"They all put in a lot of hard work and it paid off this year."
MAPLE, ONTARIO (November 17, 2011) – For Vito Montesano, winning the 2011 Pro Modified Racing Association Marydel Homes Championship Point Award Series presented by Magnum Auto Parts, Patio Passport and Global Emissions Systems Inc. was a nail-biter right until the last race in the last event, but the Maple, Ontario-based driver held on to win his first PMRA championship.
And he won the title by a mere margin of only one point."This has been a great year," said the driver of the 1969 Chevy Camaro Pro Modified. "We are very happy," he continued. "Not only did we win our first PMRA race, we also won the championship. We are just ecstatic."
In his second year of PMRA competition, Montesano stayed at the top of the points race throughout the six-race season, but it was close as second-place finisher Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario, and third-place Eric Latino of Whitby, Ontario, whittled into Montesano's lead. When Boland won over Latino in the final of the last race at Cayuga, the points were tallied, and Montesano won over Boland 1534 points to 1533.
Qualifying for each race, Montesano put down some killer laps in qualifying number one for race two and race three, posting a meet low ET – top speed of 5.889-second, 245.81-mph in race two, and a 5.909, 245.54 to start on the pole in race three.
He went to the semi-finals in four races, lost in the final to Latino in race two, but took the win over Boland at Grand Bend for race five.
The Cynergy Composites Camaro body sits on a G-Force Race Cars platform and is powered by a ERD (Engine Research & Development) 526-cubic inch Brad Anderson (BAE) Supercharged Hemi utilizing an ERD fuel system and a PSI supercharger. A Lenco three-speed and a Coan Racing torque converter is couple to the engine, and this combination set the record last season for the quickest quarter-mile converter car at 5.88-seconds.
"I have to thank crew chief Carl Spiering for his work and tuning the car," Montesano said. "I also want to thank Sal Vavala for all his work, as well as the help and support from the rest of my crew, Elisabeth DosSantos, Jon Daniel Montesano, Nino and Minnie.
"They all put in a lot of hard work and it paid off this year."
Montesano said he plans to return to PMRA competition in 2012.
"We have some things in the works for next year," he said, not getting into specifics yet.
"The PMRA has been a fantastic series. I'm glad I moved over to it a couple of years ago."
The Annual "Night of Champions" Championship Point Award Series Banquet for the Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA), the Quick 32 Sportsman Series and the Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS) will be held at the Burlington Hotel & Conference Centre in Burlington, Ontario on Saturday, November 19, 2011.
