Photos courtesy of Brennan Shortall www.dragracecanada.com

Bruce Boland, driver of the B&B Racing 1941 Willys Pro Modified, lost the title to Vito Montesano of Maple, Ontario. Boland tallied 1533 points to Montesano’s 1534 in a see-saw championship battle all season that was not determined until the last race of the final event.

“We started good and ended good,” noted Boland, who won the PMRA title through 2007-09. “We had some shifter issues midway through the season, or we would have made it.”

One of the original PMRA members since its inception in 2004, Boland has always started his season with a new race car, and 2011 was no exception, as he traded his 1963 Corvette in for a 1941 Willys, a car he said has been top-notch.

“The Willys has been the best car I’ve ever had,” he said. “It was built with top-quality components. I really like this car.”

The Larson Race Cars product is powered by an ERD (Engine Research & Development) 526-cubic inch Brad Anderson (BAE) Supercharged Hemi. A PSI Superchargers screw-type supercharger with tweaking by ERD with a Waterman fuel system sits atop the blower. A Lenco three-speed transmits the power from the engine.

Boland started his season in fine form with a victory at the Cayuga Dragway opener after qualifying number one with a 5.953, 235.47. He was eliminated in round one of race two, went to the semi-final in race three, suffered another first-round loss in race four, and then got back in the groove with a final round appearance in round five, losing to Montesano.

But the B&B team had all in good order for the final event, qualifying number two on the ladder, and working through the field to shut down Eric Latino of Whitby, Ontario to take his second win of the year.

Boland wanted to thank the efforts of his crew, starting with crew chief Rob Cesario, and other team members Willy Kerr, Dennis Veillette, Brad Short and Ron Pierce.

He also thanked Jon Salemi of Resolution Racing Services for his help with the car’s fuel system, along with team sponsors Backwoods Excavating & Float Service, Excel Motorsports, Pro Racing Fuels, NGK Spark Plugs, A&A Auto Parts, and Double D Construction.

Boland said he plans to return to the PMRA in 2012, realizing the challenge will be strong.

“We’re going to have some real competition next season,” he mentioned. It’s going to be tough.”

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.

Photo Credit: Mike Goodwin ~ www.MGDigital.ca

Trading in his 1938 Chevy coupe for a new G-Force Race Cars 1969 Camaro, Latino qualified number one at three of the PMRA meets, and second in two other events in 2011. He was only eight points behind PMRA champion Vito Montesano of Maple, Ontario when the season ended at the Cayuga Dragway in September.

Driving the Team Green Camaro, Latino consistently put down laps in the sub six-second range after he teamed up with prominent Pro Modified car owner Rob Sporring.

“He’s a great partner,” Latino said about Sporring. “We put our stuff together and had the best year we have ever had. He has been a great guy to work with.”

Latino debuted the new car, complete with a Cynergy Composites Inc. and a 521-cubic inch BAE Hemi at Cayuga for the PMRA opener, and although the team did not qualify, it did not take long to get the right combination for winning.

“We struggled with the first race,” he said, “but we figured it out pretty well after that.”

Running the new car in the 5.9-second range, Latino won the second and fourth PMRA events, and lost in the final of the last race. He recorded a season best with a 5.871-second, 244-mph pass on his way to victory in the second event, the Xtreme Mayhem Nationals at Cayuga.

Latino was quick to thank the efforts of team crew chief Paolo D’Alimonte.
“Paulo is a really good tuner,” he said. “He kept the car running, and he also kept the car from getting hurt.

“Nothing on the car broke,” he continued. “The car was maintained well throughout the season.”

Assisting D’Alimonte were car chief Peter Olin, along with Matt Latino, Rachel Olin, Gord Campbell, Nick Campbell and Paul Bassil.

Special thanks to Mamma Rikki for her tender loving care.

When asked the difference between his former Pro Modified and the new Camaro, Latino said the new car is very smooth, which he believes offers a quicker race car.

“We really stepped it up this year, and we definitely learned,” he said. “The smoother the car the faster it goes.”

The Camaro also features a Lenco CS2 transmission, an Al Billes modified Kobelco K-11 14-71 supercharger, and a Leahy Fuel System with tweaking by Billes. Latino placed third in the PMRA points race in 2010.

“I also must thank our sponsors,” Latino mentioned. “They all came out strong, and allowed us to do what we enjoy.”

The green and black Camaro Pro Modified is sponsored by Quality Plus Compressors, Redline Automotive, Don Butt Auto Body, Global Emissions Systems Inc., Vibrant Performance, Magnum Auto Parts, Ellesmere Fabricators Limited, NGK Spark Plugs, Hoosier Racing Tires, Pro Racing Fuels, Resurrection Custom Painting, Mickey Thompson Wheels and Kendall Motor Oil.

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.

Photo Credit:  Dave Erauw Photography ~ www.erauw-photo.com and Bill Mehlenbacher Photography ~ www.nxphoto.com

Eric Latino ~ click to enlarge

CAYUGA, ONTIO (May 23, 2010) – It was a close race, but Eric Latino won the opening round of the 2010 Pro Modified Racing Association season.

