PMRA, Quick 32 Sportsman Series, and PBSS take to track May 18-20 for Victoria Day Weekend Challenge at TMP’s Cayuga Dragway

CAYUGA, ONTARIO (April 30, 2012) – The teams have been working hard during the off-season and the fans are ready for the opening round in the 2012 Pro Modified Racing Association, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, and the Pro Bike & Sled Series.

Racers had spent the past few months updating, modifying, and everything else to get more power from their racecars. Along with several new teams in the three drag race series, many are returning for the starting race of the year, the Victoria Day Weekend Challenge to be held May 18-20 at the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park.

Qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, May 19, with elimination rounds scheduled to begin Sunday, May 20.

This race marks the beginning of the eighth year for the PMRA, the fourth for the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, and the second for the PBSS.

We will have a great contingent of racers in all series this year, noted Bruce Mehlenbacher, Director of Operations for the three series. A lot of teams have spent the winter rebuilding and upping their game plan, and we should see some terrific racing for the Cayuga opener.

Last year’s PMRA championship was won by a mere point as Vito Montesano of Maple, Ontario, just edged out three-time champ Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario, 1534 to 1533. And with his new race car, Eric Latino of Whitby, Ontario came on strong, placing third with 1526 points.

The Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts is comprised of two classes, Top Dragster and Top Sportsman. In 2011, for the third straight year, a Top Sportsman entry won the championship, as Phil Sampson of Granton, Ontario amassed 1239 points with his Chevy Cavalier over the second-place Top Dragster of Napanee, Ontario’s Jamie Bridge with 1201 points.

The inaugural season in the PBSS presented by Wiseco Performance Products, which pits Pro Motorcycle riders against Pro Sled riders, was a great success, with Randy Hope of London, Ontario taking home the championship with his Pro Bike Kawasaki entry. The Pro Bike of Dan Cryderman of Thamesville, Ontario was second, and the Arctic Cat Pro Sled of Bill Anderson of Seaforth, Ontario placed third.

The Victoria Day Weekend Challenge will be the first of six rounds of racing for the Quick 32 Sportsman Series and the PBSS. These two series will also race at Cayuga June 22-24 and August 3-5, along with events at the Grand Bend Motorplex August 10-12 and August 31 – September 2.

All three series will be travelling to the US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin Michigan June 8-9, for an inaugural event at this famous drag race facility.

The PMRA Pro Modifieds will also race at the six above mentioned dates, plus will compete as part of the IHRA Mopar Nitro Jam Nationals July 20-22 at the Grand Bend Motorplex.

 Former IHRA champ looking for good 2012 after first year learning curve

 LONDON, ONTARIO (February 2, 2012) – One of Canada’s most successful drag racers will be returning to the Pro Modified Racing Association in 2012.

After his first PMRA racing last year, London’s Rob Atchison will be behind the wheel of the Atchison Racing Corvette Pro Modified, and said he hopes his short time last season will bear fruit.

“We’re going to try to make the next step up,” said the three-time IHRA Funny Car Champion, who believes the team has made the transition from the Alcohol-powered Flopper to a door-slamming Pro Modified. “We’ve made some changes, and I think I’ve learned how to drive the new car.”

Atchison was a dominate force in the IHRA Funny Car wars, winning 21 events, world records in elapsed time and speed, and the three titles in 2003, 2004, and 2005. With only 20 runs on the Corvette last year, he believes he has made the needed driving style adjustments.

“With a Funny Car you have to steer it all the time,” he noted. “I found with the Pro Modified the drive can be much smoother, and there is not the need to be aggressive as with the Funny Car. There is less correcting with the Pro Modified, and making adjustments as you’re driving down the track does little to help.”

Rob’s father Bob Atchison will continue to act as crew chief for the car, a Tim McAmis Race Car chassis powered by a 481X AJPE prepared by Atchison Machine Service under the hood of the 1963 Corvette body. An APSI Superchargers – D Rotor Screw-type Supercharger is employed, along with an Atchison Machine Service fuel system. A three-speed Lenco sits behind the engine.

Assisting the team are Kyle Harris, Pat Ryan, Dennis Smith, Colin Harris, Maxine Atchison and Julie Atchison. Thanks go to Dave Bankes for his involvement on the team.

The effort is sponsored by Atchison Machine Service and West Coast Transportation along with product sponsors, Pennzoil/Shell Oil, Eaton Aeroquip, Mahle Clevite, NGK Spark Plugs, Contact Welding, Jet Tools and Equipment, Hoosier Tire, Dewalt Tools, Lenco Transmissions and Permatex Canada. The team placed ninth in the 2011 PMRA standings highlighted with a semi-round appearance in event six of the schedule.

Racing since 1995, Atchison said he and the team should be ready for serious racing.

“We’re going to be back,” he said. “I love racing the PMRA series, it’s a great organization that gives us the chance to race locally in front of many fans and sponsors.”

The PMRA will compete in seven events this year, starting May 18-20 with the Victoria Day Weekend Challenge at the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park.

The Pro Modified Racing Association, www.PMRA.ca competes with its two companion series, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, www.Quick32.ca  and the Pro Bike & Sled Series, www.PBSS.ca offering a solid and full package of drag racing action.

Photo Credit: Dale Boeru ~ www.CanadianDragRacer.ca and Dave Erauw Photography ~ www.erauw-photo.com

There are three “groups of funny cars competing at the track this weekend. The main attraction of course is the Nostalgia Nitro Funny Cars. These cars hail from all over the Westcoast of North America and will run a “heads up” full throttle race meaning the green lights both go green at the same time and the car that gets to the finish line first wins. There are some of the best cars in the world in attendance at Mission.

For example, to date there have only been four cars period that have ever run in the 5.6 second range. Three of the four cars are at Mission this weekend. The world record holder is Tim Boychuck out of Edmonton driving the Troy Lee Design Plymouth. This car is owned by Canadian drag racing legend and hall of famer Ron Hodgson, but more importantly is tuned by Roland Leong a drag racing legend, who owned and tuned all the famous Hawaiian funny cars and dragsters in the 60′s and 70′s. The record sits at 5.63 seconds at 258 MPH. This record could be broken at Mission!

The second team/car of note is the two cars owned and tuned by the North West’s most prolific funny car driver of all time, Bucky Austin. One car is driven by Bucky himself, the second by multi-time champ Mark Hentges. Bucky’s car has also run in the 5.60 seconds.

The third 5.6 second car is owned and tuned by another Northwest legend, Steve Plueger. He also has two cars her this weekend. Other cars of note are the Mark Sanders “Mr. Explosive” funny car, the Candies and Hughes car, and certainly Tim has been going faster and faster as time goes on.

Finally, the greatest showman of all time in funny cars was the legendary Jungle Jim Liberman. He, along with his girlfriend Jungle Pam wowed the crowds in the funny car match race circuit for more than a decade. Jim died many years ago in a car crash, but his legend lives on. This weekend, the current owner of his Nova car is bringing it to Mission for show and a possible burnout. The car is not a replica, but the actual restored vehicle and as such is not certified to race in today’s world of safety standards. None the less, just to see this car, let alone have it fire or do a burnout is worth the price of admission for die hard fans of the sport.

See ya at the races!

CAYUGA, ONTARIO (July 3, 2011) – Round three in the Pro Modified Racing Association, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series, and the Pro Bike & Sled Series was completed today, and each of the drag racing series produced new event winners.

The racing took place during the Canadian Nitro Nationals at the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario over the holiday weekend.

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.

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