac GTO in the Top Sportsman division, Bauer eliminated the Top Dragster of Billy White from Gadshill, Ontario in the weekend final. The final round appearance was White's best showing to date.
The Quick 32 Sportsman Series is comprised of 16-car fields in Top Sportsman and Top Dragster. The racers compete within their own divisions, and the top eliminator from each goes against each other for the event title.
Runner-up on the Top Sportsman side was Rob Gray of Ingersoll, Ontario in his 2002 Cavalier, while Jamie Bridge of Napanee, Ontario was runner-up on the Top Dragster side.Bauer qualified 11th in the 16-car Top Sportsman field. He eliminated Darryl McMillen of Goderich, Ontario, Ben Grevers of Paris, Ontario, and Mike Beska of Waterloo, Ontario before lining up with Gray in the Top Sportsman final.
The race was very close, and Bauer ran a 7.34 at 183.54 while Gray recorded a 7.35 at 187.13 but broke out of his dial-in, giving the win to Bauer.
Qualifying number one was Frank Goddard of Guelph, Ontario with a 6.855 at 208.75, but he could not make the eliminations. Rick Kopp of Burlington qualified number one in Top Dragster with a 6.062, 227.50, but was taken out by Bridge in the first round.
White qualified fourth in the Top Dragster side, and won elimination rounds against Lance Orr of Shawville, Quebec, Sam Christian of Kenmore, New York, and Peter Edwards of Honeoye, New York before meeting up with Bridge in the division final.
Uncharacteristically, Bridge red-lit with his big-block normally-aspirated dragster, while White and his small-block supercharged car drove on to a winning 6.89, 196.27 posting."I want to thank all those that helped me today," Bauer said after the race, "crew chief Mike Mitchell, along with my wife Michelle and son Robert III. And I want to thank Mike Janis and the people at Jan-Cen for their engine, and Galaxy Auto Place for their help.
"This is a great series," he continued. "It's great competition."
The Non-Qualifiers Race in the Top Dragster division went to Sydnie Hyde of Stratford, Ontario. She eliminated Jeff Moser of Waterloo, Ontario.
Winning his first PMRA race was Kenny Lang. It was also the first PMRA race for the team from Grande Pointe, Manitoba. Lang, driving the Summit Racing Equipment 1969 Camaro, qualified fourth in the field, and bested Derek Hawker of Corbyville, Ontario in his Corvette in the final for the win. Lang recorded a 6.035-second, 239.57-mph winning pass over Hawker.
In the PBSS presented by Wiseco Performance Products, Pro Bike racer Mike Konopacki rode his Kawasaki to a PBSS win over the Yamaha Pro Sled of James Miller of Orillia, Ontario. Konopacki, of Hampton, Ontario, qualified fifth in the Pro Bike field and Miller qualified fifth as well on the Pro Sled side. Konopacki ran an 8.547-second, 144.49-mph final for his win.
Next event for all three series is the Stratford Spectacular Hot August Nationals presented by Ideal Supply & NAPA Auto Parts to be held August 5-7 at the Grand Bend Motorplex.
Presently leading the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts 2011 Championship Point Award Series Standings after three of six events is Phil Sampson of Granton, Ontario with 692 points. Second is Bridge with 651 points, and third with 633 points is Darrin Grubb of Pine River, Ontario.
Fourth in points is the Wilson and Gray team with 628 points, and Bauer is now fifth with 626 points. Rounding out the top ten are Michael Kalin of Niagara Falls, New York, Michael Hinbest of Orangeville, Ontario, White, Tony Positano of Toronto, Ontario, and McMillen.
