ST-PIE (August 13, 2008) – When the Pro Modified Racing Association presented by Torco Racing Fuels Ontario returns to the fabled Sanair Dragstrip in St-Pie, Quebec this weekend, the mighty Pro Modifieds will race on a track steeped in drag racing history.
The Third Annual Eaton PMRA Challenge Presented by Eaton will be held Saturday, August 16 at Sanair, just south of Montreal. This race will be the fourth on the six-race 2008 PMRA tour.
Created on the lush farmland of Southern Quebec in 1969, Sanair quickly became Canada’s premier all-inclusive racing facility. Aside from the quarter-mile drag strip, Sanair was host to top Indy Car open-wheel racing and major stock car events on the nine-tenths mile trioval, the largest oval in Canada.
In 1971 Sanair became the home of the Molson Grandnational, the first and only major national meet the NHRA has held a outside of the United States. For the next 25 years fans were treated to the biggest names in the sport, including Shirley Muldowney, Don Garlits, Gary Beck, and Kenny Bernstein. Funny Car legend Don Prudhomme won sixth Grandnational titles in the class.
The first national win for today’s Funny Car icon, John Force, was at Sanair in 1987.
Once again the Eaton PMRA Challenge will be presented by Eaton (electrical group Canada). The global leader in electrical control, power distribution, industrial automation products, power quality products and services will also be hosting a customer loyalty and appreciation day for the third year in a row. The Eaton hospitality is well-received by its customers, and provides Eaton an opportunity for its customers to watch the world’s fastest door slammers at Sanair.
The 2007 Sanair race was won by Dave Earhart of Strathroy, Ontario. The inaugural event in 2006 was won by the two finalists, Joe Lilienthal of Kenmore, New York, and Carl Spiering of Jordan Station, Ontario, due to a rain-cancelled final round.
Going into this round of PMRA racing, Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario, leads the 2008 Championship Point Award Series sponsored by Wix Filtration Products, Valvoline, Uni-Select, and Moen with 903 points, positions two through five are very close, with only 15 points separating these spots.
Second with 843 points is Jeff Roth of Kitchener, Ontario, followed by Terry Brown of Caledonia, Ontario with 840 points. Randy Jewell of Holley, New York is fourth with 837 points, and Joe Boniferro of Niagara Falls, Ontario, is fifth with 828 points. Mike Stawicki, The Grainy Brothers, Mike Cusimano, Larry Sinke and John Vergotz make up the top ten.
There will be three PMRA qualifying sessions starting at 3:00 p.m. and the Championship eliminations for the top eight qualifiers will begin at 7:30 p.m.
For information about the Eaton Third Annual Eaton PMRA Challenge presented by Eaton on Saturday, August 16 at Sanair in St-Pie, Quebec near Montreal call (450) 772-6400 or visit online at http://www.sanairracing.com
For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher mehlenbacher@ProModifiedRacing.com
About the Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA):
The Pro Modified Racing Association, http://www.ProModifiedRacing.com, was organized late in 2004, started racing operations in 2005, and is entering its fourth year of operation. The PMRA is a self-governing organization with input from its teams, and adheres to the technical and safety rules as outlined by the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). The series has event venues in Ontario, Quebec, and New York State.
Cars in the PMRA capture the true spirit of hot rodding, and the class is one of drag racing’s most exciting and colorful classes, offering a diverse group of race cars with different types of 2,500-horsepower supercharged, nitrous powered and turbocharged engines.
Combining classic body styles and modern equipment, constructors are permitted, within established rules and parameters, to modify and enhance the cars in both appearance and performance. The cars are fuelled by gasoline or methanol, propelling them down the quarter-mile in low six-second times at over 200 miles per hour. The PMRA provides drag race fans the opportunity to see, hear, and experience the popular Pro Modifieds, known as “the world’s fastest door slammers”.
