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   <title>Sir Thomas Inc.</title>
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   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2007-06-05://1</id>
   <updated>2008-10-08T03:31:28Z</updated>
   <subtitle>Sir Thomas Inc. - Home of Tommy D&apos;Aprile - Pro Modified Driver - 2006 IHRA Pro Rookie of the Year</subtitle>
   <generator uri="http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/">Movable Type Publishing Platform 4.01</generator>

<entry>
   <title>Mel Bush Motorsports and Driver Tommy D&apos;Aprile Look To Build on Recent Performance Heading to The NHRA Virginia Nationals</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2008/10/mel_bush_motorsports_and_drive.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2008://1.26</id>
   
   <published>2008-10-08T03:27:02Z</published>
   <updated>2008-10-08T03:31:28Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Elma, NY  -- FIVE POINT NINE FIVE!! That&apos;s what the scoreboards read at the sixth annual Shakedown at E-Town after Mel Bush Motorsports Driver Tommy D&apos;Aprile took the &quot;Big Red Boat&quot; down the E-Town 1320. A five second run that many,...</summary>
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      <name></name>
      
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   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://sirthomasinc.com/">
      <![CDATA[<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_4981.php" onclick="window.open('http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_4981.php','popup','width=600,height=402,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_4981-thumb-300x201.jpg" width="300" height="201" alt="Tommy_D_DSB_4981.JPG" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 20px 20px;" /></a></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Elma, NY</span>  -- FIVE POINT NINE FIVE!! That's what the scoreboards read at the sixth annual Shakedown at E-Town after Mel Bush Motorsports Driver Tommy D'Aprile took the "Big Red Boat" down the E-Town 1320. A five second run that many, at the beginning of the season, thought could never happen.</div><div><br /></div><div>"That's thanks to Mike Janis, Kevin Peters and the entire team over at Jan-Cen Motorsports," said an elated team owner, Mel Bush referring to the 5.955 pass from his driver.  "I'm so glad to be associated with Mike and the guys. Not just because of the performance, but because they are genuine people and they are extremely dedicated," added Bush.</div> ]]>
      <![CDATA[<div>Driver, Tommy D was equally thrilled with the performance of both the team's '62 Bel Air and the crew from Jan-Cen Motorsports. "Can you believe it? How cool is that?  I'm so proud and honored to be part of this great team that Mel and Johanne have put together," said an overjoyed D'Aprile. "This couldn't of happened at a better time for us. With our NHRA debut coming up it's great to know that we have a run like that in our bank," added the latest Five-Second Club Member.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mel Bush Motorsports will make their Jeg's Pro Mod Series debut at the NHRA Virginia Nationals held this coming weekend at Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg, Virginia. Friday's race schedule is set for two qualifying Pro Mod sessions, one at 3:00 PM and another at 5:30 PM. There will be one more qualifying session on Saturday at 1:30 PM with the first round of eliminations at 4:00 PM. Eliminations will conclude on Sunday during the second round of professional eliminations.</div>]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>D&apos;Aprile&apos;s Final Round Appearance Moves Mel Bush Motorsports to Second on IHRA Points Ladder</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2008/07/dapriles_final_round_appearanc.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2008://1.24</id>
   
   <published>2008-07-22T15:24:32Z</published>
   <updated>2008-07-25T15:36:32Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Grand Bend, ON, CA. – Team Owner Mel Bush used every aspect of his team to get his driver, Tommy D&apos;Aprile, into the finals at the recently completed Mopar Canadian Nationals in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada. &quot;Everyone on this team...</summary>
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      <![CDATA[<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSA_4807.php" onclick="window.open('http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSA_4807.php','popup','width=600,height=399,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSA_4807-thumb-300x199.jpg" alt="DSA_4807.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="199" width="300" /></a></span><span class="storylocation"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"></span></span><b>Grand Bend, ON, CA</b>. – Team Owner Mel Bush used every aspect of his team to get his driver, Tommy D'Aprile, into the finals at the recently completed Mopar Canadian Nationals in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada.
 
<br /><br />"Everyone on this team did their jobs to the highest level. Tommy did one hell of a job behind the wheel and my crew along with the guys from Jan-Cen Motorsports are second to none. I've been around this sport for a lot of years and to see how well these guys work under pressure is amazing," said Bush.

<br /><br />D'Aprile qualified Bush's unique '62 Bel Air in the number two spot with a 6.044 at over 237 miles per hour pairing him with Thomas Patterson. Patterson, from Spring, Texas, qualified his '70 Dodge Charger in the tenth spot with 6.201 elapsed time. D'Aprile took an incredible starting line advantage posting a .006 reaction time. D'Aprile needed every bit of his starting line advantage to take the win as he ran into mechanical troubles 320 feet before the finish line. Patterson posted a slightly quicker elapsed time of 6.232 to D'Aprile's 6.233 but D'Aprile took the hole shot win.

<br /><br />Between rounds the Mel Bush Motorsports' pit was a hive of activity as the team frantically prepared their wounded machine for round two. Kevin Peters, of Jan-Cen Motorsports, explained the situation. "We are having a slight ignition problem. It started at the last race and the travel between races made it next to impossible to properly diagnose. The same thing happened here and I think we now have an idea of the cause. We'll investigate this situation more at the shop but right now it's about getting her ready for next round," said Peters.<br /><br />]]>
      <![CDATA[Peters and the rest of the crew reached their goal of the second round and driver, D'Aprile made the best of it taking out Jason Stock. In the semi-finals D'Aprile bested, points leader, Kenny Lang with a 6.14 to Lang's slower 6.27. The win over Lang put D'Aprile into his first final of the year, against Pro Modifieds first ever event winner, Ed Hoover. Hoover made it to the finals by defeating Mark Nielsen, Jason Hamstra, and Mike Janis.

