AFTER A BATTLE DOWN TO THE WIRE, DWAYNE WOLFE EMERGES AS 2014 NEOPMA CHAMPION

AFTER A BATTLE DOWN TO THE WIRE, DWAYNE WOLFE EMERGES AS 2014 NEOPMA CHAMPION
Written by Vito Micciolo
Tuesday, 21 October 2014

(10-22-2014) Huntington, NY – It’s been a long journey filled season, but one team persevered and emerged a champion after battling the tough competition that race the quarter mile Pro Mod series, and it came down to the final points event of 2014 to determine the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Champion.

Points leader going into the final event of the year, Fred Scriba, had chassis issues, struggled and failed to qualify, leaving Dwayne Wolfe and Craig Pio, 2nd and 3rd in points to battle it out for the championship. Craig Pio qualified #1 with a 5.896 at 253.85 and Dwayne Wolfe # 6 with a 6.066 at 237.42. They would be on opposite sides of the ladder, and going into first round 190 points and less than two rounds separated them. Dwayne won his first round battle with a pedal fest against Tyler Hard, and Craig won with a blistering 5.86 at 255 over Glen Puluse.

Second round Dwayne defeated Dean Marinis, and unfortunately Craig lost control and wrecked his beautiful Pro Mod and losing the round and ending his bid for the championship, leaving Dwayne Wolfe the 2014 NEOPMA Champion. Craig Pio was uninjured in the wreck and walked away. In the end three rounds of racing separated the top three finishers.

“We have been racing for many years in various classes at local tracks, but only moved into the Pro Mod ranks in 2011. Over the last few years, we worked extremely hard to go from a consistent first-round loser into a championship contender and now champions of one of the premier Pro Mod series in the country. This championship is a huge accomplishment for us and is something that we have dreamed about for so many years. We don’t have major sponsorship, nor do we have a lot of money, but we make up for what we don’t have with hard work, dedication and a lot of perseverance. We faced significant challenges over the course of the season, many of which looked insurmountable at the time. With a lot of help, we got over those hurdles, ran consistent 5.90’s and 6.0’s all year at every track we raced on, won two events and closed it all out with the series championship. We can’t put into words just how gratifying it is to see all of that hard work pay off!” states Dwayne Wolfe

“We have a lot of people to thank for helping us, including everyone on the team that worked so hard on this car, all of our families and our fans that cheered us on. We owe a gigantic thanks to all the guys at Jan-Cen Racing Engines/Mike Janis Superchargers for the horsepower and their tireless work in fixing the issues that we had this year so we could make it to every race. We have to thank Jerry Bickel for building a car that will run 5.90’s even though it was designed in 2002 to run 6.50’s and for the knowledge on how to setup the chassis to make it work. We also have to thank all of our local sponsors for the support throughout the year: Wolfe’s Garage, South Fork Auto & Body and J.R. Hill Construction, all of Moorefield, WV. It would not have been possible for us to win this championship without all of you!”

All of the NEOPMA staff (John Mazzorana, Vito Micciolo, Rockin Rob Cherkas, Caity Cherkas, Rocco Micciolo, Mark Walker, Tara Bower and Melvin Jones) would like to congratulate Dwayne Wolfe and Team on his championship, and acknowledge the top 10 finishers.

Final 2014 Point standings (top 10) for NEOPMA Pro Mod Warriors Series.

1. Dwayne Wolfe 2192, 2. Fredy Scriba 1922, 3. Craig Pio 1902, 4. Steve Kramer 1556, 5. Ed Burnley 1422, 6. Angela Ray 1375, 7. Dean Marinis 1255, 8.Kevin McCurdy 1206, 9. Gary Courtier 998, 10. Tommy Gray 974.

The NEOPMA would like to thank each and every one of the 53 Pro Mod Teams that believed in us and raced with the “1320 Pro Mod Warriors Series” this year, too many to mention but each and every one of them appreciated for their efforts.

The NEOPMA staff would also like to remember all who were lost throughout the drag racing community and always keep them in our prayers.

The NEOPMA would like to thank all the sponsors below, Pro Mod Teams and Crews, Tracks and Fans who support the ¼ Mile Pro Mod series

You can follow the NEOPMA on their Facebook page and find pictures, updates and much more. https://www.facebook.com/NEOPMA

NEOPMA SPONSORS: This series could not be held without the support of our Sponsors returning and new whom we’d like to thank.
MAJOR SPONSORS: American Racing Headers, Star Transporters, MSD, ATI, VP Racing Fuels, Goodyear Racing Tires, Stupid Fast Tee Shirts.
ASSOCIATE SPONSORS: Ram Clutches, RPM Magazine, G Force Race Cars.
CLUB MEMBER SPONSORS: Barker Racing Team, Scriba Welding/Racing Team, Pappas/Marinis Team, And Star Taxi Service (Fifi Montround)