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Pro Extreme Heats up with Return of Alex Hossler
PITTSBORO, NC - March 5, 2015 - There’s no
arguing the fact that there's some pretty tough
competition in the PDRA's NAS Racing Pro Extreme
class, and it’s going to get a whole lot tougher
in 2015 when Alex Hossler, one of the undisputed
top guns in the category, throws his hat into
the ring. Already the domain of some of the
wickedest doorslammers and most talented drivers
in the world of eighth-mile competition, Hossler
brings experience, a championship-winning
attitude and a brand-new blown Corvette to the
PDRA wars this season.
Hossler, who is 37 and the owner of a Chevrolet,
Cadillac, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram
dealership, started on the path to competitive
success when he began bracket racing at a track
near his hometown of Canton, Illinois, when he
was in his teens.
“I bought an old hot rod and kept wasting money
on it,” Hossler said. “I just got stupider and
stupider until the point where I decided I had
to go heads-up racing. I had my first
head-to-head race in 2005 and in 2008 I went to
my first ADRL event. I dabbled in it for a
couple of seasons and then started to hit it
harder in 2010. I later became part of the Al-Anabi
Racing team and had a great run there for three
seasons.”
When the Al-Anabi team ceased operation
following the 2013 season, Hossler took the
opportunity to regroup and devote himself to
work and family.
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“I didn’t mind taking a year off
because it gave me a chance to focus
on all the things I needed to focus on
outside of racing. At the same time,
though, I definitely missed the
competition and being around all the
people at the track. I talked to team
owner Mel Bush in the off season, and
the opportunity came up for me to
drive for him this year. I’m really
ready to get back at it and start
having some fun racing again.”
Hossler comes to the PDRA with a long
list of accomplishments, including
three Pro Extreme championships, two
in Qatar with the Arabian Drag Racing
League and one with the ADRL in 2013.
In addition, he set numerous
performance records enroute to his
titles behind the wheel of a
supercharged Camaro.
“Racing for Mel this year won’t be as
demanding on my time as it was
before,” Hossler said. “In the past I
raced here during the summer and then
spent six or seven weeks or more
overseas, so for right now this is a
good fit for me. I have always gotten
along well with Mel, so I’m sure we’ll
have a good time racing together.
“I’m really excited that we will have
a new car and a new crew chief this
season, “Hossler added. “Our crew
chief is a good friend of mine named
Jon Salemi, who owns Resolution Racing
Services out of Buffalo, New York. I
always wanted the opportunity to race
with him, and now we’ve got that
opportunity.
Remarking on the nuts and bolts of his
new team, Hossler said, “Mel has a
brand new Pro Extreme car coming, a C7
Corvette built by Larry Jeffers, and
he still has a Pro Boost car from last
year, and he was thinking of running
them both this season. Jon and I sat
down with him and explained that we
really needed to focus on one car if
we were going to have success as
opposed to spreading our efforts
between the two cars this season. We
thought that both cars would probably
suffer if we did that. Maybe on down
the road we can bring out the Pro
Boost car once we get a good baseline
and have some consistency with the Pro
Extreme car.
“Since we have to shake down the
Corvette once it’s finished, we’re not
going to make the first race, and
there’s a chance we won’t make the
second one either,” Hossler said. “But
as soon as get everything together and
get some testing done we’re going to
be out there. The new car will have
the latest and greatest go-fast
components, the same as all the top
guys in Pro Extreme have. And from
what I saw last year you can’t afford
to leave anything on the table.
“I watched the live feed of the PDRA
races last year, and all I can say is
the competition was brutal,” Hossler
said. “If you can’t run .50s you might
as well stay home. That was the case
to an extent when I raced in 2013 but
not near what it was last year.
Everybody is just constantly chipping
away, chipping away and chipping away.
And it’s not just in Pro Extreme. You
see it in all the PDRA pro classes and
it’s just really tough. It doesn’t
matter how smart you are or how much
money you have, it’s just brutal. It
takes a lot of luck along with a lot
of money and a lot of knowledge to be
a top runner.”
And speaking of top runners, Hossler
knows he’ll have his work cut out for
him when he takes his new ‘Vette to
the track this season.
“Without a doubt there are some really
talented racers in Pro Extreme, and
we’re looking forward to going one on
one with all of them, including last
year’s champion Bubba Stanton, not to
mention Jason Scruggs, Brandon Snider,
Frankie Taylor, Mike Recchia and all
the rest. There should be some
unbelievable racing.”
When asked about the new car’s
performance and record-breaking
potential, Hossler had this to say:
“As far as records go, well, you
always think about that stuff. For
this year, though, our first goal is
to do some testing, get the new-car
bugs worked out and get a baseline
built up so we have something to work
on. Once we get the car competitive,
get Jon competitive, and get me
competitive we’ll start thinking about
going for records. But I have to say
we will be focusing on getting round
wins rather than setting records. The
trophies I have on my mantle didn’t
come from setting records, they came
from winning races, and that’s our
long-term goal. We probably won’t have
a shot at a championship this year
since we’re not going to be able to
run all the races. As I said, the main
thing for this year is to get the car
to where it’s quick and consistent.”
Hossler is anticipating being a part
of the PDRA, an organization riding
the wave of momentum generated by a
successful inaugural season in 2014.
“There are very few people in the
sport more respected than [PDRA
owners] Mitchell and Jason Scruggs,”
he said. “They are as stand-up people
as you’re ever going to meet. If they
are going to stamp their name on
something I think everybody in the
outlaw racing world is going to
follow. They are racers themselves, as
are the other owners, and dedicated to
making the racing experience the best
it can possibly be. I can’t wait to
get back out there.”
And the folks at the PDRA can’t wait
either.
“Having Alex Hossler in the Pro
Extreme mix this season is going to be
fantastic,” said PDRA Race Director
Bob Harris. “Alex is a tough and
experienced racer, and having him
going heads-up with the best of the
best in the PDRA is going to be
something to see. We’re really looking
forward to it.”
ABOUT THE PDRA
Based in Pittsboro, North Carolina,
the Professional Drag Racers
Association is the top sanctioning
body in the United States for the
sport of eighth-mile drag racing. The
PDRA’s professional categories include
Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Pro Boost,
and Pro Extreme Motorcycle along with
Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Pro Jr.
Dragster, and Top Jr. Dragster. The
2015 PDRA schedule consists of ten
national events. For more on the
world’s premier eighth mile drag
racing organization visit
www.pdra660.com.
Follow the PDRA:
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram,
YouTube.
Photo:
http://blog.bobhuntphoto.com
Article by: Brian Wood
PRESS CONTACT: Lisa Collier
Professional Drag Racers Association
lisa@pdra660.com
704.692.4636 |
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