Raymond Commisso snatched the No. 1 qualifying position away from Scott Cannon on the last run of the session, registering a 3.962 to Cannon’s 3.963 in the Steelback Beer ’67 Camaro. After extensive off-season testing with the most recent IHRA rules, Commisso was thrilled with the pole position.

Raymond Commisso snatched the No. 1 qualifying position away from Scott Cannon on the last run of the session, registering a 3.962 to Cannon’s 3.963 in the Steelback Beer ’67 Camaro. After extensive off-season testing with the most recent IHRA rules, Commisso was thrilled with the pole position.

“All we have been doing is testing with the 4.30 rear gear and no two-step,” said Commisso. “It took me about 3 hits to get used to it, and as you can see it's no problem now.

The Toronto-based driver was quick to point out that a fellow Canadian has given him the power needed to secure the top spot.
“All my credit has to go to Al Billes. He tunes this car and I am just fortunate enough to drive it,” Commisso said.

“A lot of credit has to go to my new crew as well, consisting of my new teammate Ralph Andreachi, Frank Lombardi, Sam Misoula, and Larry Hipps.

Since we were running only to the eighth-mile, we didn’t get a chance to see what Saturday’s runs would have looked like if they had been all the way to the quarter-mile.

“It should have been a high 5.90, like a 5.98 or 99. The 4.30 gear combined with the horsepower Al is giving us to turn it should make some really big speeds as well,” predicted Commisso.

“I have been looking up to these guys for so long now. All these guys are an inspiration to me,” Commisso said of his fellow Billes tuned racers Tony Pontieri, John Russo, and Ed Hoover. “Especially Al. If it wasn't for him, I'd be home working right now.”