<br /><br />D'Aprile lost lane choice to Hoover by virtue of Hoover's quicker elapsed time in the previous round.  Hoover place D'Aprile in the right lane, the "bad lane". D'Aprile showed his prowess on the tree as he took nearly seven hundredths of a second starting line advantage, but it wasn't enough as his machine was tossed toward the centerline and started to fishtail. D'Aprile was forced to lift and hand the race to Hoover.

<br /><br />"This was a great weekend for our team. We faced diversity head on and proved ourselves as a serious contender for this year's title. Mel and Johanne have put together one of, if not the best team in IHRA Pro Mod," said D'Aprile.

<br /><br />Next Up for the Mel bush Motorsports team is the Torco Northern Nationals. The event will begin Friday, Aug. 1 with two pro qualifying sessions. Saturday there will be two professional qualifying sessions as well as the Torco Pro Mod Shootout, with the Night of Fire pro qualifying session starting at 7pm. Final eliminations are slated for Sunday, Aug. 3, beginning at 11am. For more information please visit nitrojam.com or us131motorsportspark.com.

<br /><br />Team Owner Mel "Double O" Bush of Port St. Lucie, Florida qualified his '62 Bel Air fifth in the 32-car field Top Sportsman. Bush laid down a series of .00 reaction times but lost to Bradenton, Florida's Gary Williams
]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>D&apos;Aprile&apos;s Semi-Final Finish Moves Mel Bush Motorsports into Top Five With a Track ET Record to Boot </title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2008/07/dapriles_semifinal_finish_move.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2008://1.25</id>
   
   <published>2008-07-08T17:06:06Z</published>
   <updated>2008-07-25T17:10:19Z</updated>
   
   <summary><![CDATA[Edmonton, Al, CA. – While plagued by rain the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series, CARS RV &amp; Marine &amp; Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by TORCO Racing Fuels will be a bright spot in now veteran driver, Tommy...]]></summary>
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   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://sirthomasinc.com/">
      <![CDATA[<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_4928.php" onclick="window.open('http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_4928.php','popup','width=600,height=402,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_4928-thumb-400x268.jpg" alt="DSB_4928.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="268" width="400" /></a></span><b>Edmonton, Al, CA.</b> – While plagued by rain the 2008 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series, CARS RV &amp; Marine &amp; Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by TORCO Racing Fuels will be a bright spot in now veteran driver, Tommy D'Aprile's career.<br /><br />On D'Aprile's first qualifying attempt he was able to lay down a 6.235 e.t. at just over 230 miles per hour. That run held D'Aprile throughout a rain shortened qualifying and place him fifth on the eliminations ladder. <br /><br />With corrected altitudes ranging from 3,500 feet above sea level to just over 5,500 feet it's easy to see why performance would drop off in such thin air but don't tell that to Castrol Raceway's new Pro Mod Track Elapsed Time Record Holder, Tommy D'Aprile. In round one D'Aprile faced off with mentor and former boss, Quain Stott. D'Aprile took nearly a three-hundredths advantage on the tree and powered down the Edmonton quarter mile setting a new track elapsed time record of 6.096. D'Aprile's mile an hour of 233.76 on the same run held as Top Speed of the Meet.<br /><br />Round two was slowed by rain but D'Aprile showed his 6.09 was no fluke by defeating Jason Stock with a 6.136 at 225.37. The win over Stock was a costly one as a wounded piston forced the Mel Bush Motorsports team into overdrive between rounds rebuilding the Jan-Cen Hemi in just 35 minutes.<br /><br />]]>
      <![CDATA[The second round victory pushed D'Aprile into his second semi-final
appearance of 2008, this time against Carl Spiering. Spiering, the
number seven qualifier, made his way to the semis by defeating Gary
Mason and Scott Cannon. As D'Aprile and Spiering staged it became
apparent that Spiering had a starting line strategy in play. Strategy
or not D'Aprile kept cool and was still able to take over three –
hundredths of a second starting line advantage. D'Aprile's advantage
was short lived as Spiering passed D'Aprile just before the 1,00ft mark
to take the win.<br />
<br />
"We had a hectic time before this round," said D'Aprile. Mike (Janis)
and his crew came over and along with our guys rebuilt this motor and
got us to the line. I think we missed a bit on the clutch, but there
aren't many teams who could've even got their cars back together in
time and I couldn't be prouder of this team that Mel and Johanne have
put together".<br />
<br />
With the Top Sportsman class not being contested at the Rocky Mountain
Nationals Team Owner Mel Bush entered his orange '62 Bubble Top in
Quick 16 action.&nbsp; Qualifying 2nd put Bush up against Edmonton's own
Randal Olynyk and his '96 Firebird. Bush took an easy win over Olynyk
as Olynyk had troubles at half-track. In second round action Bush
squared off with another Alberta native, Aaron Giroux. Giroux qualified
his '02 Cavalier in the number 14 spot and defeated Steve Goddard in
round one.<br />
<br />
With a 6.95 dialed in on his nitrous power plant Bush took a slight
starting line advantage, a .036 to a .037, but "Broke Out" running a
6.913 ending his weekend.<br />
<br />
Up next for Mel Bush Motorsports will be the MOPAR Canadian Nationals
in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada beginning on July 18th and running
through the 20th<br />
]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>Bush and D&apos;Aprile Take Wild Rides En Route To Early Exits From President&apos;s Cup Nationals</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2008/06/bush_and_daprile_take_wild_rid.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2008://1.23</id>
   
