Roth takes first PMRA win

Words by Bruce Mehlenbacher
Photos by Brad Turk

After one of the closest drag races in PMRA history, Jeff Roth of Baden, Ontario, defeated Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario, in the final round to win his first PMRA Pro Modified event on Sept. 6.

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.