Pro-M Racing Interview with Chris Richards

[Lindsay-GFN]

I interviewed Chris Richards, president and owner of Pro-M Racing, LLC. In the interview I learned why Pro-M is head and shoulders above their competition. After meeting Chris in early 2007 I knew his knowledge was extremely impressive to say the least. Chris is not just the owner of Pro-M Racing LLC (www.promracing.com) but also the Founder, Owner and inventor of Mass-Flo EFI and the Mass-Flo EFI Conversion System.

Over the years, Pro-M has been the focus point of some amount of controversy and confusion. Questions still linger in the minds of many people as to the history of ownership (past and present) and as to their affiliation (or lack thereof) with PMAS. We asked Chris some questions in an attempt set the record straight once and for all!

• GFN: Is Pro-M a company or just a brand?
• CR: Actually it is both! Pro-M the brand was created prior to the incorporation of Pro-M Racing, LLC.

• GFN: So what is the true story between Pro-M, Pro-Flow, Best Products and PMAS (Professional Mass Air Systems)?
• CR: Best Products purchased Pro-M (Professional Flow Technologies) from its founder, Bob Atwood. In 2005 Best Products went out of business and a gentleman by the name of Jeff Dunne purchased all of the assets of Pro-M. Jeff then made a deal with PMAS to continue producing the Pro-M product line. The partnership failed, as partnerships often do. Jeff removed all of the equipment from PMAS’ location and started looking for a buyer. I had been a long time customer of Pro-M. Pro-M manufactured the mass air sensors we were using as part of Our Mass-Flo fuel injection systems. Purchasing Pro-M just seemed a logical next step in the progression and growth of our company. I purchased the assets of Pro-M in 2006.

• GFN: Why buy the company? Why not just find a different vendor?
• CR: Pro-M was always poorly managed, but their products were absolutely the finest available. I felt I could add the stability the company needed.

• GFN: What year vehicles does the Pro-M line cover?
• CR: Well, that depends on the vehicle. Suffice it to say that we have something for just about everything on the road.

• GFN: All years that are fuel injected, right?
• CR: Yes, but we can also add fuel injection to about anything that does not currently have EFI. That’s where the Mass-Flo fuel injection system comes in.

• GFN: Ah, I did not think about that.* So you use Pro-M meters with your EFI system?
• CR: The standard system comes with a proprietary “Mass-Flo” mass air sensor that is produced by Pro-M, but several of our customers use the Pro-M line of meters.* The Pro-M meters allow more options for customers that want to use a supercharger, turbo, or some form of cold air induction.

• GFN: I was on your website and then I called your sales line to see if the information about the Pro-Tube was correct. Is it true that the Pro-Tube has unlimited horsepower potential?
• CR: Yes it is. The limitation will be the amount of boost, not the Pro-Tube. In other words, the more boost, the more air flows through the tube.

• GFN: Why don't we ever see Pro-M at SEMA?
• CR: We’ve been to SEMA many times. We just do not display there. We’ve found that the nature of that event makes displaying there much less productive than just attending. We can spend our time walking around and meeting the people we’d like to speak with, rather than hoping they will come to our booth. It’s just much more effective.

• GFN: What is the highest horsepower car you ever sold a meter for?
• CR: I honestly don’t know. We do not make an effort to keep track. We simply supply our customers with whatever they need to meet their goals. I’m confident that we can find a good solution for whatever level of power a customer wants to make.

• GFN: Do you have any celebrities that use your products?
• CR: Yes

• GFN: Who?
• CR: Our client base is confidential. We don't spam, send letters or use our client’s names to sell our products. It is simply unethical. Now, if they send in a testimonial, well that’s different.

• GFN: I heard your meters are completely repairable. Is that true?
• CR: Yes our meters can be fixed and recalibrated at any time. The only time you have to buy a new meter is if you outgrow the old one, or you destroy the housing in some sort of accident.

• GFN: What is the difference between the meter and the housing?
• CR: Good question. People confuse these terms all the time. A mass air meter is comprised of a sensing element and housing. The housing is the plastic, chrome or aluminum tube. The sensing element is the electronic part that mounts to the housing to measure the air mass.*People often refer to the sensing element as the mass air meter.

• GFN: So can someone*build their own housing and use your sensing element to create a custom mass air meter?
• CR: Yes. You would buy either the Slot-In Sensor or the Drop-In Sensor with the proper weld on flange. In the case of the Slot-In sensor, you would install the sensor in your existing duct, and use the provided transfer function sheet to create a tune for your processor. With the Drop-In sensor, you would build the housing and send the whole assembly to us for calibration. This allows you to build a custom meter without having to tune the processor.

• GFN: Thank you for the interview. I would like to schedule a time for us to talk about your other company, Mass-Flo EFI.
• CR: That would be great.

That concluded the first part of our two part interview on Chris Richards and his companies. Below is the "About Us" from the Pro-M Racing website.

About Pro-M Racing LLC.

Pro-M Racing was founded in 1989 by Bob Atwood, a Ford engineer who was instrumental in pioneering mass air technology. Pro-M quickly became the most respected name in the industry, offering the only real practical solution to the restrictive production mass air meters found in most of today's production vehicles.

We manufacture mass air meters in various sizes, shapes, and styles, as both direct bolt-in replacements, and in universal designs, to maximize your engine's horsepower potential, by allowing your engine to breathe to its fullest potential. Each mass air meter is individually calibrated on one of our in-house flow benches specific to your particular application, either eliminating the need for dyno tuning, or greatly reducing the time required to do so.

Others make claims, but only Pro-M Racing possesses both the intellectual and physical properties necessary to calibrate your mass air meter to within two percent of what the OEM considers the perfect baseline. (In comparison, OEM meters are typically held to within 6 percent). Quite simply, despite their claims, no other company even knows what this baseline is. For those who choose to have their vehicle professionally tuned, all of our meters are supplied with a flow data sheet. The flow data sheet provides extremely accurate and invaluable information for tuners, greatly reducing the time needed to properly tune your vehicle. All of our mass air meters can be installed in a matter of minutes, and will provide immediate results.

Pro-M also manufactures virtually every private label mass air flow sensor on the market. Such highly respected companies as SCT, BBK, Sniper, and others rely upon Prom-M Racing to calibrate their mass air sensors. Even Ford Motor Company relies on Pro-M Racing for innovative products to suit their development needs. We are the source and we set the standard! No one else even comes close, despite their claims. Many have tried, (and are still trying!) but no other company comes close to duplicating our quality, or our accuracy, because no other company possesses the product knowledge, and/or the equipment necessary to do so. No other company has access to our intellectual resources, or to our processes. No other company possesses the knowledge we have to support you in your quest for power, performance, and drivability. Our company, and our products, have always been, and always will be, the standard by which all others are judged.

[brendar7639]

Thanks you for the post.
Hi guys, Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.