The race was round five in the 2009 PMRA season, The Fourth Annual Thunder by the Beach PMRA Challenge at the Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, Ontario.

"This has been a long time coming," said the happy driver of the Roth Racing 1941 Willys.

And I couldn't have done it without my crew. This has been a great day."

Roth ran a 6.208-second, 226.30-mph final to just keep in front of a hard-charging Boland, who recorded a 6.212-second, 228.19-mph lap. Boland, the reigning PMRA champion and winner of the previous three events, wobbled in his lane a bit, and got it back together, but Roth was working hard to keep the Alan Johnson-powered, Atchison-prepped Willys maxed out down the track.

Roth qualified number two for the event with a 6.264-second, 231.83-mph pass. In the first round, Roth did some admirable driving taking out number three qualifier Jack Grainy of North Tonawanda, New York, in the semi and eliminating Eric Latino of Scarborough, Ontario in first-round action.

Boland qualified number four in the eight-car field for the fifth event in the 2009 PMRA tour. He eliminated Mark Nielsen of Brantford, Ontario in first-round action, and Dave Earhart of Strathroy, Ontario, in the semi-final. Nielsen, who made the field as an alternate, shook the tires hard in the first round, while Earhart red-lit.

Others qualifying for the elimination rounds were Sam Andreacchi of Toronto, Ontario, who returned to PMRA racing with his 1967 Chevy Nova, and Jason Kalso of Clarkston, Michigan, who qualified his Barracuda fifth but broke and could not make the eliminations, giving Gary Mater of Petrolia, Ontario a spot on the ladder as an alternate. Both Mater and Andreacchi were first-round victims.

Number one qualifier Gary Irving of Toronto posted a 6.054-second, 223.10-mph run, but the Al Hinds-owned Corvette broke in the process, and the team could not continue.

"We wrestled and fought a bit, but we found something to help us," Roth said after the race.

The car had lots of power. Thanks to all, the crew Dave, Larry, Marc, Ashley, Steve, and of course Jim and Kim, my Dad and Mom. And thanks also to NGK Spark Plugs and Oak Grove Cheese for their support, and to Lowdown Hot Rods."

Boland leads the Championship Point Award Series standings with 1340, while Nielsen is next with 1236. With his victory, Roth moves into third with 1215 points, and Earhart is next with 1210 points. Kalso is fifth with 1203 points.

Next in the points race are Latino, Grainy, Joe Boniferro of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Ike Maier of Schomberg, Ontario, and Tim Martin of Barrie, Ontario.

In related racing at Grand Bend over the weekend, the Top Dragsters and Top Sportsman race cars were out in force for the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts.

And for the first time in 2009, a Top Sportsman car won all the marbles, as Dan Aitken Jr. of Belle River, Ontario, defeated the Top Dragster of Mitch Elliott of Woodstock, Ontario, in the final.

The Top Dragster final was between and Buddy Forrest of Rochester, New York, and Elliott took the victory. Elliott ran a 7. 610-second, 175.23-mph pass over Forrest's 7.174, 178.64. In the semis, Elliott defeated Jamie Bridge of Napanee, Ontario, and TJ Schippling of Shakespeare, Ontario. Forrest eliminated Sam Christian of Kenmore, New York, Brock Barth of Pinckney, Michigan, and Tony Positano of Toronto, Ontario.

The Top Sportsman final was between the Mustang of Aitken and Doug Cadman of Courtland, Ontario with his 1955 Thunderbird, with Aitken getting the victory. Aitken, who qualified number nine in the 16-car field, bested alternate Gerry Hishon of Sebringville, Ontario, Paul Martin of Breslau, Ontario and top qualifier Scott Wildgust of Wartburg, Ontario. Cadman ran a single in the semi when Kevin Wicke of Stratford, Ontario could not compete, and beat Jeff Gable of Stratford, Ontario in the earlier round.

Bridge now has the Quick 32 Sportsman Series Championship Point Award Series lead with 783. Next is Darrin Grubb of Pine River, Ontario, with 762, and Elliott is third with 757 points. Fourth is Wicke with 756, and fifth is Michael Kalin of Youngstown, New York with 748 points.

The PMRA and the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts concludes its six-race season September 19 -20, on the Cayuga Dragway at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario.

Courtesy of Bill Mehlenbacher