PMRA 10th Anniversary Season Review –  “Top 5” Revisited

Eastern Canada’s PMRA celebrated it’s 10 Anniversary season of racing in 2014 and one of it’s most popular and also original racers prevailed….

Jeff Roth slows his fan favourite ’41 Willys after another successful run – along side #3 PMRA points finisher Derek Hawker.

Jeff Roth, one of the strongest competitors in the Pro Modified Racing Association won his first championship this year in the popular Pro Modified series.

Racing out of New Dundee, Ontario, Roth, driving the Roth Racing 1941 Willys, did not start off 2014 with great success with a first and second-round showing at the first two events, but made up for it for the next three races with a final-round appearance and two back-to-back event wins to take the title, his first after eight seasons with the PMRA.

At the IHRA Nitro Jam Nationals, Roth went rounds to meet up with Rob Atchison of London, Ontario for the final with the win going to Atchison. But Roth went through the field in the last two races, both at Grand Bend, to win over former PMRA champion Bruce Boland of Stoney Creek, Ontario and then Sam Andreacchi of Toronto, earning the Championship Point Award Series by a mere three points over Boland.

Roth’s Willys sits on a Lowdown Hot Rods chassis and is powered by a supercharged Alan Johnson 526-cubic inch engine from Atchison Racing. A Bruno’s Automotive Products Lenco three-speed is attached to the engine, which features an Atchison Racing fuel system and a screw-type supercharger from PSI Superchargers. The Willys is capable of five -second times in the quarter-mile at about 240 mph.

Crew chief for the team is Dave Bankes, with help from Larry Summerfield, Kyle McNeil, Ron Muir, Willy Kerr and Ashley Roth.

Car owner is Jim Roth, Jeff’s father, mother Kim and wife Ashley are his biggest supporters.

The team is sponsored by Oak Grove Cheese, Shellbourne Fuels, Bright Water Service Inc. and D & J Sausage Factory.

Bruce Boland – Second Place

Vying for his fourth championship in Pro Modified Racing Association competition, Bruce Boland had to settle for second place by the smallest of margins for the 2014 Championship Point Award Series.

Boland, of Stoney Creek, Ontario, finished only three points behind champion Jeff Roth of New Dundee, Ontario this year. Driving the B&B Racing 1968 Pontiac Firebird-bodied Pro Modified, Boland led the points most of the year, starting with a win in the season opener at the Grand Bend Motorplex.

Although that was his best finish, he did take a pair of runner-ups in 2014, and was always a threat. His car is capable of quarter-mile times under six seconds with speeds of 235 mph.

Sitting in the Vanishing Point Race Cars chassis is a 526-cubic inch ERD Supercharged Hemi, fueled by a Fuel System: Waterman System with input from Jon Salemi, and a Chuck Ford Hammer – Roots Supercharger. A Lenco three-speed transmission sits behind the engine.

The team’s crew consists of Brad Short, Roger Jongerden, Tim Hoffman and Robbie Cesario.

Sponsorship is provided by Backwoods Excavating & Float Service, Excel Motorsports, Pro Racing Fuels, NGK Spark Plugs, A&A Auto Parts, Double D Construction and Leggat Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC.

Derek Hawker – Third Place

Placing third in the 2014 Pro Modified Racing Association Championship Point Award Series was Derek Hawker with his 1968 Pontiac Firebird.

The journeyman racer, who hails from Corbyville Ontario, qualified for all PMRA events this season with the Hawker Racing Pro Modified, a car which produced numbers in the low six-second range at speeds of 230 mph down the quarter-mile. His best showing in 2014 was a semi-finalist position at US 131 in Martin Michigan.

Power for the Firebird comes from a 526 cubic-inch BAE engine with a PSI D Screw Supercharger and a Billes fuel system. A Lenco three-speed is attached to the powerplant, and all this sits in a Vanishing Point Race Cars product.

Scott Sager is crew chief for the team, which includes Corrie Hawker, McKenzie Hawker, Brittany Hawker and Eli Mayhew.

Sponsorship for the team is provided by Hawker Construction, Pennzoil and Empey Tire.

Kalso Motorsports – Fourth Place

Driving the Kalso Motorsports 1971 Barracuda Pro Modified in 2014, Jason Kalso recorded his best season finish to date in Pro Modified Racing Association competition, taking fourth in the championship points race.

After a pair of first-round finishes early in the season, Kalso, from Clarkston, Michigan, motored to semi-finalist positions later in the season. The Cuda is capable of running in the low six-second range with speeds of about 230 mph down the quarter-mile.

The G-Force Race Cars product is powered by 521-cubic inch BAE Hemi, supercharged, with a DMPE fuel system and Kobelco 14-71 M5 supercharger. A Lenco three-speed sits behind the engine.

Crew chief for the team is Terry Kalso, Jason’s father. The crew consists of Jason’s wife Stacy and sons Brody and Brysen, and Jason’s mother Deb. Along crewing are Small Paul Miller and Marco Wayne.

The team is sponsored by Level Performance and Brad Penn.

Grainy Brothers – Fifth Place

Taking fifth spot in the 2014 Pro Modified Racing Association Championship Point Award Series was The Grainy Brothers, long-time PMRA racers from Western New York.

With Jack driving and his brother Sonny as crew chief, the team started its season well with a final round showing at Grand Bend, losing in the final to former PMRA champion Bruce Boland of Stoney Creek, Ontario.

Driving the 1967 Chevy Camaro Pro Modified, the team struggled a bit with the rest of the season, but did qualify for several events and made some rounds. The G-Force Race Cars product is powered by a Mike Stawicki Racing 521-cubic inch Brad Anderson (BAE) Supercharged Hemi coupled to a Lenco three-speed with a PSI screw supercharger. The car is capable of running the quarter-mile in the low six-second range at speeds of over 200 mph.

Along with Sonny Grainy as crew chief, the rest of the team consists of Jack Grainy Jr., Heather Grainy, Krysta Grainy and Joey Warren.

Sponsorship is provided by Niagara Auto and Grainy’s Automotive.

Jack Grainy, from Basom, New York, and Sonny, from Tonawanda, New York, have raced for 40 years now, and were one of the original PMRA competitors who have continued to race in the series.

For more information on the PMRA visit :  www.PMRA.ca

Posted by: Tim Miller
Photo by: Bruce Biegler