Eaton to Present PMRA Challenge @ Sanair
Bruce Mehlenbacher - August 6, 2007

PMRA Pro Modifieds ready for round 4 at fabled Quebec drag strip
For information about the Eaton PMRA Challenge Presented by Eatons electrical business at Sanair, call (450) 772-6400 or visit online at www.sanairracing.com
The Pro Modified Racing Association is pleased to be returning to the fabled Sanair racing facility as Eaton presents the Second Annual PMRA Challenge August 18.
The event will be the fourth race on the 2007 PMRA tour.
With its multi-track environment, Sanair, which is situated in St-Pie, just south of Montreal, has played host to some of the best drag and oval track racing in North America. The quarter-mile drag strip was at one time the home of the National Hot Rod Association’s Grandnational, the only national event on the NHRA schedule in Canada, from 1971 to 1992.
During those 22 seasons, there were some memorable moments in drag racing. Canadian Gary Beck won the Top Fuel class at Sanair in 1974 on his way to becoming the NHRA World Champ that year.
One of drag racing’s most recognized icons, Don Prudhomme, won the Funny Car title seven times at Sanair. His modern equivalent, John Force, won his first major victory in June of 1987 at Sanair.
There were also some scary moments at the track, the most notable Shirley Muldowney’s Top Fuel accident in June of 1984.
Then 44, a three-time NHRA World Champion had just made a 5.77-second, 247.25-mph pass when her car veered off the track due to a mechanical mishap. After months of surgery and rehab, she returned to racing in 1986.
Muldowney spent more than 40 years in the racing industry and was the first female to obtain a Top Fuel license. She also was the first woman to win the NHRA championship in 1977, winning it again in 1980 and 1982.
The Sanair tradition in presenting top drag racing action will continue, with a large contingent of PMRA Pro Modifieds expected to be on hand for the event, as teams vie for the points lead.
After the recent PMRA race at Lancaster, NY, Ike Maier of Tottenham, ON, leads the chase with 775 points, while Lancaster Raceway Park winner Matt Guenther of Livonia, NY is second with 764 points. Scotty Wildgust of Stratford is third with 757 points, Hamilton’s Bruce Boland is next with 755 points, and previous PMRA Champion Joe Lilienthal of Kenmore, NY is fifth with 750 points.
The Second Annual Eaton PMRA Challenge presented by Eaton will take place Saturday, August 18 at Sanair in St-Pie, Quebec near Montreal.
For information about the Eaton PMRA Challenge at Sanair, call (450) 772-6400 or visit online at www.sanairracing.com
Now in its third year of operation, The Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA) has enjoyed strong fan popularity and will present some of the best in Pro Modified racing for 2007.
The PMRA will travel to several drag strips in 2007, including two dates at Toronto Motorsports Park, Lancaster Raceway Park in New York State, Sanair in Quebec, and the Southwestern Ontario track of Grand Bend Motorplex.
In 2006, the tour was a great success, and during the past two seasons of the PMRA, each event finished with a different winner. Joe Boniferro and Kasey Janzen tied in points last year and were crowned co-champions over the other Ontario, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania teams. Wix Filtration Products, Valvoline, a division of Ashland Inc., Uni-Select, and Moen Incorporated will sponsor the PMRA point series in 2007.
For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher- mehlenbacher@ProModifiedRacing.com
Eaton's Electrical Business
Eaton's electrical business is a global leader in electrical control, power distribution, and industrial automation products and services. Through advanced product development, world-class manufacturing methods and global engineering services and support, Eaton's Electrical business provides customer driven solutions under brand names such as Cutler-Hammer, Powerware, Durant, Heinemann, Holec and MEM, which globally serve the changing needs of the industrial, utility, light commercial, residential, and OEM markets.
Visit us at www.eatonelectrical.ca
Eaton Corporation is a diversified industrial manufacturer with 2005 sales of $11.1 billion. Eaton is a global leader in electrical systems and components for power quality, distribution and control; fluid power systems and services for industrial, mobile and aircraft equipment; intelligent truck drivetrain systems for safety and fuel economy; and automotive engine air management systems, powertrain solutions and specialty controls for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has 60,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 125 countries.
For more information, visit www.eaton.com
About the Pro Modified Racing Association:
The Pro Modified Racing Association, (PMRA) www.ProModifiedRacing.com, started late in 2004 and is entering its third year of operation. The PMRA is a self-governing organization, with technical and safety rules as outlined by the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Cars in the PMRA capture the true spirit of hot rodding, and the class is one of drag racings most exciting and volatile classes, offering a diverse group of racecars with different types of 2,000-horsepower 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".
Photo credit: MG Digital Media - www.mgdigital.ca
For more information contact:
Bruce F. Mehlenbacher
Director of Operations
Telephone: 905.772.1800 Ext. #22
Fax: 905.772-1799
Cellular: 905.517.5345
E-mail: mehlenbacher@ProModifiedRacing.com
Tim Miller
Media Director
Telephone: 905.870.1456
E-mail: tmiller@ProModifiedRacing.com
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