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Mike Stawicki and crew will run 1968 Firebird for upcoming 2009 PMRA
season
TONAWANDA, NEW YORK (April 7, 2009) – Look for a new car
body with some new power when Mike Stawicki returns to the Pro Modified Racing Association tour
this year.
Driving the G-Force Race Cars entry from Western New York, co crew-chief
Jon  Salemi said he and the rest of the team, including brother Jim Salemi (owner of
G-Force Race Cars), are busy getting prepared for the PMRA opener.
“We’re getting ready,” mentioned Salemi. “We’ve spent a lot of time changing
over our combination,” adding that the team is foregoing its legal Pro Modified Combination in
favor of racing in the PMRA and ADRL, which offers less restrictions in weight and
power.
Salemi said a major change for 2009 is the switch-over to a screw-type
supercharger. “To be at the forefront of this “Outlaw” Pro Modified format we need to have the
proper tools,” he mentioned. “That includes a screw blower and a lightweight car. We are
expecting a steep learning curve with the new combination but are excited to learn about it at
the same time. We have been focused on screw supercharger development at DMPE for the last
three to four months offering some upgrades to the blower itself, along with a new carbon fiber
injector hat that will all be a part of our race car”.
The new supercharger set up will sit atop a Brad Anderson (BAE) Hemi of 521
cubic inches, built by Mike Stawicki (MSR Performance). Stawicki has also spent the
last couple of months educating himself on the screw blower combination and the
differences it demands from that of the roots combination.
The Medina, New York driver, who won the final two PMRA events last season,
will shift a Lenco three-speed coupled to an AFT two-disc clutch. The fuel system for the new
screw blower will be provided by DMPE.
Along with crew-chiefs Jim and Jon Salemi, others on the team include Jon
Kage as car chief, Justin Lamachia, Matt Wendler, Lucas Salemi and Evan Salemi. Bettie Stawicki
serves as the Team Manager.
Some of the team’s sponsorship comes from G-Force Race Cars Inc., DMPE.
Inc., Stawicki Used Cars, Isolation Systems, Strange Engineering, Weld Racing, NGK Spark Plugs,
Mastin Engineering, Hot Rods by Burke, Cynergy Composites, 1320 Web Services, and Drag Racing
Online.
Another big change for 2009 is the switch from a 1967 Camaro body to a
Cynergy Ultra Light 1968 Firebird body.
“This ultra-light is the hot body right now,” he said. “It’s about 30 pounds
lighter, has an extended nose, and is a little more aerodynamic. Tim from Cynergy Composites is
the man, he builds a great product. Not only is this new body a bunch lighter, it’s around
three times as strong. It’s really an impressive work of art. My brother Jim and the all of his
crew at G-Force Race Cars are looking at every possible way to cut weight and not compromise
the safety of these cars. His hours of dedication to this shop car project and building an
advanced car are insurmountable.”
But Salemi was not prepared to divulge any paint scheme for the new body,
insisting the scheme will be something quite different from the classic flame work that has
adorned Stawicki’s past several rides.
“This is going to be a totally different paint scheme,” he commented. “And
it’s going to surprise everybody.”
The PMRA, www.PMRA.ca, will compete at several drag strips
in 2009, including dates at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario, starting with the
season opener on May 16 and 17, June 13 and 14 and the season-closer on September 19 and 20, at
St. Thomas Dragway in Sparta, Ontario on July 11 and 12, and the South-western Ontario track of
the Grand Bend Motorplex at the 10th Annual MOPAR Canadian Nationals July 17 to 19 and on
September 5 and 6.
Several of the PMRA events will be run in conjunction with the Quick 32
Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts, www.Quick32.ca, offering fans a great show of drag racing.
For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher Bruce@PMRA.ca
About the Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA):
The Pro Modified Racing Association, www.PMRA.ca,
was organized late in 2004, started racing operations in 2005, and is entering its fifth year
of operation in 2009. The PMRA is a self-governing organization with input from its teams, and
adheres to the technical and safety rules as outlined by the International Hot Rod Association
(IHRA) and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). The series has event venues in Ontario,
Quebec, and New York State.
Cars in the PMRA capture the true spirit of hot rodding, and the class is
one of drag racing’s most exciting and colorful classes, offering a diverse group of race cars
with different types of 2,500-horsepower supercharged, nitrous powered and turbocharged
engines.
Combining classic body styles and modern equipment, constructors are
permitted, within established rules and parameters, to modify and enhance the cars in both
appearance and performance. The cars are fuelled by gasoline or methanol, propelling them down
the quarter-mile in low six-second times at over 200 miles per hour. The PMRA provides drag
race fans the opportunity to see, hear, and experience the popular Pro Modifieds, known as "the
world's fastest door slammers".
For more information, please
contact:
Bruce F.
Mehlenbacher
Director of
Operations
Telephone: (905)
772-1800 Ext. #22
Cellular: (905)
517-5345
Tim
Miller
Media
Director
Telephone: (905)
870-1456
1209 Kohler Road,
Cayuga, ON Canada N0A 1E0
Telephone: (905)
772-1800 Extension #22, Fax: (905)
772-1799
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