Top ET “Tag Team” « DragRaceCanada.com

Top ET “Tag Team”

by editor on Jan.25, 2022, under ACE MFG Northern Exposure

Quebec’s already very formidable Beaulieu-Poitras Racing (BPR) charts it’s path further forward….

The upcoming 2022 drag racing season will include some enhancements from Jerome (Jay) Beaulieu and his racing partner Kevin Poitras.

Beaulieu, (from Riviere-du-Loup), who’s enrolment within Canadian drag racing could probably be best described as “total” (to say the least) — has revealed he will soon take delivery of a brand new race car adding even more depth to his deep-family roots drag racing history and team equation.

Jerome’s newest dragster will be a 2022 American Race Cars dragster — and that is a close match to the type of car that his teammate Kevin Poitras campaigns.

“It will be a 245” wheel base with all the bells and whistles for a fast bracket dragster,” Jerome revealed. “It will be equipped with the same motor I had been running in my previous race car – a 632 CID 20 degree aluminum head motor – naturally aspirated. It’s a very similar car to Kevin’s American Race Cars dragster, although that machine is an iron block with a Roots supercharger.”

This move will be the latest chapter for the ongoing friendship and partnership between the two determined racers.

“We have been friends since high school,” Jerome continued. “He always enjoyed cars and spent time with me at the track – helping from 2013 to 2015. In 2016 he starting racing with a Chevy S-10. By that time he already had a motorhome and trailer and I also had mine — so we decided to combine our operations together. We started using the Beaulieu-Poitras Racing (BPR) name in 2019.”

Together Jerome and Kevin have campaigned a number of machines since team inception. After Kevin sold his S-10 to Arnie Malcolm (Luskville Dragway owner) he had a brand new Corvette Roadster built by Dan Page Race Cars – which he raced for 2 seasons (since sold to Tommy Orr). Kevin then purchased his American Race Cars dragster in August of 2020 and runs that with a supercharged APD motor program. Kevin also does own a 1969 Camaro — an immaculate BBC car which he bought from fellow Quebec drag racer Fred Angers – also during 2020.

Kevin Poitras is the 2nd half of the BPR drag racing team.

Kevin, from Saint-Andre-de-Kamourska, funds his racing ventures as owner of the biggest pork slaughterhouse in the province of Quebec (500+ employees) along with a ranch that his wife runs.

Jerome’s history as a driver has effectively been up to now, with two very trusty dragsters . He started off (2006) with a Racecraft Dragster which he drove until 2015, he then switched to his first American Race Car chassis that same year.

“I did some Junior racing at Pont-Rouge when I was 12 years old,” he revealed. “Then when I got my drivers license, I had a couple of Mustangs — did some street nights at the track. But my real bracket racing career didn’t start until my first dragster.”

By any measure, Jerome Beaulieu’s passion for drag racing is both undeniable and far-reaching. The very early drag racing influence of his father Claude Beaulieu (Wild Ride Racing) not only paved the way for him to the drag strip itself – it also molded out his career on-and-off the drag strip. His credits include the establishment of highly reputed and voice for Quebec’s drag racing scene – DragRaceQuebec.com (in 2001) as well as assuming management and operating Eastern Canada’s Bracket Super Tour racing series (beginning in 2016).

Jerome (Jay) Beaulieu stands out as both a top drag racing proponent as well as accomplished driver from Canada.

“My business consists of a franchise NAPA Auto Parts Store, a machine shop with industrial and commercial engine rebuilding services ( Auto-Moteur R-D-L inc.) as well as a performance and accessories retail store (Octane Performance) that I own with my younger brother,” Jerome confirmed. “In 2020 we also added the Pro 1 Racing & Safety Products exclusive distribution for Canada. We’re very focused now building a distribution network all across Canada for that.”

“I signed a 5-year sponsorship deal with NAPA Auto Parts and Valvoline,” Jerome added. “Our Napa Auto Parts is the biggest auto parts store east of Quebec City and we are one of the main distributors for Valvoline motor oil for Eastern Quebec.”

Prior to his newest dragster — Kevin Poitras did campaign this premium Dan Page built C7 for a couple of seasons.

As for the upcoming 2022 season — BPR does have plans to expand their event horizons as North America continues to emerge from its COVID era penalty box.

And as a driver Jerome has been very accomplished to. He was a regular racer at Brossard’s Pont-Rouge drag strip from 2012 to 2015 and has racked up some 20+ Super Pro event wins at various tracks, over the years, including winning the Para Performance/DragRaceQuebec title at Sanair PQ.

Jerome Beaulieu’s course within drag racing was set early by influence from his father Claude Beaulieu and his series of “Wild Ride” machines.

“Of course our focus will be on the Bracket Super Tour races — as they are the highest caliber and best payouts races in Eastern Canada,” Jerome, affirmed. “We’ll also be active at local events between Napierville and Pont-Rouge.”

“But we are always looking forward again to going into the USA – chase some of their “big dollar” events which we’ve done well at in the past,” he winked. “I think that the highlight of my career was winning at the SFG World Series of Bracket Racing in 2017 at Darlington Dragway — and I’d like some more of that!”