COMMISSO EXCITED TO RACE BEFORE HOME CROWD IN GRAND BEND
Wed, 2009-07-15 08:01
This weekend's IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals at Grand Bend Motorplex is the closest race to home for R2B2 Racing Pro Mod pilot
Raymond
Commisso, and the Toronto-native is anxious to race in front of fans
and friends at what he calls his home track, less than two hours from
his house.
Commisso, who won the IHRA Mardi Gras Nationals in March of this year, said Canadian fans are just the same as Americans, but there's something about the hometown crowd that excites him.
"I always love racing in front of family and friends. It's exciting to be home, but it's difficult too, because they are all there to enjoy the show, and I have a job to do - race the car," Commisso said.
Raymond Commisso, and the Toronto-native is anxious to race in front of fans and friends at what he calls his home track, less than two hours from his house.
Commisso, who won the IHRA Mardi Gras Nationals in March of this year, said Canadian fans are just the same as Americans, but there's something about the hometown crowd that excites him.
"I always love racing in front of family and friends. It's exciting to be home, but it's difficult too, because they are all there to enjoy the show, and I have a job to do - race the car," Commisso said.
To say that he's been getting that job done lately would be an understatement: just a month ago, Commisso won his first-ever Pro Mod Challenge event in Englishtown, New Jersey, and along the way set the world ET record at an astonishing 5.856 seconds. He also holds the IHRA speed record of 246.08 mph, a mark that he set earlier this season.
"The car is really running extremely well, and we haven't changed anything since Englishtown, so really, I expect us to go up there and try to be one of the top three cars. We won the race here two years ago and last year we qualified number one, so we've had a lot of great success at that track," he said.
Commisso is also a partner in a Toronto-area restaurant that's nestled in the exciting Yorkville area, surrounded by museums, shopping centers, and the University of Toronto main campus. When not at the racetrack, he can be found at the restaurant, doing everything from making the gourmet thin-crust pizzas to running the floor and greeting the guests.
Making the jump from restaurant entrepreneur to Pro Mod record-setter hasn't been difficult for him because of the people in his life.
"That saying, 'if you surround yourself with the best people, you can expect the best results' is really true. My partner in the restaurant, Leslie Chan, is a chef by trade, and has created some of the best dishes I've ever had - he's awesome. Then, on the racing side, I've got Al Billes.
"I can't say enough about Al (crew chief) and how he tunes these cars. He has taught me so much about everything from driving to how to run a team, he's amazing. I'm fortunate to have him and a sponsor like Roger Burgess and ProCare Rx in my life - they make all this possible so I can chase my championship dreams," he said.
Roger Richards
Commisso, who won the IHRA Mardi Gras Nationals in March of this year, said Canadian fans are just the same as Americans, but there's something about the hometown crowd that excites him.
"I always love racing in front of family and friends. It's exciting to be home, but it's difficult too, because they are all there to enjoy the show, and I have a job to do - race the car," Commisso said.
This weekend's IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals at Grand Bend Motorplex is the closest race to home for R2B2 Racing Pro Mod pilot
Roger Richards
Commisso, who won the IHRA Mardi Gras Nationals in March of this year, said Canadian fans are just the same as Americans, but there's something about the hometown crowd that excites him.
"I always love racing in front of family and friends. It's exciting to be home, but it's difficult too, because they are all there to enjoy the show, and I have a job to do - race the car," Commisso said.
To say that he's been getting that job done lately would be an understatement: just a month ago, Commisso won his first-ever Pro Mod Challenge event in Englishtown, New Jersey, and along the way set the world ET record at an astonishing 5.856 seconds. He also holds the IHRA speed record of 246.08 mph, a mark that he set earlier this season.
"The car is really running extremely well, and we haven't changed anything since Englishtown, so really, I expect us to go up there and try to be one of the top three cars. We won the race here two years ago and last year we qualified number one, so we've had a lot of great success at that track," he said.
Commisso is also a partner in a Toronto-area restaurant that's nestled in the exciting Yorkville area, surrounded by museums, shopping centers, and the University of Toronto main campus. When not at the racetrack, he can be found at the restaurant, doing everything from making the gourmet thin-crust pizzas to running the floor and greeting the guests.
Making the jump from restaurant entrepreneur to Pro Mod record-setter hasn't been difficult for him because of the people in his life.
"That saying, 'if you surround yourself with the best people, you can expect the best results' is really true. My partner in the restaurant, Leslie Chan, is a chef by trade, and has created some of the best dishes I've ever had - he's awesome. Then, on the racing side, I've got Al Billes.
"I can't say enough about Al (crew chief) and how he tunes these cars. He has taught me so much about everything from driving to how to run a team, he's amazing. I'm fortunate to have him and a sponsor like Roger Burgess and ProCare Rx in my life - they make all this possible so I can chase my championship dreams," he said.
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