   <published>2008-06-17T19:17:00Z</published>
   <updated>2008-06-20T19:22:03Z</updated>
   
   <summary>BUDDS CREEK, Md. – After ending a memorable qualifying session in the top position and claiming his first Last Man Standing bonus of the season, Tommy D&apos;Aprile and the Mel Bush Motorsports team were riding high but that all changed...</summary>
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      <![CDATA[<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSA_6827.php" onclick="window.open('http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSA_6827.php','popup','width=600,height=399,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSA_6827-thumb-300x199.jpg" alt="DSA_6827.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="199" width="300" /></a></span><b>BUDDS CREEK, Md.</b> – After ending a memorable qualifying session in the top position and claiming his first Last Man Standing bonus of the season, Tommy D'Aprile and the Mel Bush Motorsports team were riding high but that all changed on Sunday.<br />&nbsp;<br />During Friday night's qualifying session D'Aprile posted a phenomenal 6.042 pass at just over 236 miles per hour. The pass held through the session handing Bush and D'Aprile their first Last Man Standing award. Due to inclement weather Saturday's qualifying was cut short. With no one besting D'Aprile's time in the three prior sessions D'Aprile claimed his first number one qualifier of the 2008 season.<br />]]>
      <![CDATA["I'm so happy for everyone involved with this team, Mel, Johanne, Fred,
Jim, Kevin, Mike and the guys at Jan-Cen. This is a team effort and I'm
proud to be a part of such a fantastic team," said D'Aprile.<br />&nbsp;<br />D'Aprile's
jubilation from Friday and Saturday turned to frustration on Sunday. By
virtue of the IHRA's eliminations ladder D'Aprile, the number one
qualifier, was paired with the number nine qualifier, Chaptico,
Maryland's Billy Gibson. Gibson at the wheel of Thomas Patterson's '70
Superbird could only post a best of 6.146 during qualifying. On paper
D'Aprile held over a tenth of a second advantage, but drag races are
run on concrete and asphalt, not paper. <br />&nbsp;<br />In what was
considered a huge upset Gibson defeated a tire shaking and fishtailing,
D'Aprile.&nbsp; "This car has a very small window of performance," said
D'Aprile. "Mike (Janis) and his guys' give us a tremendous amount of
power, it's just a matter of getting the car to repeat each time. She's
very sensitive to any change. The smallest changes in the track or the
weather can throw off the whole deal," added D'Aprile.<br />&nbsp;<br />Team
owner Mel Bush of Port St. Lucie, Florida once again launched his '62
Bel Air Top Sportsman entry to the top half of the qualifying field,
this time posting a 6.868 elapsed time at just under 203 miles per hour.<br />&nbsp;<br />In
round one Bush squared off with Fredericksburg, Virginia's Ethan
Watson. Watson at the wheel of his '04 Viper qualified near the bottom
of the qualifying ladder with a 7.108 E.T. For the second time this
season Bush red lighted handing his opponent a win, but his ride wasn't
over as his nitrous equipped hot rod shook the tires and sent him for a
wild ride. Bush, like D'Aprile, used his skill as a diver to get his
vehicle under control without any damage. <br />&nbsp;<br />The Mel Bush Motorsports team will be taking a week off to plan for their next event.<br />&nbsp;]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>Bush and D&apos;Aprile Hope to Build on Recent Performance at President&apos;s Cup Nationals</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2008/06/bush_and_daprile_hope_to_build.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2008://1.22</id>
   
   <published>2008-06-11T13:44:26Z</published>
   <updated>2008-06-11T13:46:40Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Elma, NY– 6.03 with an eight. Yep that&apos;s what the clocks said. A 6.03 from a squared nosed 62 Bel-Air. According to tuner Mike Janis there&apos;s more to come. &quot;Believe it or not this car has the potential to become...</summary>
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   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://sirthomasinc.com/">
      <![CDATA[<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSA_3970.php" onclick="window.open('http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSA_3970.php','popup','width=600,height=399,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSA_3970-thumb-300x199.jpg" alt="DSA_3970.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="199" width="300" /></a></span><b>Elma, NY</b>– 6.03 with an eight. Yep that's what the clocks said. A 6.03 from a squared nosed 62 Bel-Air. According to tuner Mike Janis there's more to come. "Believe it or not this car has the potential to become a five second car," said Janis. "We're still creeping up on her and giving her what she wants. It takes time to settle in on what a car wants and both Mel and Tommy have given us the time and space to find out what she likes. It's a very comfortable feeling racing with those guys," added Janis.<br />&nbsp;<br />Team owner and Top Sportsman driver Mel Bush knows that his Pro Mod has outperformed many people's expectations, but with the hotter weather coming in he knows his driver needs to be on his game as well.<br />]]>
      <![CDATA["There have been several nitrous cars that have been running some
fantastic numbers as of late and with the hotter weather starting any
performance gap between the nitrous and blower guys is going to narrow.
Tommy (D'Aprile) is a good driver with great reactions. His reaction
times will be even more important now. I'm confident Tommy can win us a
round or two on his skill alone," said Bush<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Mel Bush Motorsports Pro Modified Team Driver, Tommy D'Aprile is very
pleased with the cars performance and proud to be the one driving her.
"I believe Mel and Johanne have chosen the right people for their team
and I'm proud to be one of them. I'm honored that they have faith in my
skill as a driver but a driver can only be as good has the car his team
gives him and we have a good one," said D'Aprile. "This car shows more
and more potential each time out. There have been runs that have been
less than perfect and in my head I'm thinking it's a .20 or a high teen
and when I look at the ticket I get floored. There's no telling what's
ahead for us".<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Both Bush and D'Aprile will be competing in this weekend's Torco Race
Fuels President's Cup Nationals held at Maryland International Raceway
in Budds Creek, MD from June 13th thru the 15th.&nbsp; Bush will be at the
wheel of the team's nitrous assisted 62' Bel – Air Top Sportsman
machine and D'Aprile will shoe the teams Blown Bel-Air in the Pro Mod
ranks.<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSA_3970.php" onclick="window.open('http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSA_3970.php','popup','width=600,height=399,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><br />
</a></span>]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>Bush and D&apos;Aprile Take Early Exits From Motor City Nationals</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2008/05/bush_and_daprile_take_early_ex.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2008://1.21</id>
   
