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Pro Boost Champ Kevin Fiscus
Loses Major Sponsorship Days After Awards Ceremony
PITTSBORO, N.C. (December 24, 2015): In late 2014 Kevin Fiscus accepted an
invitation to partner with Jim Bell for a multi-series 2015 race season with the
expectations of running both Bell cars in a two car race team. However, Bell’s
Mustang was not completed in time to compete in the season so the sole focus was
switched to the Fiscus/Klugger-owned, JB’s Power Centre-funded Pro Boost
Mustang. The partnership produced incredible results including three final round
appearances and the 2015 PDRA Pro Boost World Championship. Days after the PDRA
Awards ceremony and PRI Show, Bell and Fiscus parted ways leaving Fiscus without
the critical and necessary sponsorship that is required to defend his title.
“Bell-Fiscus Racing has been dissolved,” stated the Champ. “Josh Klugger and I
will be campaigning the FKR Mustang in 2016 in spite of everything being
completely up in the air, as we have absolutely no funding to do so. This is the
highs and lows of racing. One day you are the world champion and the next day
you are sitting with a car in the garage with no funding to go racing. I have
faith that we will regroup and come out stronger than ever.
“At the end of 2014 we did not have the funds to race at this level so when JB’s
Power Centre came along the timing was perfect. This was a great year for us and
I do not want to take anything away from Jim Bell nor JB’s Power Centre, because
they funded us for the 2015 year and we won a championship together. It’s just
business at this point. I am very grateful for the opportunity that Jim Bell and
his company have given me.”
The team began the year by capturing the points lead with a win at the season
opener. He maintained the lead for a few races before rival Kevin Rivenbark
overtook him. With one race to go, Rivenbark held the lead by less than a round.
Whoever went further at the PDRA World Finals at Virginia Motorsports Park would
be crowned the 2015 Pro Boost World Champion.
“We were in the front of the lanes for first round of eliminations at Virginia
with Rivenbark sitting behind us a few spots in back. After we won our first
elimination round we went straight back to the pits and started thrashing to get
the car ready for the next round. We were not paying attention to what anybody
else was doing. We were racing our race and maintaining our focus on winning the
event
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because
“we
knew if we accomplished that goal the
championship would take care of
itself. After the first round was over
several people came over to our pits
and congratulated us on winning the
championship. We were all confused and
surprised and asked, ‘What are you
talking about?’ Then a few more people
came over and stated that Rivenbark
had red lit and that we were the
champions. We had done the math
previously and knew that if we went
one round further than him then we
would win the championship. Needless
to say that we were still nervous to
celebrate because it is not official
until it is official. Finally a PDRA
official came over and congratulated
us on the championship. Then we knew
it was real. It was very emotional for
me and the team. This is my first
championship in a national series, my
first championship overall for that
matter. It was hard fought. It was
very rewarding to be able to hold up
the championship trophy at the Awards
with Rickie Smith, Jason Scruggs and
all the other winners on that stage.
It is a true honor to be able to share
the championship with each of those
fellow racers.
Words can almost not even describe it.
It has been nine years to get us to
this point. I can remember three years
ago when I was sitting in the stands
watching Jason Scruggs run the
eighth-mile and Rickie Smith run the
quarter-mile. I had a small tire drag
radial car at the time with BIG dreams
of owning and racing a Pro Mod
someday. I would have never even
entertained the thought that I would
be competing and winning at this
level. The opportunity presented
itself for Josh and me to sell our
small tire car and we stepped in our
Pro Mod Mustang. The rest is history.
Three years later I am standing here
with a championship. It’s very
surreal. It’s a dream come true to
compete at this level.”
Not only has Fiscus advanced quickly
over the last three years, his entire
drag racing endeavor has been a
whirlwind from first interest to World
Champion.
“I always had an interest in cars but
I didn’t grow up with it,” the Florida
resident explained. “I graduated from
college, got my first real job and got
married. In 2003 I was able to buy a
Roush Body Coddington California
Roadster. I joined a local Mustang
club and ended up going to Gainesville
for an open test and tune session. I
made a 15 second pass and I was
instantly hooked. It was almost a
continual spiral from this point to
today. The Roush was ‘supposed to be’
my wife’s and my weekend car. I
upgraded the clutch and the
supercharger along with a few other
modifications which soon made it not
so friendly on the street. Being a
feisty and hot tempered Italian that
she is, she expressed her displeasure
to include some expletives about
wanting her weekend car back. So, I
ended up buying her her own ‘04 Cobra
competition orange convertible as
well. It was a factory supercharger,
but I was slowly becoming a gearhead,
so I found out that it was a lot
easier to modify her car and gain a
lot more horsepower. In her eyes, I
destroyed another car that she didn’t
enjoy driving on the streets anymore
as well. After some modification she
had a 600+ hp street car that was a
little hostile in bumper-to-bumper
traffic. She had some more choice
words for me and finally said ‘Just go
buy yourself a d@#$n race car!’ So I
took that statement and never looked
back. Soon I came home a couple months
later with a turn-key, small tire
radial race car that was running 7.90s
at 180 in the quarter. It was a huge
step from a streetcar to say the very
least. After placing runner up at the
US Street Nationals in my very first
race started it was a very steep
spiral downhill into my racing
addiction ever since. I raced that car
for three or four years, small block
to big block, single turbo to twin
turbos. I set records with it in the
small tire world, radial racing on
multiple occasions.”
