FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: NHRA Communications, (626) 914-4761
NHRA Media Center Online: https://media.nhra.com
NORWALK, Ohio — Two years ago Kevin Fiscus sat in the stands at Auto Plus Raceway at Gainesville and dreamed of racing in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. With that dream now a reality for the veteran racer, Fiscus suddenly has bigger aspirations.
After making his NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series debut late last year, Fiscus has turned into a championship contender in his first full season. Currently sixth in points, Fiscus is now after his first career win in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series at this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.
“To race and compete with the names in this class, it’s just a dream come true and I can’t ask for a better start,” Fiscus said. “At the beginning of the season our goal was to qualify for every race, win a round at every event and finish in the top 10. Now our goal is to continue to qualify well, get in the top five and see what happens. But we’re having a blast and we couldn’t ask for anything more.”
The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals is the sixth of 10 races during the 2014 NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series and reigning world champion Rickie Smith, who is second in points, serves as the defending event winner.
As for Fiscus he has emerged as a major force in the class, qualifying No. 1 at each of the past two events in his turbocharged 2012 Ford Mustang. Before that he qualified No. 3 in both Houston and Atlanta, posting his first semifinal berth in Atlanta as well.
The next step is taking those superb qualifying numbers, which included a season-best 5.851 at 251.58 mph in Englishtown, and turning them into consistent performances during eliminations.
“We’ve met all our qualifying goals and now it’s a matter of putting it together in eliminations,” Fiscus said. “We don’t have the database of runs to fall back and that’s where we’re lacking at all these different tracks. So we’re extremely pleased with what we’ve done to date. Now we just have to put it all together and make it count on race day.”
Fiscus appears to be on a good path to do just that even if his NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series career is just eight races old. He competed in three events in 2013, making his debut at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, to get his feet wet in the highly-competitive class before the 2014 campaign.
Taking the next step and winning his first race will be difficult against a loaded NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series class that includes the likes of Mike Castellana, 2012 world champion Troy Coughlin, 2010 world champion Von Smith, Pete Farber, Steve Matusek, Danny Rowe and current points leader Mike Janis.
But competing against that kind of elite talent is also what drew Fiscus, who will be making his debut at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, to the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.
“I think a lot of the excitement for me is just the level of the competition here,” Fiscus said. “You’re seeing a lot of great side-by-side races and once you get to eliminations the 16 cars that qualify are some of the best in the world. It’s some good racing and I’ve heard a bunch of awesome things about Norwalk. I’m looking forward to some great things.”
Featuring the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer cars with an extremely diverse collection of vehicles, including ’63 Corvettes, ’68 Camaros, ’67 Mustangs and ’68 Firebirds as well as late-model cars, the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series offers something for every kind of hot-rodding enthusiast.
NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, July 4, with sessions at 4:00 and 6:30 p.m. continuing with one qualifying session on Saturday, July 5 at 4:00 p.m. Round one of eliminations is later on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park at (419) 668-5555 or visit www.summitmotorsportspark.com. For more information about the NHRA visit www.NHRA.com.
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Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals:
WHAT: Eighth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, the sixth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. The race will also showcase the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
WHERE: Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio. The track is located at 1300 State Route 18, half way between Cleveland and Toledo; just an hour and a half north of Columbus. The Ohio Turnpike is less than 10 minutes away.
COURSE: Championship drag strip; Track elevation is 853 feet above sea level; Track direction is north to south.
WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, July 3-6.
SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, July 4 – PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES qualifying at 4 and 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, July 5 – PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES qualifying at 4 a.m.; First round of eliminations at 6:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, July 6 – NHRA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES eliminations continue at 12:45 p.m.
PAST WINNERS: Rickie Smith, 2013; Don Walsh, 2012; Mike Castellana, 2011; Pat Musi, 2010
TRACK RECORDS: 5.863 sec. by Danny Rowe, June. ’11; 253.85 mph by Don Walsh, July ’12.
NATIONAL RECORDS: 5.772 sec. by Melanie Troxel, June. ’11, Englishtown; 258.71 mph by Troxel, June ’11, Englishtown.
TICKETS: For tickets, call (419) 668-5555 or purchase online at www.summitmotorsportspark.com
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NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series Point Standings:
GLENDORA, Calif. — Point standings (top 10) following the fifth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series
1. Mike Janis, 347; 2. Rickie Smith, 337; 3. Mike Castellana, 328; 4. Steve Matusek, 304; 5. Danny Rowe, 295; 6. Kevin Fiscus, 280; 7. Von Smith, 269; 8. Pete Farber, 244;
9. Steven Whiteley, 207; 10. Troy Coughlin, 199.
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CONTACT: NHRA Communications Department, (626) 914-4761. Anthony Vestal, ext. 425, avestal@nhra.com, (626) 695-6649, cell.
For the latest news releases, photos, logos, statistics and event information, please visit https://media.nhra.com.
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