   <published>2008-05-27T13:34:14Z</published>
   <updated>2008-06-11T13:37:47Z</updated>
   
   <summary>MILAN, Mich. – The IHRA Motor City Nationals had some high points for both Mel Bush Motorsports team drivers, but it&apos;s an event they would rather put behind them. Although both drivers, Mel Bush (Top Sportsman) and Tommy D&apos;Aprile (Pro...</summary>
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      <![CDATA[<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_31381.php" onclick="window.open('http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_31381.php','popup','width=600,height=402,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_3138-thumb-300x201.jpg" alt="DSB_3138.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="201" width="300" /></a></span><b>MILAN, Mich.</b> – The IHRA Motor City Nationals had some high points for both Mel Bush Motorsports team drivers, but it's an event they would rather put behind them. Although both drivers, Mel Bush (Top Sportsman) and Tommy D'Aprile (Pro Mod), qualified well they both ended up losing in their respective classes in the first round. <br /><br />Team owner and Top Sportsman driver, Mel Bush qualified his nitrous-assisted 62 Bel-Air ninth in the 30-car Top Sportsman field with a 6.877 at 201.61. Bush faced the 23rd qualifier, Hamilton, Ohio's Mike Bloomfield and his 08' Chevy Cobalt in round one. Both drivers red lit, but Bush was first to go red handing the win to Bloomfield. "The rule is first or worst when it comes to fouls. I was first," said Bush.&nbsp; "When your bracket racing your reaction time can win or lose you the race I took a shot at the tree and it didn't work. That's racing."<br />]]>
      <![CDATA[Pro Mod team driver Tommy D'Aprile qualified the team's Jan-Cen
prepared blown Bel-Air in the third spot with a 6.038 elapsed time.&nbsp;
"This car has some serious power," said D'Aprile. "The run was less
than perfect and I lifted a touch early and we still posted a heck of a
number. Mike (Janis) and his guys' keep moving this program forward and
I'm very grateful that Mel and Joanne (Bush) made me a part of this
team."<br />
<br />
In round one action D'Aprile squared off with points leader and number
11 qualifier Jim Halsey. Halsey, one of only a few nitrous assisted
drivers left in IHRA Pro Modified, is proving that nitrous combinations
are a competitive power source and he showed it against D'Aprile.
D'Aprile left first with a .032 reaction time but went into early tire
shake forcing him to abort the run leaving Halsey to take the win with
a 6.12 et. <br />
<br />
"We've been making progress with this car every time out. I don't think a five <br />
second run can be far off. We just need to keep working hard," said crew- member, James Shremmer.<br />
<br />
Both Bush and D'Aprile will be idle until the Torco Race Fuels
President's Cup Nationals held at Maryland International Raceway in
Budds Creek, MD from June 13th thru the 15th<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_31381.php" onclick="window.open('http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_31381.php','popup','width=600,height=402,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><br />
</a></span>]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>D&apos;Aprile Looking to Climb Points Ladder at Wheel of Mel Bush&apos;s Fan Favorite 62&apos; Bel Air</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2008/05/daprile_looking_to_climb_point.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2008://1.20</id>
   
   <published>2008-05-21T13:26:57Z</published>
   <updated>2008-06-11T13:30:06Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Elma, NY– Mel Bush Motorsports and their Blown 62&apos; Bel Air are outperforming many race fans expectations. Driver Tommy D&apos;Aprile, who sits fourth in Torco CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified points, pilots Mel Bush&apos;s fan favorite Bel Air, a car many see...</summary>
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   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://sirthomasinc.com/">
      <![CDATA[<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/Rocksat.php" onclick="window.open('http://sirthomasinc.com/images/Rocksat.php','popup','width=600,height=399,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/Rocksat-thumb-300x199.jpg" alt="Rocksat.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="199" width="300" /></a></span><b>Elma, NY</b>– Mel Bush Motorsports and their Blown 62' Bel Air are outperforming many race fans expectations. Driver Tommy D'Aprile, who sits fourth in Torco CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified points, pilots Mel Bush's fan favorite Bel Air, a car many see as the most non-aerodynamic car on the IHRA trail. <br /><br />"I bet our performance as of late has a lot of people eating their words," said Mel Bush Motorsports Pro Mod driver, Tommy D'Aprile. "Mel and Joanne have put together a great team and Mike (Janis) and the crew at Jan-Cen Motorsports do a great job in preparing the car. It's a total pleasure to be part of this team and I feel we have good shot at moving up in the points at Milan."<br />]]>
      <![CDATA[D'Aprile's semi-final finish and string of 6.0-second runs at the
recently completed Spring Nationals has team owner Mel Bush excited.
"Both my Top Sportsman car and our Pro Mod car receive a lot of
attention for their uniqueness, and we love the fans reaction to our
cars, but there's a different feeling when you start getting noticed
for performance. The best part is we feel the car has more in her,"
said Bush. <br />
<br />
Both Bush and D'Aprile will be competing at this weekend's IHRA Motor
City Nationals presented by GM performance Parts and Heritage
Newspapers. This race marks the third of eleven national events on the
IHRA trail. The race will be held just south of Detroit, Michigan in
Milan at Milan Dragway from May 23rd-25th.<br />
<br />
For up to the minute race results go to http://www.dragracecentral.com
and for daily pit reports check out&nbsp; <a href="http://www.competitionplus.com/">Competitionplus.com</a>..]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>D&apos;Aprile Takes Mel Bush Motorsports To Semifinals At IHRA Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Spring Nationals</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2008/04/daprile_takes_mel_bush_motorsp.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2008://1.19</id>
   
