Janzen has long been a staple of IHRA competition. He made his name during the Night of Fire Quick 8 events where he won a few and at one time held the records for the quickest sportsman door car. Along with many other racers Janzen was disappointed when the IHRA dropped the Quick 8 events in deference to the new Top Stock class. This prompted a move into the Pro Modified arena for the KC Motorsports team to continue running the heads-up format. The move was not what Janzen expected as he had one of those years that most teams would like to forget. Severe breakage haunted the team all year despite the promise shown. A year spent regrouping and running local Pro Mod events in 2003 had Janzen re-evaluate his racing program for 2004. Janzen’s decision was made easier when fellow racer Joe Buckley offered his ’63 Vette for Outlaw Pro Mod duty. This allowed the KC Motorsports team to convert Janzen’s Wally Stroupe built Lumina to suit Pro Outlaw duty. Kasey told us “The fact that there is the OSCA series as well as the Canadian Fastest Street Car Shootout within a four hour drive of my Niagara Falls home makes life a lot easier with a growing family and a busy business to run. We can run for a championship and not have to lean on our equipment as hard as you have to in IHRA.”

Commisso is the only one of the trio with prior Street Legal experience. His return to Outlaw Street comes after rule changes forced on the blower Pro Mods by the IHRA. “Having to run a the newly mandated blower overdrive means we have to run the motor so much harder. It tends to be harder on parts.” Commisso is another happy to take an hour and a half trip down the QEW to Toronto Motorsports Park to race with the OSCA. “It is great to have so many races near home, the prize money is good and with guys like Kasey and Sinke it is getting harder to win all the time.” Commisso is not going to sit around with the competition getting stiffer, he currently has his G-Force Race Cars built Camaro for sale and will commission Jim Salemi to build him a new ’63 Corvette once it is sold. It has been heard that if he does nothing else in 2005, Commisso is determined to win the CFSCS in 2005. “The Americans took our money this year, I want to keep it in Canada next year.” With the commitment he showed during a couple of his runs at this year’s CFSCS you can be sure Commisso is going to be challenging for a win every time he takes to the track in Outlaw Street.

Larry Sinke and his Hammer Racing Pro Mods have been a staple of Ontario drag racing for many years. Sinke and his crew chief Fred Speight have run IHRA Pro Mod, Outlaw Pro Mod and Super Chevy events with reasonable success. Again as with the other two, the attraction for Sinke is the fact he has numerous races in his own back yard. “It makes sense to race in these events, we can win some money to cover expenses and have a good time close to home while we are at it.” Sinke has adapted well to muffler racing as he leads the points chase and lowered the class record at the June event to a 6.790 at 210.34 mph. Racing with the OSCA does not mean Sinke has abandoned his roots, as he is still seen at local Pro Mod shows and match races. The Hammer Racing team recently lowered Joe Boniferro’s Luskville Dragway track record to a 4.25; “Running these times up here, we are really on the edge, but the fans love it” was Sinke’s comment afterward. He also told us “These cars cost a fortune, it makes sense to be able to play in as many arenas as possible, the OSCA is the perfect fit for us just now.”

Stop Press – We heard it right from the horse’s mouth at the IHRA TMP event! Former Canadian Pro Mod Champion Tony Pontieri is going to fit mufflers and come out and play with the OSCA crowd. Pontieri told us “I am fed up leaning on stuff and spending money. We can go race OSCA and hopefully take some money home with us. The added bonus for me is TMP is my local track and we don’t have to take lots of time away from work.” Pontieri did not tell us if he was abandoning Pro Modified or just changing his program to run both classes.

One thing is for sure; the Outlaw Street class has now got a lot more interesting for the fans. The class is now showing itself to be the pinnacle of OSCA street legal racing, as it should be! Now if only we could get Joe Boniferro out there with the Koffel’s Place Dodge Avenger. Get out there and watch six-second doorslammers duke it out on TMP’s state of the art track, you will not be disappointed with this new breed of Ontario Outlaw.