Boland Bowls ‘em Over

Words by Bruce Mehlenbacher
Photos by Brad Turk

Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario, won the latest round in Pro Modified Racing Association, the PMRA Challenge Presented by Motorsports 1320 at the Grand Bend Motorplex Sunday, July 19.

Running in conjunction with the 10th Annual IHRA MOPAR Canadian Nationals, Boland qualified number one for the race, the third in the 2009 PMRA tour. In his B&B Racing 1967 Chevy Nova, the 2008 champion paced himself through the field for his second consecutive win of the season. With his victory, Boland became the second driver in PMRA history to win his third event, after Mike Stawicki of Medina, New York.

“We qualified well,” said a happy Boland after the race. “We made some changes in the clutch, didn’t like them, and went back to the original setup. We softened it up a bit. I knew if I got off the starting line I was good.”

Boland met Eric Latino of Scarborough, Ont., in the final. For Latino, it was his first final-round showing, and he was defeated by Boland’s 4.105-second, 178.05-mph final against Latino’s 4.504-second, 163.53 mph pass in eighth-mile competition.

Latino lost traction just off the line in the final, but he gave it a good ride. He said before the final he knew he was up against a driver with a lot of experience in the class.

“We’ll give it our best,” he said before the final. “I’m the new kid on the block up against the PMRA legend.”

Ironically, Latino had problems qualifying, and was first alternate in the field when Tony Piselli of Woodbridge, Ont., in the Skull Motorsports Corvette clipped the wall hard in qualifying and could not make the eliminations.

Boland took out Tim Martin of Barrie, Ont., with his 1963 Corvette in the first round, and had his hands full defeating Mark Nielsen of Brantford, Ont., in the next round.