Maier to Wheel “Nitro Express” car this Weekend!

Canada’s Ike Maier to compete with a second Top Fuel dragster this season –  Tottenham Ontario racer to drive John LaPorte’s Nitro Express during this weekend’s NHRA event in New Jersey….

Top Fuel dragster driver Ike Maier will be behind the wheel of a second nitromethane-burning race car this season in NHRA national event competition.  

Maier, who acquired his NHRA Top Fuel license last year, will make his 2nd start of the 2012 season at the upcoming NHRA Full Throttle Toyota Supernationals May 31 – June 3 at Englishtown, New Jersey, driving the Nitro Express dragster of Bowmanville-based John LaPorte Racing. 

Ike Maier will expand his NHRA Top Fuel presence this weekend

Maier recently entered into an agreement to drive the car — but Maier will continue to race the Paton Racing Top Fuel car as well this season, so he will be driving the only two competitive Top Fuel cars based in Canada. 

“I’ve certainly got my hands full this year,” said Maier about driving the 8000-horsepower cars, the fastest-accelerating in the world, and capable of obtaining over 300 mph in under four seconds. “I’m certainly going to value the extra seat time.”  

Maier raced in several NHRA events last year with the Paton car, which is based in Paris,Ontario.  Plans at present call for him to race the Paton car at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals June 28 – July 1 in Chicago, and the Mac Tools US Nationals at Indianapolis August 23 – September 3, along with appearances at the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park and in Ohio.

The race at Englishtown is presently the only event scheduled for the LaPorte car, but there is the possibility of racing the former Antron Brown car at NHRA races in Bristol and Norwalk this year.

While Maier will work with a new team in the LaPorte entry, he will be reunited with James “Jimbo” Ermalovich, who will crew chief on the team as well as head up the Paton effort.

Sponsorship for the LaPorte team comes from Fabrication Technics in Bowmanville ,Ontario, and Maier Trucking in Ontario. The Paton ride is sponsored by Maier Trucking and John Hoey of Tim Hortons.

Qualifying for the Toyota Supernationals, one of the older events on the NHRA national circuit and held since 1971, will take place Friday June 1 and Saturday June 2 with eliminations to begin at 11 am Sunday June 3.

In the past few years Maier has also raced competitively in the Pro Modified class with his 1963 Corvette in the PMRA, the IHRA, and the NHRA.   

Posted by:  Tim Miller