PMRA Round Four – Sanair

PMRA Pro Modifieds ready to do battle at fabled Quebec drag strip

ST-PIE, QUEBEC (August 5, 2007) – The Pro Modified Racing Association is pleased to be returning to the fabled Sanair racing facility as Eaton presents the Second Annual PMRA Challenge August 18.

The event will be the fourth race on the 2007 PMRA tour.

With its multi-track environment, Sanair, which is situated in St-Pie, just south of Montreal, has played host to some of the best drag and oval track racing in North America. The quarter-mile drag strip was at one time the home of the National Hot Rod Association’s Grandnational, the only national event on the NHRA schedule in Canada, from 1971 to 1992.

During those 22 seasons, there were some memorable moments in drag racing. Canadian Gary Beck won the Top Fuel class at Sanair in 1974 on his way to becoming the NHRA World Champ that year.

One of drag racing’s most recognized icons, Don Prudhomme, won the Funny Car title seven times at Sanair. His modern equivalent, John Force, won his first major victory in June of 1987 at Sanair.

There were also some scary moments at the track, the most notable Shirley Muldowney’s Top Fuel accident in June of 1984.

Then 44, a three-time NHRA World Champion had just made a 5.77-second, 247.25-mph pass when her car veered off the track due to a mechanical mishap. After months of surgery and rehab, she returned to racing in 1986.

Muldowney spent more than 40 years in the racing industry and was the first female to obtain a Top Fuel license. She also was the first woman to win the NHRA championship in 1977, winning it again in 1980 and 1982.

The Sanair tradition in presenting top drag racing action will continue, with a large contingent of PMRA Pro Modifieds expected to be on hand for the event, as teams vie for the points lead.

After the recent PMRA race at Lancaster, NY, Ike Maier of Tottenham, ON, leads the chase with 775 points, while Lancaster Raceway Park winner Matt Guenther of Livonia, NY is second with 764 points. Scotty Wildgust of Stratford is third with 757 points, Hamilton’s Bruce Boland is next with 755 points, and previous PMRA Champion Joe Lilienthal of Kenmore, NY is fifth with 750 points.

The Second Annual Eaton PMRA Challenge presented by Eaton will take place Saturday, August 18 at Sanair in St-Pie, Quebec near Montreal.

For information about the Eaton PMRA Challenge at Sanair, call (450) 772-6400 or visit online at Sanairracing.com

Now in its third year of operation, The Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA) has enjoyed strong fan popularity and will present some of the best in Pro Modified racing for 2007.

The PMRA will travel to several drag strips in 2007, including two dates at Toronto Motorsports Park, Lancaster Raceway Park in New York State, Sanair in Quebec, and the Southwestern Ontario track of Grand Bend Motorplex.

In 2006, the tour was a great success, and during the past two seasons of the PMRA, each event finished with a different winner. Joe Boniferro and Kasey Janzen tied in points last year and were crowned co-champions over the other Ontario, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania teams. Wix Filtration Products, Valvoline, a division of Ashland Inc., Uni-Select, and Moen Incorporated will sponsor the PMRA point series in 2007.

For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher Mehlenbacher@ProModifiedRacing.com

About the Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA):
The Pro Modified Racing Association, Pro Modified Racing Association, started late in 2004 and is entering its third year of operation. The PMRA is a self-governing organization, with technical and safety rules as outlined by the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Cars in the PMRA capture the true spirit of hot rodding, and the class is one of drag racing’s most exciting and volatile classes, offering a diverse group of racecars with different types of 2,000-horsepower 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".