IHRA MOPAR Canadian Nationals
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.
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.
Qualifying is scheduled for 3 and 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and eliminations are scheduled to
begin at 11 a.m. Sunday.
