Wily Veteran Scores at PMRA Opener

PMRA Pro Mod circuit stable Bruce Boland drew first blood during Eastern Canada’s season opening event held during Grand Bend Motorplex’s RPM Magazine/Lucas Oil Blowout….

Last weekend’s event also marked the season beginning for the PMRA’s sister series’ Napa Quick 32 and PBSS racing.

Mother Nature still made herself known by keeping the air temperatures cool, but the action on the track kept everyone’s mind off that.

Bruce Boland of Stoney Creek, Ont drove his 1968 Firebird, which was formally owned by Ray Commisso, to the winners circle.

Hamilton’s Bruce Boland won the PMRA 2014 season opener.

In typical Pro Mod style he manhandled it down the track to a 6.131@233.10mph during qualifying for the #1 position.  After taking out Jason Kalso of Clarkston MI., in round one , in the semi final, he paired up with Denis Lechance of Quebec City, Quebec in his 63 Corvette (which as chance would have it is one of Boland’s old race cars).  Then Bruce then took the win over the 69 Camaro driven by New York state’s Jack Grainy in the final round with a winning 6.181 secs 239.74 mph. Although Grainy was away first, some handling problems with his 1967 Camaro made him back off.

The win was Boland’s 11th in 10 years of PMRA competition.

Runner-up Grainy had eliminated Al Martorino of Cobourg, Ontario with his 2006 Mustang and Jason White of Syracuse, NY in his 1951 Chevy to advance to the final.

Glenn Vardy of Burlington, Ontario took top spot in the Q32 Top Sportsman division with his Top Dragster entry. The “new to the team” dragster has seen the winners circle previously, they are off to a great start of the 2014 season.

Vardy defeated 2013 champion Bill Wilson with the Wilson & Gray Top Sportsman entry out of Ingersoll, Ontario in the final. The series is presented by NAPA Auto Parts.

Vardy qualified number two on the Top Dragster side, and went rounds through the field, eliminating Sydney Hyde of Stratford, Rob Hachie of Oshawa, Ontario, and taking a bye run to meet up with Tony Positano of Toronto in the Top Dragster final. Number three qualifier Positano had mechanical problems in his Mike Bos dragster, which allowed him to advance to meet up with the Top Sportsman finalist.

Glen Vardy won for the first time in the Q32 circuit.

Wilson qualified the 2002 Cavalier in sixth, and eliminated Mike Leger of Hampton, Ontario, Dan Flanigan of Buffalo, NY, and drew a single to meet up with number one qualifier Wes Goddard of Guelph, Ontario with his turbo-charged 1958 Nash entry for the Top Sportsman final.

Wilson got off the line first, posting a 6.798 at 185.98 on a 6.97 index while Goddard ran a 6.946 at 220.27 with a 6.93 index.

For the event final, Vardy ran a 6.177 at 228.25 for the win over Wilson’s 6.940 at 198.98.

In the Pro Bike and Sled series, last years champ Dan Cryderman of Thamesville, Ontario and his Suzuki powered by a 1570cc Vortex II power plant collected a checkmark in the win column after qualifying second behind John Orfanidis and his Suzuki who qualified number one with a 7.391@176.50 mph.

After qualifying number two Cryderman rode through the field to win the first race of the season, which is presented by Wiseco Performance Products.

Cryderman faced number three qualifier and former PBSS champ Ted Glinny of Milton, Ontario with his Pro Bike Kawasaki entry in the final, but Glinny red-lit while Cryderman went on to a 8.18, 161.17 win.

Mark Catanzaro of Kimball, Michigan and Curtis Beck of Milton, both Pro Bike riders, were defeated by Cryderman in the opening rounds, while Glinny eliminated Jessica Tourloukis of Innisfil Ontario on her Pro Sled and Marty Kuiack of Pefferlaw, Ontario to advance to the final.

Defending PBSS Champ Dan Cryderman of Thamesville, Ontario was a winner.

With some new faces and vehicles in each of the classes, the 2014 season is shaping up to an awesome ride.

The next stop on the schedule for the PMRA,Q32 Sportsman Series and the PBSS will be at US131 in Martin, Michigan on May 30 – June 1st during the Super Chevy Show that will be featuring the “Saturday Night of Thunder”.

Photos and posting by:  Brennan Shortall