Countdown to the Championship Top Five for 2012: Top Sportsman driver Paul Martin – Fifth Place
(10-15-2012) CAYUGA, ON – After a year away from competing in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts, Paul Martin returned in 2012 with a successful year, placing fifth in the Championship Point Award Series standings.
Martin, a veteran racer from Breslau, Ontario, put down impressive numbers in the Quick 32 Sportsman Series this season with his Top Sportsman 1957 Chevy-bodied car.
Powered by a 510-cubic inch supercharged Chevy engine in the Jerry Bickle Race Cars product, Martin qualified at all six events in 2012, highlighted with a final round showing.
Martin qualified seventh in the 16-car Top Sportsman field for the series opener on the Cayuga Dragway of Toronto Motorsports Park, and was out in the first round. And he was taken out in second round action for the next event at Martin Michigan.
But after qualifying fifth during the Canadian Nitro Nationals at Cayuga in June, Martin made the rounds with his ’57, losing in the final against winner Spencer Hyde of Stratford, Ontario. Martin also put down his best speeds of the year, with 205-mph and 208-mph passes running in the low seven-second range.
For the next race Martin qualified 16th in the 16-car field for the rain-delayed South Coast Community Weekend race held at Grand Bend, but once again the team went rounds to meet up with Dan Aitken Jr of Belle River, Ontario in the final but Martin’s ’57 went down to the Mustang of Aitken.
For event five at Grand Bend, Martin qualified fourth, and although taken out in the semi-final, posted a 6.90-second time with another 200-plus (203.20) mph pass. In the season final, at Grand Bend, he qualified fourth and was a first-round victim.
Helping Martin to his fifth place finish this year was Sandy Martin, Steven Martin, Don and Doris Becker, Chris and Deb Pomeroy and Sarah Schertzer. Sponsorship was provided by Trimar Trans Inc. Martin also wanted to thank Mike Janis Racing, Ajax Engines, Lowdown Hotrods, Hutch’s Transmission Services, Monarch Oil and Supplies in Kitchener and Marken Performance for their help and involvement.
Paul Martin gave special thanks to his wife Sandy, Pat Schertzer for her Special and Social Media, Abruzzi Racing Transmissions, and Ian Rae of HeadsUpRacer.com and Racepak Data Systems for date support and leadership.
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