SPARTA, ON (August 6, 2006) – In a stand out performance on the St. Thomas Dragway eighth-mile NHRA sanctioned drag strip, Kasey Janzen captured his first victory in the Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA) series moving him into a tie for the series championship lead with Joe Lilienthal.

“The car was good all weekend,” said Kasey Janzen after the event, the second in the five-race PMRA lineup. “We made a couple of adjustments to the car and it paid off.”

The win for Janzen driving the KC Motorsports team’s 1993 Chevrolet Lumina Z34 built by Wally Stroupe Race Cars marked the seventh different winner in as many races in the PMRA series and was part of the track’s CANUSA Hot Rod Reunion at St. Thomas Dragway in Sparta, Ontario.

Kasey Janzen, who is based in St. Catharines, ON, and placed third in the 2005 PMRA season, qualified number four in the field. He defeated Mark Mitchell, of East Otto, NY in the first round, the 2005 PMRA series champion Joe Lilienthal, of Kenmore, NY in the semi-finals, and Jack Grainy driving the Grainy Brothers Chevrolet Beretta from North Tonawanda, NY in the final.

“The Grainy Brothers are the veteran team in the series,” said Janzen from the winners circle. “Sonny and Jack are mentors to everyone in the series. I remember the first big drag race I ever went to and the Grainy Brothers were there.”

On their way to the final, the Jack Grainy defeated a red-lighting Joe Boniferro, of Niagara Falls, ON in the first round and number two qualifier Bruce Boland, from Hamilton, ON in the semi-finals.

“Kasey Janzen is a class act and if you are going to loose against someone in one of these PMRA deals he is a deserving winner, explained a very happy Jack Grainy. “Kasey and his company KC Auto Parts is a big supporter of our series and helps a bunch of the teams behind the scenes and we all appreciate his help.”

PMRA SPECIAL AWARDS

Auto Meter Products - Low Qualifier Contingency Award – Joe Lilienthal, Kenmore, NY

Auto Meter Products - Event Winner Contingency Award - Kasey Janzen, St. Catharines, ON

Bear's Performance Products - Consistent Qualifier Bonus - Bruce Boland, Hamilton, Ontario

Competition Tire Canada/Goodyear Racing Tire - Low Qualifier Contingency Award - Joe Lilienthal, Kenmore, NY

Competition Tire Canada/Goodyear Racing Tire - Event Winner Contingency Award - Kasey Janzen, St. Catharines, ON

ERD (Engine Research and Development) - Low Qualifier Contingency Award

ERD (Engine Research and Development) - Event Winner Contingency Award

Grisdale Racing Products - Best Appearing Car - Dave Earhart, Strathroy, Ontario

Gulfway Insurers - Best Reaction Time & Round Winner - Kasey Janzen, St. Catharines, ON

Needles At Work - Voted by Officials – Grainy Brothers, North Tonawanda, New York

Parts Pro - Crew Chief of the Race Award - Joe Boniferro, Niagara Falls, ON

The Trailer Shop - Longest Tow Award – Mark Mitchell, East Otto, New York

The next Pro Modified Racing Association event, the Eaton PMRA Challenge presented by Eaton's Electrical business will take place Saturday, August 19 at Sanair in St-Pie, Quebec near Montreal.

Sanair will be the third stop for the PMRA's season. Other races for 2006 are at Lancaster Raceway Park in Clarence, NY on September 15 and the Pro Modified Racing Association is pleased to be running inaugural events at the Grand Bend Motorplex, over the Labor Day weekend.

For information about the Eaton PMRA Challenge presented by Eaton's Electrical business at Sanair, call 1.450.772.6400 or visit online at www.sanairracing.com

For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher mehlenbacher@ProModifiedRacing.com

About the Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA):

The Pro Modified Racing Association, www.ProModifiedRacing.com, started late in 2004 and entering its second year of operation, the Pro Modified Racing Association ran five events in 2005 at four Ontario, Quebec, and New York locations, with a different winner at each track. The PMRA provides drag race fans the opportunity see, hear and to experience the popular Pro Modifieds, known as "the world's fastest door slammers".

The Pro Modified Racing Association  has five events for the 2006 season, the KC Auto Family Day Thunder Fest at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, ON, Saturday, June 24, at Lancaster Raceway Park in Clarence, NY on September 15 and the Pro Modified Racing Association is pleased to be running inaugural events, the CANUSA Hot Rod Reunion – PMRA Challenge at St. Thomas Dragway in Sparta, ON, August 5 and 6, the Eaton PMRA Challenge at Sanair near Montreal scheduled for Saturday, August 19, and at the Grand Bend Motorplex, over the Labor Day weekend.

The PMRA is a self-governing organization with its own set of technical and safety rules based on the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Pro Modified division. Cars in the PMRA capture the true spirit of hot rodding, and the class is one of drag racing’s most exciting and volatile classes, capturing the true spirit of hot rodding and offering a wildly diverse group of racecars with different types of 2,000-horsepower engines. Combining classic body styles and modern equipment, constructors are permitted to extensively modify and enhance both appearance and performance. The cars burn gasoline or methanol, propelling them down the quarter-mile in low six-second times at over 225 miles per hour. The PMRA Pro Modified field is composed of the eight quickest teams from the qualifying rounds.

Photo Credit: MG Digital Media - www.mgdigital.ca