   <published>2008-04-23T01:53:56Z</published>
   <updated>2008-04-23T02:00:33Z</updated>
   
   <summary><![CDATA[ROCKINGHAM, NC– Consistent low six-second elapsed times and a quarterfinal finish has the 2006 IHRA Pro Rookie of the Year, Tommy D’Aprile saying, “The Boy’s are Back In Town!” &nbsp;“I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who...]]></summary>
   <author>
      <name></name>
      
   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://sirthomasinc.com/">
      <![CDATA[<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/rockingham-spring-2008-apr184.jpg"><img alt="rockingham-spring-2008-apr184.jpg" src="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/rockingham-spring-2008-apr184-thumb-300x352.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="352" width="300" /></a></span><b>ROCKINGHAM, NC</b>– Consistent low six-second elapsed times and a quarterfinal finish has the 2006 IHRA Pro Rookie of the Year, Tommy D’Aprile saying, “The Boy’s are Back In Town!” &nbsp;<br /><br />“I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who thought this car could never be competitive,” said Mel Bush Motorsports Pro Mod driver Tommy D’Aprile. I bet they aren’t saying that now.” Seven consistent passes with a best of 6.050 at 234.37 is what gives this now veteran driver something to crow about. “ Mel and Joanne Bush have put together a fantastic team and I’m happy to be a part of it. My guys and Mike Janis’ crew have been working well together,” said D’Aprile. &nbsp;<br /><br />D’Aprile qualified the Mel Bush and Sons backed supercharged 62’ Bel-Air in the number four position pairing him in round one with the number 12 qualifier Burton Auxier. D’Aprile posted a&nbsp; 6.077 elapsed time in the win over Auxier’s nitrous assisted entry. D’Aprile’s competition in round two would be none other than his former mentor Quain Stott. “Quain gave me my start and I’ll forever be grateful but this team is here to win no matter who we face,” said D’Aprile. <br /><br />]]>
      <![CDATA[In a teacher versus student match up it was D’Aprile, the former student, showing his teacher a thing or two. D’Aprile was off the line first with nearly two hundredths of a second advantage. D’Aprile capitalized on his starting line advantage and built on it taking the win with a 6.113 to Stott’s slower 6.174. The win over Stott sent the D’Aprile into the semifinals against Kenny Lang’s Nitro Moose backed entry. Lang made it to the semis by defeating Jason Hamstra and Billy Gibbons.   

<br /><br />Once again it was D’Aprile out first but it was not enough to hold of a determined Lange. Lange took the win over D’Aprile by just over 4 hundredths of a second.  

<br /><br />“I’m really happy with our performance this weekend. We’ve proven ourselves as contenders and we give the fans something to cheer for other than a Camaro or Firebird. They really love this car,” said D’Aprile.  

<br /><br />In other Mel Bush Motorsports news Team Owner and Top Sportsman Driver Mel Bush qualified the team’s nitrous assisted 62’ Bel-Air 15th in the ultra competitive 32 car Top Sportsman field, but lost in round one to Terry Teets.  

<br /><br />Next up for Tommy D’Aprile and Mel Bush will be the Motor City Nationals Motor City Nationals presented by GM performance Parts and Heritage Newspapers From May 23rd-25th.]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>D&apos;Aprile picks up where he left off</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2008/04/daprile_picks_up_where_he_left.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2008://1.18</id>
   
   <published>2008-04-17T15:11:45Z</published>
   <updated>2008-04-17T15:19:05Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Tommy D&apos;Aprile finished his 2006 rookie NitroJam season in fifth place. Now he starts the year in the same position and has high hopes for a strong season. The Port Charlotte Florida resident spent the past several days testing with the Mel Bush and Sons Construction backed team.</summary>
   <author>
      <name></name>
      
   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://sirthomasinc.com/">
      <![CDATA[<font style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b>New team tests before Rockingham </b></font><br /><b><br /></b><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_1242_Tommy_D_San_Antonio.jpg"><img alt="DSB_1242_Tommy_D_San_Antonio.jpg" src="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/DSB_1242_Tommy_D_San_Antonio-thumb-300x201.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="201" width="300" /></a></span><b>MOORESVILLE, NC</b> - Tommy D'Aprile finished his 2006 rookie NitroJam season in fifth place. Now he starts the year in the same position and has high hopes for a strong season. The Port Charlotte Florida resident spent the past several days testing with the Mel Bush and Sons Construction backed team.<br />&nbsp;<br />D'Aprile took the Mike Janis tuned entry to the quarter finals at the season opening race in San Antonio. He qualified the '63 Chevy Bel Air in the 12th position.<br /><br />"We've been testing the past several days here in the North Carolina area," D'Aprile said. "We had hoped to do a little better in San Antonio. We're not going to beat ourselves up too much." D'Aprile's huge hole shot advantage in his quarter final match up with Jason Hamstra wasn't enough to overcome the tire shaking ride he experienced.<br /><br />"Life is going to give you lemons," D'Aprile said. "You have to quit crying and make lemonade."<br /><br />"We've got a great car, a great team and two of the best guys in the business in Mel (team owner Mel Bush) and Mike (crew chief Mike Janis)," D'Aprile added. "We're all expecting some great things in Rockingham. We love working late on Sunday, it means were going rounds and that's what it takes to win a championship."<br /><br />D'Aprile and the Pro Modified '63 Chevy Bel Air will begin qualifying attempts at the Rockingham Dragway Friday and continue Saturday with eliminations beginning Sunday, April 20. <br />]]>
      
