The Pro Modified Racing Association and what it represents to the teams, the sponsors, the media, its race venues and most importantly to its fans, is very pleased and honored to present the John Massingberd Memorial Award to a deserving individual again this year.
This year, the award will be presented during the Drag Strip Memories Show on April 14 at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.
In keeping with the spirit of the PMRA, it is appropriate to recognize John Massingberd through this annual award. Massingberd was a national ambassador of Canadian Motorsport in all disciplines of the sport through his keen insight and entrepreneurial creativity.
In the late 1980s, Massingberd co-established Promark Motorsport International, Raceline Motorsport Television and Snowtrax Television with Bruce Mehlenbacher, two media ventures responsible for bringing Canadian motorsport to a greater audience and well-deserved prominence. Along with coverage of drag racing, stock car racing, road racing, and tractor pulls with Promark and Raceline Television, he went on to co-found and co-anchor of Raceline Radio in 1993.
Massingberd was the executive producer of Canada’s first nationally syndicated motorsport radio program, the Raceline Radio Network, along with Erik Tomas, which continues to be the only show of its kind in Canada.
Massingberd also co-produced and was the featured anchor and moderator on Snow Trax Television, a syndicated snowmobile program viewed throughout North America.
Massingberd’s no-holds-barred comments, his perception of the sport, his knowledge, and his professionalism are missed, as are his unique vision, business acumen, and strong sense of dedication. He pioneered in the field, breaking new ground in radio and television motorsports coverage.
In December of 2008, after a long and courageous battle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Massingberd left the world that he loved at age 54.
John Massingberd was inducted into the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame posthumously in 2022 and was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame posthumously in 2023.
Past recipients of the John Massingberd Memorial Award include Carl Spiering, Fred and Betsy Smith, R.W. (Bob) Slack, Vern Christy, John Waldie, Tim Miller, Bruce Biegler, Harvey Silverthorn and Rob Potter.
Drag Strip Memories will be held on Sunday, April 14, 2024, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is located on Airport Road in Mount Hope, just south of Hamilton, and provides ample free parking.
For more information, please contact Bruce Mehlenbacher at [email protected]
This story was originally published on April 1, 2024. 
