Elma, NY – Mike Janis and his Mike Janis Racing (MJR) Team brought their “A Game” to the 2015 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, but just came up short of that fairy tale ending they were looking for. While Gainesville Raceway has been one of the most “unlucky’ tracks Janis has ever personally raced at, the team managed to turn the negatives, into positives.
“Let’s face it, it’s no secret that Gainesville has been extremely rough on this team over the past four years or so” said Mike Janis Jr., GM/Crew Chief at MJR. “Quite honestly, other than the beautiful weather, we have had a heck of time with some bad luck at this facility, but that is racing. We came off such a strong year in 2014 almost winning the NHRA Pro Mod Championship. Our bar is set extremely high for everyone here in our organization. We need to go out there week after week and make sure not only are we doing our job “on the track,” but we need to be doing our job “off the track” as well for all these great partners that support this organization. I might sound like a broken record over and over again, which is perfectly fine with me, but these companies that support us year round, really shows the magnitude of this team. It is all about return on investment with our organization. These companies believe in us, and we believe in their products which is the reason we not only use them, but also sell them to all of our customers both nationally, and internationally. We pulled into Gainesville with the plan of getting this Jan-Cen Racing Engines/Mike Janis Superchargers 2015 Camaro qualified right on the first qualifier. However, we had some gremlins that followed us around for the first two runs. Going into the third and final qualifying session, we were not qualified. The pressure was at it’s highest level, especially being the first event of the season for us. We rolled up to the water box and there was a man standing there in a red polo shirt and black slacks. He turned around, and to our shock it was none other than Forrest Lucas from Lucas Oil; a partner of MJR. Forrest is a man who has changed the world of all forms of motorsports putting the Lucas Oil brand everywhere the eye can see. This is a man of true genuine character. Someone who started out with nothing, and has built one of the most successful companies in the world. He leans into the car at Dad, and says “Good luck, this car looks awesome, and thank you for all the support, especially your support of Protect The Harvest.” Right then and there, any pressure that was felt, was totally gone. To be recognized by someone like that, is something I will personally never forget. With Forrest watching on the starting line, we ripped off a 5.97 @ 246 mph to get into the show! It was then onto first round where we faced the Agave Tequila car of Danny Rowe. We busted out a 5.90 @ 248 mph to take the win on a holeshot over Danny’s quicker 5.87. After that we were “Flying High.” That run was just as good as winning the event to us, especially after all the little gremlins we had. That put us against the JEGS car of Troy Coughlin in the second round. I got a little greedy with the tune up and we smoked the tires. No question, I will take full responsibility for that one, but lesson learned, we will race how we race best from now on” said an elated Janis Jr.
“Normally when you travel over 1,000 miles away from home, you don’t expect to see your whole hometown in the same location as you” said Mike Janis, Owner/Driver at MJR. “There were so many people from the Buffalo, NY area that made the long haul down and supported us all weekend. After every run, someone new would pop into the pits to say hello. That is what this sport is really all about; the relationships we build with people and our partners. It was absolutely surreal to feel like we were back home still, other than the 100 degree difference in temperature! I can’t thank everyone enough for all their support this past weekend. We might not have won the event, but I can sure tell you we had some fun, and made a pretty strong statement for the start of this 2015 season. This year by far is going to be the most competitive ever and we will continue to work as hard as we can to bring the 2015 NHRA Pro Mod Championship home for MJR and all of our partners. Houston, Texas is next at the end of April, and it can’t get here soon enough. I also really want to thank all of our new partners for coming on board this year: Hogans Racing Manifolds, Redhorse Performance Hose and Fittings, Renegade Racing Fuels, U.S. Quick Drive, DMP Awnings and Pro Torque Converters” said Janis.
For any interested in marketing/partnership opportunities with Mike Janis Racing (MJR) please contact Mike Janis Jr. at 716-628-2591 or via email mikejanis1065@gmail.com.
Photos courtesy of: Mike Pappaceno Buffalo, NY
About Mike Janis Racing
Mike Janis Racing, Inc. is a professional drag racing team that competes full-time in the NHRA, IHRA, and PDRA Pro Modified division. Mike Janis is a two-time Pro Modified World Champion and is currently number two all-time for most wins among Pro Modified drivers. Mike owns and operates Jan-Cen Racing Engines which designs and builds world class race winning engines along with their trademark Mike Janis Superchargers for customers all throughout the U.S., Canada, Australia and Europe. www.mikejanisracing.com www.facebook.com/mike.janisracing
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