Midlife Crisis Corvette hoping
for successful PMRA 2009
Rochester Pro Modified team back for Pro Modified Racing Association Tour
 ROCHESTER, NY (May 28, 2009) – They’re not quite ready, but the Pro Modified team of Joe Caruso and Mike Cusimano plan to make a strong effort in this season’s Pro Modified Racing Association’s 2009 season.
Although car owner Joe Caruso mentioned recently the engine for the 1994 Corvette is still being tweaked and the team missed the PMRA season opener at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario, the Rochester, New York-based team will be in the hunt for the rest of the year, starting with the Fifth Annual Family Weekend Spectacular at Cayuga.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t ready for the opener at Cayuga,” Caruso mentioned. “We’re just getting things back together. But will we be back? Absolutely. We’re looking forward to it.”
The Midlife Crisis team Corvette, driven by Mike Cusimano, runs a Jan-Cen Racing Engines Rodeck powerplant, prepared by fellow Pro Modified racer Mike Janis.
“We’re making a few adjustments with the car right now,” Caruso continued. “And Mike (Janis) has the engine and he’s putting some more steam in it.”
The engine in the Stroupe Race Cars Corvette runs a PSI supercharger, and a Lenco three-speed is mated to it. A Jan-Cen Enderly fuel system is also employed.
Caruso and Cusimano did not race in all PMRA events in 2008. A highlight of their season was nailing down number one qualifier at Dunn Tire Raceway Park in Lancaster, New York last year, and getting into the final on the eighth-mile track, taking runner-up to fellow New Yorker Mike Stawicki’s G-Force Race Cars entry.
The team’s plans include PMRA events, plus Caruso mentioned they may take the trip to Norwalk, Ohio to compete in that track’s Friday night Door Wars. He added there are no plans to run the Corvette in any IHRA races this year, but some NHRA points meets may be in the works.
Crew chief for the Midlife Crisis group is John Vouros, and Mark Caruso and Chad Cusimano work with the team.
Sponsorship includes NitroPlate, the exhaust coating firm from Tennessee, and DRE Engine Diapers from Illinois.
Caruso said he is hoping for a more fruitful year in 2009.
“Hopefully we’ll do a little better this year,” he said. “We’re going to have to be on our game as the PMRA is going to have some great competition this year.”
For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher Bruce@PMRA.ca
Photo Credit: Dale Boeru - Canadian Drag Racing Photos - www.canadiandragracingphotos.com
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