Held on the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario, Latino, of Port Perry, Ontario, won with a 6.47-second, 206-mph pass over Derek Hawker of Corbyville Ontario with a 6.51-second, 215 mph run.

The win was the first PMRA race for Latino and his 1938 Chevy Coupe.  For Hawker, driving his 1963 Corvette, it was his first race in PMRA competition.

Latino qualified fifth in the field, and Hawker qualified in sixth spot.

“We had a good day,” said Latino after the race, which opened the sixth season of PMRA racing. “We played it safe. We were consistent, and the car went down the track every single pass.”

In the semi-finals, Jeff Roth of New Dundee, Ontario, lost the combination with his 1941 Willys, losing traction and the round to Hawker. In the other semi, Dave Kulik Jr of East Aurora, New York with his 1967 Camaro lost to Latino.

Several PMRA regulars failed to qualify for the season opener, including three-time and reigning champion Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario, Mark Nielsen of Brantford, Ontario, and Mike Cusimano of Rochester, New York.

Boland was having problems getting his new 1963 Corvette set up, Nielsen had difficulties adjusting to the new Bruno automatic transmission in his 1968 Camaro, and the 1994 Corvette of Cusimano was having traction problems.

Last year’s Cayuga event winner, Ike Maier of Tottenham, Ontario, did qualifying number three in the eight-car field, but clipped the wall on his run and could not continue.

A record number of 21 entries were at Cayuga for the event.

While Roth took out Gary Mater of Petrolia, Ontario with his twin-turbo 1938 Chevy, other first round losers included multi-time PMRA event winner Mike Stawicki of Medina, New York, who led the qualifying, winning the Marydel Homes – Qualifying Bonus with a 6.175-second pass; Dave Earhart of Strathroy, Ontario; and Sam Andreacchi of Toronto, Ontario.

In the Quick 32 Sportsman Series event presented by NAPA Auto Parts of 2010, Paolo Giust bested a large field to win in his Top Dragster over the Top Sportsman car of Steve Corriveau.

For more information contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher at Bruce@PMRA.ca

Stallion Motorsports ~ click to enlarge

Driver: Maurizio (Maurice) Campolucci
Car Number: T/S 3513
Team Name: Stallion Motorsports, sm1racing.com
Owner: Maurizio Campolucci , Stallion Motorsports Inc.
Car: 2007 Pontiac GTO
Engine: Kauffman Racing Equipment,Traditional Pontiac 535 Aluminum Block 16.3 to 1 compression Naturally Aspirated
Chassis: Rick Jones IHRA Pro Stock
Transmission: Abruzzi, Powerglide.
Fuel System: Pro Racing Fuel Unleaded Mark 5 II4 Octane equivalent to Q16.

Big news out of my camp is first that my son Michael Angelo set a world record in my 07 GTO. On Oct. 18 /09 at Grand Bend Motorplex he set the fastest Naturally Aspirated (N/A) pass with a traditional Pontiac motor in a door car. That pass was a 7.361 at 184.57mph which smashed the old mark of 7.39.

A great driving job was done by Michael Angelo on that pass and his driving ability is second to no one since taking over the drivers seat!

We encountered an lot of “gremlins” in the GTO throughout the 2009 season, I was never even thinking about breaking the record. I know this record was only possible because of the incredible support and assistance I received from my many sponsors and friends, The Kauffman Group of Company’s, (what a incredible amount of power they gave me), Pro Racing Fuels, which is the UNLEADED Racing Fuel that I have been using in my race cars since 1993 with incredible results, Ed Da Silva, of J & E (chassis ) Manufacturing and The Grand Bend Motorplex staff for their track prep and patience with us.

In 2 seasons and after 80 passes, when the motor was pulled apart for a freshen up the inside of the motor look like NEW.

Mitch Markusich is crew chief on the team, with Ed DaSilva, Greg and Joshua Ellis team members. Sponsors and racing partners include Kauffman Racing Equipment, Pro Racing Fuels, J&E Chassis Manufacturing, Eric Donovan Race Cars, Trimm Signs, Bolt-On Performance, Quinn Construction, Sierra Excavating Enterprises, CMSports.com and Albion Golf Cars. record reset, March/2010 to 7.30

Maurizio ( Maurice ) Campolucci
Stallion Motorsports Inc.
Web; sm1racing.com
Email; stalllionmotorsports@rogers.com
Phone; 416-580-1235

Auto Analyser Racing ~ click to enlarge

Starting off with a championship win in the Super GT category of the Ontario Touring/GT championship in the Auto Analyser Racing built Porsche 944 Turbo. 2005 also marked the start of an excellent relationship with PRO Fuels, whose unleaded racing fuels powered the Auto Analyser Racing Porsche to numerous race victories. 2006 marked a change for the team, developing two Lexus IS300′s to compete in the highly competitive Super Touring class in the Ontario Touring championship.

With PRO Fuels once again powering Auto Analyser Racing, a second championship win soon follow.

While competing in the Speed World Challenge Championship during the 2007 season the team was forced to use Sunoco 98 race fuel due to series regulations however with the team entering the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship for 2008, PRO Fuels have once again powered Auto Analyser Racing to two victories and numerous podium finishes.