Fiscus and Klugger then sold the small
tire car overseas for good money and
were encouraged by good friend Eric
Dillard to purchase the R2B2 Mustang
Dillard himself had taken to victory
at NHRA Indy. From those initial
beginnings in Pro Mod to PDRA Pro
Boost World Champion took Fiscus only
three years.
“In 2007 I changed the oil in my car
and did the basic stuff. Fast forward
to now I can rebuild a motor or
transmission in a weekend at my house
or at the track,” Fiscus continued,
spelling out more of his story in
racing. “So I do basically everything
- I drive the rig to the track, I tune
the car, I drive the car, and I work
on the car, drive the rig back to the
house, work on it all week, try to
spend some time with wife and then
leave for the track again. I wouldn’t
have it any other way though.”
Fiscus gives credit to many who have
helped take him from weekend warrior
to World Champion. He hired top turbo
tuner Steve Petty several years ago to
tune the radial car, and Petty took
him under his wing. From that point
going forward, Fiscus has developed
business and personal relationships
that have altered the course of his
racing career for the better.
“For whatever reason, I was very lucky
to pick Steve Petty as the person that
I wanted to tune my first turbo car
back in late 2006. If I had made a
different choice then I truly believe
that I wouldn’t be where I am today.
To have him as a mentor, along with
others like Jamie, Eric and Brandon at
Pro Line Racing and some of the other
crew chiefs and mechanics with that
organization, has made all the
difference in the world. Another major
contributor to my success has been
Dave Klaput with Proformance Racing
Transmissions. I have been with him
for many years now, and he has also
taken me under his wing, and he is one
of my closest friends. Most of the
companies that I deal with and that
have supported me through the years of
my racing I consider friends. I like
to know everything that I can about
the products that I am utilizing. I am
also a huge believer in growing
relationships with everyone that is
involved in the product that I use.
“Fortunately, Josh Klugger and I
teamed up the last couple of years in
small tire racing and he has backed me
100% of the way. He is a great friend
and supporter of our program. I would
not be where I am today without his
support both financially and as a true
friend. I raced under Fiscus/Klugger
Racing (KFR) in ‘12, ‘13, ’14 and will
do so again in ‘16.
“My wife is my biggest supporter,”
Fiscus continued. “Even back when I
was messing with her street cars, she
is the first one to yell at me and
keep me straight, but she is also the
first one to say, ‘If you’re going to
do it, do it right.’ Since 2007 has
she absolutely done without a lot of
things including me having a 20+ race
season the past two years so that I
can go race. She comes to as many
races as she possibly can with her
work schedule and she is my biggest
supporter. She is also not afraid to
get dirty and to do whatever is needed
at the track.
“For the 2015 race season, I want to
recognize Jim Bell and JB’s Power
Centre for the backing,” Fiscus
continued, giving further credit where
credit is due. “Joe with Pro Torque
Converters, Mark Menscer with Menscer
Motorsports and their affiliation with
Afco and Mickey Thompson has helped me
tremendously over the years to go to
this point. TurboSmart came on board
and helped us out this year. Precision
Turbo for sponsoring the Pro Boost
class this year in PDRA. Without
companies stepping up to sponsor the
class we would not have a place to
race. It’s a very contested class now.
Everybody there is a big hitter. Pro
Boost in PDRA is a very strong and
growing field. It is going to be even
more competitive next year. The entire
PDRA organization is a great place to
race and I applaud them on their
commitment to make the series work.
And to my crew - Chris, Jason, Pete,
Doug, Dean, Johnny, Kenny and of
course, Josh.”
Fiscus is currently a contractor by
trade, but has hopes of one day making
his living within the race industry.
One thing is sure, sponsorship or no
sponsorship; he is not giving up on
racing. “It’s my passion. It’s why I
get up every day and get to work.
Everything is meant for a reason. The
BFR Team may have dissolved after only
one year, but it has brought me a
championship and took me, personally,
to the next level.”
For more on Fiscus/Klugger Racing
please contact Kevin:
kevin.fiscus@chci.in
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VIEW THE FULL EVENT PHOTO GALLERY "Awards Celebration" & "PDRA at PRI"
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:
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Instagram,
YouTube.
Photo: Gary Rowe / PDRA660.com / RaceWorks.com
PRESS CONTACT: Lisa Collier
Professional Drag Racers
Association
lisa@pdra660.com
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