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>D&apos;Aprile pilots Mel Bush - Mike Janis prepared Pro Mod in 2008</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2008/03/daprile_pilots_mel_bush_mike_j.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2008://1.17</id>
   
   <published>2008-03-11T16:58:36Z</published>
   <updated>2008-03-11T17:04:56Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Tommy D&apos;Aprile, 2006 IHRA Pro Rookie of the Year, will be competing for the 2008 IHRA Pro Modified Championship behind the wheel of a Mel Bush - Mike Janis prepared 1962 Chevy Bel Air.</summary>
   <author>
      <name></name>
      
   </author>
   
   <category term="prerace" label="Pre Race" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag" />
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://sirthomasinc.com/">
      <![CDATA[<img alt="sneak_peak.jpg" src="http://sirthomasinc.com/images/sneak_peak.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="225" width="300" /><b>PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.</b>&nbsp; - Tommy D'Aprile, 2006 IHRA Pro Rookie of the Year, will be competing for the 2008 IHRA Pro Modified Championship behind the wheel of a Mel Bush - Mike Janis prepared 1962 Chevy Bel Air. <br /><br />After sitting out 2007, D'Aprile is looking forward to getting back on the track. "I sat out a year, because I wasn't going to race against Quain [former teammate Stott]," D'Aprile explained. "I can't thank Quain enough. He gave me my first opportunity to go out there and be real competitive from the start. When I lost my sponsorship in 2007, it just wouldn't have been right to race against him that following season. When Mel [Bush] approached me last season about driving for him in 2008 I couldn't pass up this great chance."<br />]]>
      <![CDATA[The supercharged entry will be sponsored by Mel Bush &amp; Sons
Construction and tuned by two-time World Champion Mike Janis. The crew
that carried D'Aprile to a fifth place finish in 2006 will return for
the 2008 campaign (Mike Martindell, Ron Logan and Fred Vinacco).
D'Aprile's welcoming personality made him a fan-favorite in the past
and is expected to be a draw for fans again this season. Fans are
encouraged to visit D'Aprile's pit area for the up close and personal
attention drag racing and D'Aprile fans have grown to expect. "We know
we could not race without their support," D'Aprile said. "We just want
to give a little back."<br /><br />"It's going to be fun racing this cool
Chevy Bel Air in a sea of Corvettes and Firebirds," D'Aprile said.
"Mike Janis is one of the best tuners in the business, we've got to be
optimistic about our chances. I can't wait to run that Chevy 240MPH at
5.90."<br /><br />"We are going to give it our all. We'll be as good as we can be - as good as the Lord wants us to be," said D'Aprile.<br /><br />The
team will be conducting a few private test sessions prior to the season
opening IHRA race at the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals April 4-6 in San
Antonio. D'Aprile can't wait to strap in and go racing. "Mike and Mel
have put a lot of work into this team. All that hard work will come out
in San Antonio."<br /><br />D'Aprile posted a runner-up finish in his first San Antonio outing in 2006.<br /><br />"Again
I can't thank Mel Bush enough for this opportunity.&nbsp; We are going to
bust our butts for him and I hope we can show some really positive
results".<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><br /></span>]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>D&apos;Aprile and Stott run Outlaw&apos;s out of Bradenton</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2007/12/daprile_and_stott_run_outlaws.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2007://1.16</id>
   
   <published>2007-12-04T21:19:00Z</published>
   <updated>2007-12-04T21:32:27Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Tommy D&apos;Aprile and Quain Stott teamed up again this past weekend for the Outlaw Snowbird Nationals. If you expect outlaws to change their ways, well, you better wait pray for another day.</summary>
   <author>
      <name></name>
      
   </author>
   
      <category term="Post Race" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" />
   
   <category term="postrace" label="post race" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag" />
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://sirthomasinc.com/">
      <![CDATA[<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="../../IMG_1636_edit1.php" onclick="window.open('http://sirthomasinc.com/IMG_1636_edit1.php','popup','width=400,height=483,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="../../assets_c/18.61fd327af9707cc1d9ff27ad55d9d6a72d9a5ecb.jpg" alt="IMG_1636_edit.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="301" width="250"></a></span> <div><b>BRADENTON, Fla</b>. Tommy D'Aprile and Quain Stott teamed up again this past weekend for the Outlaw Snowbird Nationals. If you expect outlaws to change their ways, well, you better wait pray for another day.<br><br>D'Aprile and Stott continued the tandem one - two punch they started in 2006 when Stott finished number one in the world in IHRA Pro Modified racing and D'Aprile finished with Pro Rookie honors and number five in the world. That same season, D'Aprile and Stott ended up in the winner's circle together with a runner-up and win in Maryland. The results in Bradenton seemed like a bad re-run for teams not driving a Corvette driven by either D'Aprile or Stott who made it to the finals again.<br><br>D'Aprile took his Access Able Mobility / Sir Thomas, Inc. Racing 1963 split-window Corvette to a runner-up finish. "I knew we were at a disadvantage going into that final round," explained D'Aprile. "My car still needs a few more parts to be totally ready to go outlaw racing. But went to the line set on kill. Unfortunately we just blew the tires off of the car."<br></div>]]>
      <![CDATA[Racing with his old team mate Quain Stott is something D'Aprile looks
forward to. "Quain and I didn't get a chance to race that much against
each other this year. So, making the final round with Quain was fun,"
D'Aprile said. "We ran good, but my car was plagued with little
problems all weekend long. I'm not sure we ever reached our potential
for what that car could do."<br><br>If D'Aprile's continues to 'not'
perform up to his potential and make the final round, it could prove
trouble for the rest of the Pro Modified contingency in 2008.<br><br>"I'm
excited about the potential for this team and all of the exciting
things that we have planned for 2008," D'Aprile continued. "We have a
lot to look forward to."]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>Outlaws headed for Bradenton - D&apos;Aprile among them</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2007/11/outlaws_headed_for_bradenton_d.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2007://1.15</id>
   
