2012 pmra overall points champion eric latino (above) earned his title after a season-long battle with three-time champ bruce boland. by brennan shorTall


The 2012 season was the eighth in the history of the PMRA, and for the first time, seven race events were held throughout the year. Latino paced the PMRA with a pair of wins, with


the remaining victories going to Andreacchi, San- tos, Boland, Jack Grainy of North Tonawanda, New york, and Roth.


2013: DI LECCE DOMINATES After getting his feet wet in Pro Mod competi-


tion in 2012, Rocky Di Lecce took the PMRA by storm in 2013, winning five races along the way. The Mississauga, Ontario driver and his crew pro- duced a championship winning effort on the strength of coming to the track every race week- end, with a competitive car. The Metro Infrastructure 1968 Camaro is pow-


ered by a supercharged Brad Anderson Hemi en- gine that’s mounted in a Tim McAmis Race Cars chassis. This combination, along with the work and preparation by team crew chief Angelo Aceto and the rest of the crew, gave Di Lecce a strong car to race down the track. Not only did Di Lecce do well in regular PMRA


competition, he also won the inaugural Interna- tional Pro Mod Challenge held in September at Maryland International Raceway, beating some of the best drivers in the Northeastern US. Veteran PMRA racer Bruce Boland took second place in that event. Taking second place in the PMRA points was


the Grainy Brothers team, from western New york. Jack handled the driving duties for their 1967 Ca- maro Pro Mod, while his brother Sonny acted as crew chief. Three-time PMRA champ Bruce Boland, of


Stoney Creek, Ontario, was third in the final points. Fourth went to Corvette driver Derek Hawker of Corbyville, Ontario. Paolo Giust of Os- good, Ontario rounded out the top-five points fin- ishers. The highlight of his first full season of PMRA competition came when he guided his 2013 Corvette Stingray to victory in the season fi- nale at Grand Bend Motorplex.


PRO MODIFIED RACING OVERVIEW Since its inception close to 20 years ago, the


Pro Modified class has established itself as one of drag racing’s most popular divisions, with large engines and a variety of unique body styles, pro- pelling the cars to quarter-mile speeds of over 240 mph with sub six-second times.


10 // pmra.ca • QUIcK32.ca • pBSS.ca Engines in the class are also diverse, with su-


percharged, nitrous-assisted, or turbocharger power plants. This class, known as “the world’s fastest door slammers,” always attracts attention and interest wherever they compete. The Pro Modified class began as an extension


of Top Sportsman racing, basically full-fendered race cars (as opposed to a dragster-style car) taken to the max with unique body styles and large (over 500 cubic inches) engines. Body styles range from 1933 Willys coupes


through early 1950s Studebakers to split-window Corvette Sting Rays. The 1967-68 Camaro/Firebird body has be- come popular in recent years, as well as some Dodge-inspired muscle cars of the late 1960s.


PRO MODS COME OF AGE By the mid-1990s, the class had become a hit


with fans, and through the efforts of such com- petitors as Charles Carpenter and Ed Hoover of South Carolina, Johnny Rocca of Virginia, the New york team of Fred Hahn and Jim Oddy, and Al Billes and Gary Irving of Ontario, the class grew in stature and popularity. The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA)


embraced Pro Modified as a competitive class in 1990. Missouri’s Tim McAmis was the first IHRA Pro Modified champion in 1990, and cars were running the low to mid-seven elapsed times with speeds of around 200 mph. Several PMRA drivers have competed in IHRA


and NHRA national events, including Mike Staw- icki and Mike Janis, both of New york, along with Ontario drivers Carl Spiering, Mark Nielsen, Ike Maier, Tony Pontieri, Kenny Lang, and Raymond Commisso.


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). Today’s Pro Modified teams have the choice of


running either a supercharged engine with a maxi- mum displacement of 527 cubic inches, a non-su- percharged-engine with nitrous oxide assist of up to a maximum 820 cubic inches, or a turbo- charged engine with a maximum displacement of 650 cubic inches. While the supercharged (‘blower’) cars are most common in the PMRA, examples of all en- gine combinations are prevalent. Teams with su-


percharged cars are starting to employ the ‘screw’ blower, which offers more instant power than the traditional Roots-type supercharger. Turbocharged cars must weigh a minimum of


2700 pounds, nitrous 2425 pounds, and super- charged cars 2650 pounds. Most cars employ a three-speed transmission that is shifted manually through the use of air-assisted buttons. Some teams have fitted their cars with an automatic- shifting transmission employing a torque con- verter which provides quicker setup time and less strain on the race car. Wheelbases range from 100 to 115 inches. This modern racing equipment can be shrouded in a wide variety of body styles, from coupe bodies of the 1930s to early 1950s Corvettes, to more mod- ern-looking Camaros, Novas, and Mopars. The car bodies resemble their street roots but


are very light, most under 100 pounds. Very little is allowed in aerodynamic body panels except for a large rear deck spoiler, and each car must have two fully-functional doors situated traditionally on the car’s body. The driver operates the car from the left side of the vehicle. In 2001 the National Hot Rod Association


adopted Pro Modified racing, and while the class has become popular at selected events, the NHRA is still treating Pro Modified racing with an exhibi- tion status. Pro Modified racing offers the best in heads-up


racing with a fantastic variety of race cars. The PMRA presents the best in Pro Modified action in one of North America’s most populated areas. When the PMRA competes at an event, it is the headline series, and has gained a strong following in the past few years. Since 2005, the PMRA has continued to enter-


tain fans at tracks in Ontario, Quebec, New york, Michigan, and Maryland, and the teams are com- fortable competing on either quarter-mile or eighth-mile strips. Not to be overshadowed by the competition on


the track, the PMRA works in a close-knit atmos- phere off-track. A strong camaraderie has devel- oped between the teams, working as a group and always willing to help each other out with parts and labour to make that next round. The PMRA events are run in conjunction with


the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts, www.Quick32.ca, and the Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS), www.PBSS.ca, offering fans a great show of drag racing. •


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