WATERDOWN, Ontario -- After two rounds in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts, team drivers Mike Wagg and Dave Bell both have seat time behind the wheel of the 1994 Dodge Daytona.

In the season opener at Cayuga Dragway, Bell, of Grand Bend, Ontario qualified the car 5th in the field, and went to the semi-final, losing to Steve Parkhurst. In the second event, held at the Grand Bend Motorplex, Wagg qualified the car third and was eliminated in the first round.

“We were ready,” said Wagg, of Waterdown, Ontario, who drove the car in the second race, his first time behind the wheel in a competitive situation. “This was my first time in the car,” he added. “We did some testing, and I’m getting used to it.”

The team also competed in the recent IHRA MOPAR Canadian Nationals, also held at the Grand Bend Motorplex. With Bell driving, they qualified ninth in the field, but were taken out in the first round.

Wagg wore several hats during the national event, not only crew chiefing with the Daytona team as they competed in the IHRA’s Top Sportsman class, but as a crew member for the Al Hinds Pro Modified which was driven by Gary Irving during the weekend.

The Daytona is powered by a 620-cubic inch Chrysler engine with Indy cylinder heads and a Barry Grant fuel system. The Eddie Brick chassis has been updated by Lowdown Hot Rods, and the team is bucking the automatic transmission trend in the class with a Lenco four-speed gearbox.

Wagg added that the Lenco has been updated with air shifters, and this setup, which debuted at Grand Bend, has taken some time to get used to.

He also mentioned that himself and Bell, who is the car owner, will swap driving and crew chief duties at the races. Wagg crew chiefed at the Cayuga opener while Bell drove, and for the second race, the two reversed their roles. The team is presently sixth in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series Championship Point Award Series Standings presented by NAPA Auto Parts.

Other team members include Janet Ferguson, Bill Meehan, and Paul Connelly. Sponsorship for the team comes from the Auto Clinic of Flamborough, Pro Racing Fuels, Valvoline, NAPA (Waterdown Auto Parts), and K&K Racing.

Wagg added the team is looking forward to all the upcoming Quick 32 Sportsman Series events in the first year of the series.

“This is a great series,” he mentioned. “We really like the aspect of touring from track to track.”

Going into round three of the 2009 Quick 32 Sportsman Series tour, T.J. Schippling of Shakespeare, Ontario, leads the Championship Point Award Series Standings presented by NAPA Auto Parts at present with his Top Dragster with 473 points, followed by Top Sportsman racer Darrin Grubb of Pine River, Ontario and his Cavalier with 451 points.

Next is the Top Sportsman Dodge Stratus of Kevin Wicke of Stratford, Ontario with 438 points, while Jamie Bridge of Napanee, Ontario is fourth with 435 points in is Top Dragster, and Spencer Hyde of Stratford, Ontario is fifth with 419 points in his Top Dragster.

Wagg & Bell, Paul Martin, Mitch Elliott, Todd Hope, Doug Cadman, Lisa Spiering, Melanie Simmons, Michael Hinbest, Scott Wildgust, Carl Spiering, Michael Kalin, Darryl McMillen and James Lichty round out the top 18 teams.

The Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts teams will return to the Grand Bend Motorplex August 8-9 for the running of the Stratford Spectacular Hot August Nationals presented by Ideal Supply & NAPA Auto Parts, which will feature round three of Quick 32 Sportsman Series racing, along with round four in the Pro Modified Racing Association tour.

The eighth-mile racing event will also feature a four car Alcohol Funny Car Match Race, a Jet Truck, Blown V8 Drag Bikes, the Grand Bend Motorplex Top Dragster and Top Sportsman Series, plus great racing action in the Thunder series and Junior programs, plus Fireworks.

Complimentary event tickets are available at Ideal Supply & NAPA Auto Parts locations across Ontario, at businesses in Stratford or by contacting the Quick 32 Sportsman Series or the Pro Modified Racing Association. General parking is $20 per car load.

For information about the Stratford Spectacular Hot August Nationals presented by Ideal Supply & NAPA Auto Parts at the Grand Bend Motorplex, call (519) 238-7223 or visit www.grandbendmotorplex.com

For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher Bruce@Quick32.ca

About the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts:
The Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts, www.Quick32.ca, of drag racing was started early in 2009 as an alternative for high-horsepower Sportsman-class teams to compete on a regular basis.

For 2009, dates include Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario, starting with the season opener on May 16 and 17 and the season-closer “Double Header” on September 19 and 20, and the South-western Ontario track of the Grand Bend Motorplex on June 27 and 28, the Stratford Spectacular Hot August National presented by Ideal Supply & NAPA Auto Parts August 8 and 9 and September 5 and 6.

With 32-car qualified fields comprised of the 16 quickest open wheeled cars (Top Dragster) and the 16 quickest door cars (Top Sportsman), the Quick 32 Sportsman Series will feature the best in ET-style, dial-in drag racing, competing on a Sportsman ladder and will pit door-slammers against dragsters in every race day final.

Competitors in this Ontario-based series must comply with the IHRA Top Dragster and Top Sportsman Safety rules and regulations, and the maximum dial-in will be 7.95 seconds for the quarter-mile.

This new venture is providing $3000 to win for each event and $5000 for the annual Championship Point Award Series champion, payouts very popular with competitors and will provide large fields of race cars.

The Quick 32 Sportsman Series is committed in providing a professional atmosphere for its teams. It will also provide solid media and logistic support to ensure it becomes one of the most popular drag race series running Top Sportsman and Top Dragster race cars.

The Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts will compete several times with the Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA), www.PMRA.ca, as well as selected special events, offering fans a great show of drag racing.