   <published>2007-11-26T20:13:30Z</published>
   <updated>2007-11-26T20:29:10Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Nothing will heat up a cool winter like a trip south. If sunny Florida isn&apos;t enough to heat up your winter, then the Bradenton Motorsports Park will turn up the heat more when they host the Outlaw Snowbird Nationals November 30 - December 2. Top Outlaw Pro Modified teams are expected to compete at the annual thriller. Tommy D&apos;Aprile and his Access Able Mobility / Sir Thomas, Inc. 1963 split window Corvette will make the short haul from the Port Charlotte race shop and be among the top contenders.</summary>
   <author>
      <name></name>
      
   </author>
   
      <category term="Pre Race" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" />
   
   <category term="outlawsnowbirdnationals" label="Outlaw Snowbird Nationals" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag" />
   <category term="prerace" label="Pre Race" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#tag" />
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://sirthomasinc.com/">
      <![CDATA[<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="../../ADRLValdostaGeorgia047.php" onclick="window.open('http://sirthomasinc.com/ADRLValdostaGeorgia047.php','popup','width=800,height=533,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://sirthomasinc.com/assets_c/21.881766da056557be8e03ff3cbf4dab54b7da163d.jpg" alt="ADRLValdostaGeorgia047.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="266" width="400"></a></span> <div><b>PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.</b>&nbsp; - Nothing will heat up a cool
winter like a trip south. If sunny Florida isn't enough to heat up your
winter, then the Bradenton Motorsports Park will turn up the heat more
when they host the Outlaw Snowbird Nationals November 30 - December 2.
Top Outlaw Pro Modified teams are expected to compete at the annual
thriller. Tommy D'Aprile and his Access Able Mobility / Sir Thomas,
Inc. 1963 split window Corvette will make the short haul from the Port
Charlotte race shop and be among the top contenders.<br>
<br>
"We're definitely excited about competing in this event," D'Aprile
said. "My old teammate and friend Quain Stott will join us to tune the
car. Right now this car is pretty much a legal car. We've got a lot of
parts and a new blower ordered. We'll be ready for outlaw racing no
matter where we decided to race."<br>
<br>
D'Aprile has been sought after as a driver since his 2006 Pro Rookie
Driver of the Year award and fifth place finish in IHRA Pro Modified
competition. Many people continue to speculate about D'Apirle's plans
for the 2008 season, but he chooses to keep most of his plans quiet for
now.</div>]]>
      <![CDATA["We've got some big announcements for the 2008 drag racing season," D'Aprile added. "We're not ready to make a public announcement yet. Once all the plans and schedules are in place we'll let everyone know. The best news is that we'll be racing next season. If anyone wants to know more than that, they'll just have to come see me in Bradenton. Who knows, I might spill some of the story there," he joked.<br><br>Qualifying for the action packed event begins Friday, November 30 and continues Saturday. Elimination rounds begin Sunday at 10 a.m.]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>D&apos;Aprile treks to Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2007/09/daprile_treks_to_eastern_race.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2007://1.14</id>
   
   <published>2007-09-14T15:29:13Z</published>
   <updated>2007-09-14T15:51:59Z</updated>
   
   <summary>ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (September 14, 2007) - Tommy D&apos;Aprile, IHRA&apos;s 2006 Pro Rookie of the Year, will make his second ADRL appearance this weekend at the Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV event in Rockingham, September 14-15. In 2006, Dragstock produced one...</summary>
   <author>
      <name></name>
      
   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://sirthomasinc.com/">
      <![CDATA[<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><img alt="ADRL Valdosta Georgia 040.jpg" src="http://sirthomasinc.com/imagfes/ADRL%20Valdosta%20Georgia%20040.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" height="201" width="300"></span><b>ROCKINGHAM, N.C.</b> (September 14, 2007) - Tommy D'Aprile, IHRA's 2006 Pro
Rookie of the Year, will make his second ADRL appearance this weekend
at the Eastern Race Fuels Dragstock IV event in Rockingham, September
14-15. In 2006, Dragstock produced one of the largest crowds in the
history of Rockingham Dragway.<br>
<br>
D'Aprile will pilot his Sir Thomas Inc. / Access Able Mobility 1963
split-window Corvette. He debuted the Vanishing Point built Corvette
earlier this year and&nbsp; made a semi-final appearance at the Camp
Motorsport Georgia Drags in Valdosta, Georgia.<br>]]>
      <![CDATA["I can't wait to see what this car will do in Rockingham," D'Aprile
said. "When we took it down to Valdosta earlier this season, it was
brand new. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do now that we
have a few laps under our belt."<br><br>"ADRL has the best outlaw
racers around. We're coming in here with pretty much a legal Pro Mod
set up, so we'll be a little bit of an underdog. We'll just have to
kill them with consistency and reaction times."]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>D&apos;Aprile back on track in Epping</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2007/08/daprile_back_on_track_in_eppin.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2007://1.13</id>
   
