In yet another rather significant development — a two-car Canadian Pro Stock effort is creeping to the ready line!…
Buoyed by NHRA’s recent experiments with Mountain Motor Pro Stock class car racing – a dedicated GTA (Toronto) race team is poising itself.
During last month’s NHRA NGK 4-Wide Nationals held at zMax Dragway in NC., there were *three Canadian based teams entered for competition during that event’s 16-car Mountain Motor Pro Stock “demonstration” eliminator. One of these machines was a new Chevy Camaro owned by Amo Paone (Bolton ON) and driven by seasoned veteran Tony Pontieri.
It was also during that race that the revelation came that Amo’s brother Anthony (from Woodbridge ON) will soon too be back behind the wheel of a Pro Stock car – also Mountain motored.
Anthony Paone’s 2014 model Camaro
Tony Pontieri drives Amo Paone’s 2017 model Camaro.
For the Paone Brothers, this will be just the next chapter within their very long career within Canadian drag racing and with Pro Stock car configurations specifically. They had first toyed with some NHRA 500 CID class racing as far back as the early 1990’s before migrated to Mountain Motor cars about 1996.
“Over the past winter we were getting my car ready for some 1/8th mile competition,” revealed Tony Pontieri. “But as we started to hear more and more about the NHRA deal — that changed things. Our team has always thought about going racing at NHRA national events and now we saw opportunity. In fact Amo’s brother Anthony – who had previously announced retirement and sold his Pro Stock Camaro to Trevor Deeks (London ON), has now reacquired that car.”
Amo Paone & Tony Pontieri
“My brother Anthony will be coming back too,” affirmed Amo Paone. “My Camaro (built by Jerry Haas) was specially built for Tony. Anthony’s car is a Jerry Bickel and both cars will have similar engine programs — Chevy Hemi motors built by Ron Miller.”
Together, Amo and Tony have for the past few seasons toiled within mostly 1/8th mile circuit racing (TS and Outlaw 10.5) but they confirmed that running the full 1/4 mile is really the attraction they are seeking.
“At Concord that was the first time we’ve been down a 1/4 mile since our IHRA Pro Stock days,” Tony added. “Our new car only had 9 hits on it — but it felt great. I’m really ready for this NHRA class migration!”
If all goes now according to plan — both these Canadian Pro Stock cars could be in action “together” for the first time during the NHRA’s 3rd scheduled Mountain Motor Pro Stock eliminator this season — at the NHRA New England Nationals (Epping NH) in early July.
“We are doing this because we are optimistic about what NHRA is doing,” added Amo. “This (racing NHRA) has been a childhood dream for both of our teams. And we are Pro Stock guys, so we want to do our part to help make this happen.”
At Grand Bend Motorplex in 2014 – Anthony Paone did emerge as the Pro Stock winner during the IHRA’s final event there.
*Editor’s Note : We will also be providing some additional insight on NHRA’s Mountain Motor class venture from Canadian Pro Stock racers Larry O’Brien and the Konigshofer Brothers — that post is coming soon to DragRaceCanada.com)
Posted by Bruce Biegler
Photos by Bruce Biegler & Steve Embling
