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CAYUGA, ONTARIO (May 17, 2009) – T.J. Schippling won the
first Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts at the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto
Motorsports Park over the Victoria Day Weekend Challenge.
“It’s been a great weekend,” said the Shakespeare, Ontario racer. “We
kept the same game plan for the weekend, and the track was great.”
Driving his Top Dragster Schippling ran a 7.418-second, 171.01-mph pass
in the final to win over Jeff Gabel of Stratford, Ontario in his 1975 Duster Top Sportsman,
who posted a 7.657-second, 175.483-mph clocking. Schippling was dialed in with a
7.38-second index and Gabel was running with a 7.62-second index.
Schippling was pleased and enthusiastic about the new series, which held
its inaugural event at Toronto Motorsports Park. The series pairs Top Dragsters against
each other, and Top Sportsman against each other, with the finalist in each class going up
against each other in the event final.
“This is a great series,” Schippling continued. “I wish it would have
started years ago.”
On the dragster side, Todd Hope of Norwich, Ontario, was pitted against
Schippling. Hope fouled while Schippling cruised to a win at 7.398-seconds at 164.93 mph.
Gable ran a 7.681-second pass on his 7.62-second index with a speed of 171.03 mph, taking
out Steve Parkhurst of Belleville, Ontario, with his 1955 Chevy in the Top Sportsman final.
Parkhurst, running on a 7.46-second index, ran a 7.503-second, 180.96-mph pass.
Semi-finalists included Spencer Hyde of Stratford, Ontario with his
dragster, and Dave Bell of Grand Bend, Ontario in a Dodge Daytona on the Top Sportsman
side.
Ike Maier of Tottenham, Ontario qualified his 1963 Corvette Pro Modified
number one for the PMRA season opener, and stayed on top during the weekend to win his
first Pro Modified Racing Association event over Jack Grainy of North Tonawanda, New York,
in the final.
Special Awards
Auto Meter Products - Event Winner
Contingency Award - T.J. Schippling
Bear's Performance Products - Dash 4 Cash Bonus – Jeff Gabel
Mickey Thompson Tires - Event Winner Contingency Award - T.J. Schippling
www.racensur.com Gulfway Insurers - Best Reaction Time & Round Winner – Paul Martin
Needles At Work - Voted by Officials – Spencer Hyde
NOTES…The opening round in the new Quick 32 Sportsman Series was
represented by 11 Top Sportsman cars and 12 Top Dragsters …several former PMRA Pro Modified
racers have switched over to the new series, including Scott Wildgust and Carl Spiering,
who qualified first and second in the Top Sportsman contingent…the long smoky burnouts of
Steve Parkhurst and his ’55 Chevy were a crowd favorite…another former PMRA racer, Jim
Bersani, sported real blue-dots in the tail lights of his 1957 Chevy which glowed a
sinister purple shade during night racing… Lisa Spiering, daughter of Quick 32 competitor
Carl Spiering, performed the tribute pass in her dragster in honor of the late John
Massingberd, executive producer and host of Raceline Radio, in a special pre-race
ceremony.
About the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto
Parts:
The Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts, www.Quick32.ca, of drag racing was
started early in 2009 as an alternative for high-horsepower Sportsman-class teams to
compete on a regular basis.
For 2009, dates include Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario,
starting with the season opener on May 16 and 17 and the season-closer on September 19 and
20, at St. Thomas Dragway on July 11 and 12, and the South-western Ontario track of the
Grand Bend Motorplex on June 27 and 28, August 8 and 9 and September 5 and 6.
With 32-car qualified fields comprised of the 16 quickest open wheeled
cars (Top Dragster) and the 16 quickest door cars (Top Sportsman), the Quick 32 Sportsman
Series will feature the best in ET-style, dial-in drag racing, competing on a Sportsman
ladder and will pit door-slammers against dragsters in every race day final.
Competitors in this Ontario-based series must comply with the IHRA Top
Dragster and Top Sportsman Safety rules and regulations, and the maximum dial-in will be
7.95 seconds for the quarter-mile.
This new venture is providing $3000 to win for each event and $5000 for
the annual point award series champion, payouts very popular with competitors and will
provide large fields of race cars.
The Quick 32 Sportsman Series is committed in providing a professional
atmosphere for its teams. It will also provide solid media and logistic support to ensure
it becomes one of the most popular drag race series running Top Sportsman and Top Dragster
race cars.
The Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts will compete
several times with the Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA), www.PMRA.ca, as well as selected special events, offering fans a great show of drag
racing.
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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