   <published>2007-08-07T16:45:28Z</published>
   <updated>2007-08-07T17:04:24Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Tommy D&apos;Aprile, fifth in IHRA Pro Modified points in 2006 and fresh off of his appearance on the popular TLC show Miami Ink, will race this weekend at the Amalie Oil North American Nationals contested at the New England Dragway, August 10-12. The one race partnership will put the 2006 Pro Rookie Driver of the Year behind the wheel of the Thomas Zarella owned Camaro tuned by Dan Page of Dan Page Race Cars.</summary>
   <author>
      <name></name>
      
   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://sirthomasinc.com/">
      <![CDATA[<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><img alt="IMG_1636_edit.jpg" src="../../images/IMG_1636_edit.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="300" width="248"></span></p><b>PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.</b>&nbsp; - Tommy D'Aprile, fifth in IHRA Pro Modified points in 2006 and fresh off of his appearance on the popular TLC show Miami Ink, will race this weekend at the Amalie Oil North American Nationals contested at the New England Dragway, August 10-12. The one race partnership will put the 2006 Pro Rookie Driver of the Year behind the wheel of the Thomas Zarella owned Camaro tuned by Dan Page of Dan Page Race Cars. Zarella purchased the race-proven Vanashing Point 1968 Camaro from John Russo. <br><br>"I can't thank Thomas and Dan enough for the opportunity," said D'Aprile. "I'm excited about getting out there and mixing it up with the rest of the Pro Mods."<br><br>Last season, D'Aprile drove the team car for Quain Stott Drag Racing and made a semi-final appearance at Epping. "It's a great track," said D'Aprile. "I had some success there last year, hopefully I can provide a promising weekend for this team."<br>
]]>
      <![CDATA[<p>Although he has raced a limited schedule in 2007, D'Aprile has had
success, including a semi-final appearance in his Access Able Mobility
1963 Corvette at the ADRL Camp Motorsport Georgia Drags in Valdosta,
Georgia. D'Aprile's remaining schedule for 2007 and 2008 is still
pending as he continues his sponsorship search. "We've got a lot of
positive opportunities in the works," said D'Aprile. "Hopefully that
translates to a full schedule in 2008."&nbsp;</p>
]]>
   </content>
</entry>

<entry>
   <title>Tune in for D&apos;Aprile on Miami Ink</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://sirthomasinc.com/2007/07/tune_in_for_daprile_on_miami_i.php" />
   <id>tag:sirthomasinc.com,2007://1.12</id>
   
   <published>2007-07-20T20:20:31Z</published>
   <updated>2007-07-20T20:30:37Z</updated>
   
   <summary><![CDATA[PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - The popular TV show Miami Ink will feature Pro Modified standout Tommy D'Aprile in the episode airing Tuesday, July 24 at 10PM EST on the TLC channel (check listings for local times).&nbsp;D'Aprile, the 2006 IHRA Pro...]]></summary>
   <author>
      <name></name>
      
   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://sirthomasinc.com/">
      <![CDATA[<span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><a href="../../DSA_6024.php" onclick="window.open('http://sirthomasinc.com/DSA_6024.php','popup','width=600,height=402,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="../../assets_c/15.104e64dbe46c60b6f82a0f93dd482e5ba9f5d7c8.jpg" alt="DSA_6024.JPG" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="234" width="350"></a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><font face="Verdana" size="2">PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.</font></span><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"></span><font face="Verdana" size="2"> - The popular TV show Miami Ink will feature Pro 
Modified standout Tommy D'Aprile in the episode airing Tuesday, July 24 at 10PM 
EST on the TLC channel (check listings for local times).<br>&nbsp;<br>D'Aprile, the 
2006 IHRA Pro Rookie of the Year will get a tattoo on the popular show during 
the season's second episode. "The tattoo is something I wanted to do to promote 
the sport and promote my faith," D'Aprile said. D'Aprile was the 2006 teammate 
to the LeeBoy Equipment Corvette driven by 2006 IHRA Pro Modified World Champion 
Quain Stott.<br>&nbsp;<br>When asked to compare filming a segment for TV and drag 
racing, D'Aprile was quick to respond. "It's a lot like drag racing in that the 
filming for the TV show started about 6AM and ended about 9PM. It was an all day 
process to film a small bit. So, it's a lot like working on a car all day for 
about 12 seconds of racing. The Miami experience was pretty 
exciting."<br></font> ]]>
      <![CDATA[<font face="Verdana" size="2">The producers took footage of D'Aprile racing recently at an 
ADRL race in Valdosta. "If it exposes a few more people to the world of drag 
racing, that's a real good thing," D'Aprile added.<br>&nbsp;<br>D'Aprile and Stott 
are actively seeking sponsorship to put the popular duo back together for the 
2008 season. "Right now we're looking at all of our options and opportunities 
that are out there," D'Aprile said. Stott is looking forward to the opportunity 
of racing with D'Aprile again. "Tommy has the total drag racing package for any 
sponsor," Stott said. "First he's a great driver. He does a lot of things right 
in the car. Plus, fans are attracted to Tommy. He has that special quality that 
people can relate to."<br>&nbsp;<br>In their first season racing together, Stott and 
D'Aprile were able to finish the highly contested Pro Modified season first and 
fifth respectively. Only 76 points separated the teammates.</font>]]>
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