AMS/NHRA Pro Mod: Hernandez wins in record-setting weekend in Gainesville

Press Release
For Immediate Release
 
Media Contact: Matthew Brammer - Active Marketing
pr@activemarketing.com
623-879-4290
 
Hernandez wins in record-setting weekend in Gainesville
 
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18, 2007)  - From the very first qualifying pass to
the dramatic final, racing in the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Modified Challenge
presented by Tindle Enterprises, Inc. at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals in
Gainesville, Fla. was summed up by series sponsor and AMS owner Dave Wood as
the very best weekend in Pro Mod drag racing history. The storylines ranged
from smashing World Records and multiple drivers' personal bests to tuning
duals with an International flavor.
 
"I think I've seen the most awesome racing ever," Wood commented. "This is
why I love Pro Mods, and why this series is the place to be. We've got the
very best racers around fighting for bragging rights, and a fan-favorite
show that is second to none."
 
Josh Hernandez, driver of the Dr. Moon's Rage '68 Camaro, landed at the top
of the list, winning the coveted AMS Eagle and setting a World Record in Pro
Modified drag racing. Taking the stripe ahead of his teammate Troy Critchley
in the final round with a stunning 5.938 244.29 pass, Hernandez just added
to his string of sub-six second record-setting runs for the win.
 
Hernandez set the bar for Pro Mod racers worldwide, delivering an awesome
5.912 second pass at 242.63 m.p.h. in round one of eliminations Saturday
night, March 17. With a backup time of 5.927, Hernandez ET goes into the
book as a World Record, a Gainesville Raceway record, and, of course, his
personal best. In all, he ran five of seven total passes less than six
seconds. The icing on the cake for the Houston, Texas resident was winning
the event.
 
Hernandez said, "It was the perfect way to end the weekend, but it was
bittersweet, too. Troy and I both knew that at the other end, one of us
would get the light, and one wouldn't. It was a testament, though, to how a
team can pull together and make things happen.
 
"Howard Moon is the real winner of that round - he's the one that got us
both there, and with the support of Dave Wood and Tommy Lipar, we were able
to put on an incredible show," Hernandez said.
 
After winning the first-ever side-by-side five-second round, a re-match of
the final round of the US Nationals in Indianapolis against Raymond Commisso
5.932/243.37 to 5.991/241.54, Hernandez and his team had to replace the
motor in his Camaro under the pressure of a shortened turn-around time to
get to the lanes for the finals.
 
True to drag racing and Pro Modified camaraderie, the AMS Rage team was
helped by the defending champion Jay Payne's crew members Andre Monargue and
Don Peterson, under the watchful and expert eye of engine builder Brad
Anderson. The irony: Jay Payne failed to qualify and defend his title, and
his wife and teammate Shelly went out first round. Nonetheless, the crews
worked in synch sharing the spirit of the weekend and the race to win.
 
Brad Anderson said, "This is the way things work over here, and they would
have done the same thing for us. It's why I love Pro Mods and drag racing."
 
Second in line for bragging rights and not far from the top, Troy Critchley,
driver of the flagship AMS Staff Leasing-sponsored 1970 Plymouth Barracuda,
raced to the finals with the fastest Pro Mod in the land. Breaking soundly
into the 240-mph zone with his very first lap down the track with a 240.98,
and ran five of seven laps over 240, setting another world record at 245.81
en route to his runner-up finish.
 
Giving the event a truly International flavor were competitors from Puerto
Rico as well as Canada. While the Puerto Rican contingent failed to make the
show with their blower, nitrous or turbo cars, the Canadian crew proved
themselves a Northern force to be reckoned with. With the tuning prowess of
Al Billes, Tony Pontieri and Raymond Commisso joined their American
teammate, John Russo in a valiant fight for the win. In the end, Russo found
that a 6.101 wasn't quite good enough to get past the first round against
Mike Bell's 6.049, Pontieri fell to Commisso on a hole shot - 6.038 to the
slower 6.060, and Commisso lost to Hernandez in the semi-final.
 
Four drivers joined the AMS Five Second club at the Gators: Critchley,
Hernandez, Commisso and Mike Janis. Each member of the club will receive a
$500 check from a purse funded by their driving peers.
 
Series Director, Matthew Brammer, summed up the event, saying, "I think,
when we look back at this event, we'll remember the feeling that we
witnessed something truly amazing. The fans, the weather, the records, the
drama, the excitement - it is just the world of AMS Pro Mods.  I can't wait
to see what's next."
 
The answer to that will be determined when the AMS Pro Mod Challenge
presented by Tindle Enterprises, Inc. moves next to Houston and the O'Reilly
NHRA Spring Nationals, March 30 - April 1, 2007.
 
###
 
About AMS Pro Mods:
 
The AMS Staff Leasing Pro Modified Challenge, presented by Tindle
Enterprises, Inc. pits the very best blown, nitrous, and turbo-charged Pro
Modified drag racers against one another for the coveted BAE Championship
Cup and a combined a purse and championship fund of more than $365,000. On a
national platform at ten NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series national events,
the AMS Pro Mods are at the pinnacle for Pro Mod racers worldwide. Often
called some of the most challenging straight-line racing in the world by
drivers and crew chiefs alike, the cars utilize different combinations of
methanol-burning engines in late-model full-body chassis and produce around
2.500 horsepower. The cars also utilize full suspension and must be equipped
with working doors on each side of the vehicle to maintain aesthetically
"car-like" appearance. Top performance numbers for the quarter-mile races
are in the low six-seconds at speeds in excess of 230 mph.
 
AMS Staff Leasing is the title sponsor and original founder of the series,
now in its seventh year with the NHRA. AMS is one of the nation's largest
Professional Employer Organizations (PEO), primarily serving the
construction industry. AMS specializes in providing integrated and cost
effective services by contractually assuming substantial employer rights,
responsibilities, and risks with employees assigned to its clients.
 
Founded in 1991 in Dallas, Texas, AMS currently assists thousands of clients
and more than 40,000 employees through their specialized PEO program. AMS
helps contractors outsource non-revenue-producing tasks, saving their
clients time and money.
 
For more information about the AMS Pro Mod Challenge, please visit the
series website: www.AMSpromods.com.