The newly formed Can-Am BELL / FISCUS RACING (BFR) Pro Mod team had a winning weekend at the 2015 PDRA season opener…..
Team driver Kevin Fiscus roared to a Pro Boost win at the first Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) race of the year, the Texas Nationals event at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, TX on March 19-22, 2015.
Rain, rain, and more rain was forecasted for the weekend. The racers finally got a break in the weather on Sunday, though, and the PDRA staff did a great job of getting the event completed with two qualifying runs per class.
In the first round of Precision Turbo and Engine Pro Boost qualifying, Fiscus made run with his turbocharged ’12 Mustang which yielded a 3.910 at 197.39 mph result. For the second race in a row, and despite having made some significant changes to its setup, Bell’s turbocharged ’69 Camaro encountered tire shake and he was forced to lift. Even with the bobble, he still ran a solid 4.793 at 165.58 mph pass. For round two, Fiscus had a little tire spin at the start but still improved substantially by running 3.853 at 209.49 mph. Bell also had a big improvement, despite his car not wanting to go straight initially, and clocked a final run of 4.218 at 187.94 mph.
As a result of their standings on the ladder, the two Bell/Fiscus Racing drivers were unfortunately paired up to face off against each other in the first round of eliminations. They cut nearly identical lights, and Bell held the early lead against Fiscus who had to pedal it to keep the front end down. Just three seconds into the run, Bell’s motor went silent and the two drivers crossed the finish with nearly nearly identical ETs: Fiscus’ 4.211-second run was the winner over Bell’s 4.282-second pass. It was a bittersweet victory for Fiscus, though, as he sent his teammate back to the pits where a broken throttle cable was discovered to be the source of Bell’s troubles.
In round two, Fiscus pushed hard and scored the win with a 3.852 at 206.70 mph pass against Jeremy Ray. He repeated the performance in the semi-finals with a 3.867 at 207.43 mph run against Kevin Rivenbark, and advanced to the finals. Wanting to make the most of his having to eliminate his partner Bell earlier in the race, Fiscus was determined to get the win. While his car was certainly up to the task, his opponent, John Strickland, made it easy and left the tree early. Despite the win being handed to him, Fiscus still ran hard. His car pulled to the left, but Fiscus’ expertise ensured he made it to both the finish line and the winner’s circle safely.
“It was tough luck having to go against Jim in the first round,” said Fiscus. “Despite that, though, we couldn’t be more pleased with how the weekend turned out. Our cars and crew both performed well, and to go home with the win at the first PDRA race of the year is just huge.”
Both Bell and Fiscus will be competing at the PDRA Spring Nationals at Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, NC on April 9-12, 2015 as the Bell/Fiscus Racing team continues their 2015 season.
Posted by: Ainsley Jacobs
Photo by: Gary Rowe
