2009 IHRA EDMONTON - SAME DAY COVERAGE
Keep up with this weekend's IHRA Rocky Mountain Nationals by reading our same day coverage. We bring you the stories behind the numbers and win-lights throughout the course of the weekend. Tune in daily for the latest news from the pits.
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SUNDAY FINAL - LITTON BECOMES FIRST REPEAT WINNER OF 2009; HOOVER GETS REVENGE
Records fell by the wayside both on and off the track during a very busy weekend at the River Cree Resort and Casino Rocky 
Mountain Nationals presented by Paradise RV Sunday at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
With six professional classes, nearly two dozen sportsman classes and small handful of match races and exhibition vehicles sprinkled in for fun it was an exciting three days of racing as fans came out in droves to see the world’s greatest drivers go at it on the Canadian quarter mile.
Packing the stands as tightly as possible to make room for three straight sold out crowds, race fans watched Bruce Litton (Top Fuel), Ed Hoover (Pro Modified), Roger Bateman (Alcohol Funny Car), Jason Arkinstall (Nitro Bikes), Gary Christopher (Pro Mod Bike) and Rod Elliott (Pro Nostalgia) take home Ironman trophies during Parts Source Championship Sunday at Castrol Raceway.
The IHRA also saw its record of four straight events without a repeat winner among its regular touring pros come to an end Sunday thanks to the win by Litton.
Also taking home wins during Sunday’s championship rounds were Scott Blake (Top Sportsman), Tom Koenen (Top Dragster), Jamie Fiesel (Quick Rod), Dennis White (Super Rod), Casey Plaizier (Hot Rod), Randy Hutchings (Stock) and Casey Plaizier (Super Stock) in sportsman competition.
There were also a number of drivers taking home wins in several other sportsman categories.
Nitro Funny Car also returned to IHRA competition over the weekend as Dale Creasy Jr. made his return to racing against Terry Haddock in a weekend long grudge match between the two Nitro Funny Car world champions.
While Creasy dominated the headlines, it was Bruce Litton who took the spoils.
Litton made quite a statement in his bid for a second championship Sunday while also breaking up the list of non-repeat winners with a victory in Top Fuel Sunday at the Rocky Mountain Nationals at Castrol Raceway.
Litton (Indianapolis, Ind.) ran a solid 4.908 second lap at 299.26 miles per hour to get around Mitch King (Galveston, Texas) who was in his first career final. King ran a disappointing 7.221 elapsed time after smoking the tires at halftrack.
“I am just thrilled that we could get a win for the fans and for Lucas Oil Canada and United. They are the ones that keep us racing and turning win lights,” Litton said. “It was a long haul up here, but the spectators made this worthwhile. These crowds are second to none.”
Sunday marked Litton’s second win of the year as he also claimed a victory at the season opening Mardi Gras Nationals in Baton Rouge. It was also Litton’s fourth final in five tries this season as he extended his points lead over rookie Del Cox Jr. to 84 points after Cox fell out in the first round.
“It isn’t about me, I just steer the car. These guys (my crew) deserve all the credit. They do their jobs so well and allow me to come out here and have the easy part,” Litton said. “We have been so blessed to do this and we enjoy having the opportunity to represent our sponsors and put on a good show for these incredible fans.”
Litton, who won the inaugural Rocky Mountain Nationals in 2003, knocked off Bobby Lagana Jr., Terry Haddock and King on his way to his 15th career victory.
King reached his first career final round with a big upset of Terry McMillen in the semifinals. McMillen began pedaling the car at mid-track while King produced a trouble-free run with a 5.145 second pass at 273.39 miles per hour to advance. McMillen crossed the line on a 5.997 second lap at 166.37 miles per hour.
Litton made his fourth final in five tries with a dominating win over Terry Haddock who had all sorts of trouble in his run. Litton blew bye the ’08 Nitro Funny Car champ with a 4.987 second pass at 288.21 miles per hour while Haddock limped across the line nearly two seconds later.
In quarterfinal action King pulled a huge upset of protégé Del Cox, who suffered his first first round loss of the season. With the loss Litton was able to extend his points lead over the rookie from California.
Haddock continued the upset trend with a stunner over Edmonton product Tim Boychuk in a pedal fest as Haddock kept in the throttle despite smoke rolling from every corner of the car. In the other quarterfinal rounds Litton got past Bobby Lagana Jr. and McMillen made an easy pass against Smax Smith.
Coming into the weekend everyone knew that the Pro Modified final at the Rocky Mountain Nationals would probably consist of Ed Hoover and Kenny Lang.
What they didn’t know was who was going to come out on top this time.
Hoover (Gilbert, S.C.) and Lang (Grande Pointe, Manitoba), meeting for the fourth time in five races this season, continued their grudge match in the battle of the United States versus Canada as this time Hoover got the best of Lang, breaking up a string of three-straight elimination losses to the Canadian to take home his first win of the year.
“It has been a tough road. We have been to five races and have made just one final. It was our turn to win,” Hoover said. “Kenny Lang beat us and shut us down three times this year and it was nice to get one back. It is just satisfying to win one for Paul Trussell. He has been behind me 13 years now and we needed to get one. The car was just phenomenal this weekend.”
Hoover ran a 6.127 elapsed time at 235.23 miles per hour to get around Lang (Grande Pointe, Manitoba) who smoked the tires on his way to a disappointing 13.265 second lap in the finals.
“It is a tribute to my team, my crew and to our new deal – Gilbert Powerhouse. That is the name of my new engine company,” Hoover said. “I took over tuning this car this year and we like to tune it aggressive. This is Ed Hoover power, now Al Billes power. I wanted to do something different and that is what I did. We qualified No. 1, set both ends of the track record and got the win.
“That is a good day for Ed Hoover Powerhouse.”
Hoover picked up his 14th career victory.
Hoover, traveling nearly 3,000 miles to be at Castrol Raceway for this weekend’s event, set up his dominance early by claiming the Last Man Standing award on Friday on his way to taking the No. 1 qualifying position, a number that would hold as the weekend advanced.
“I have to keep talking about the Canadian fans. Last night we had a tent full drinking beer and having a great time. They are great people,” Hoover said. “It may be a long haul, but these fans make it worth the trip.”
Lang got a bit of revenge on Saturday, stealing the five points back, but Hoover was able to get it done when it mattered most. Hoover claimed wins over Wade Sjostrom, Wayne Hofer and Lang to take the victory.
With the win Hoover closed the gap to just eight points in the Pro Mod points chase.
Hoover and Lang set up their epic second straight final with a few interesting afternoon runs.
Hoover, who was almost eliminated in the first round, rebounded nicely with a big win in the quarterfinals to receive a bye in the semis via his No. 1 qualifying position. It was in that bye run that Hoover claimed lane choice, running a solid 6.10 elapsed time at 236.17 miles per hour.
Lang’s journey went a little smoother in the early morning, but really picked up in the afternoon session when Lang went head to head with Rick Distefano in the semis in a battle of the ’53 Corvettes.
Despite the super semifinal matchup, Distefano took all the guess work out of the win when he went red, giving the free pass to Lang who ran a 6.706 E.T. at 227.46 miles per hour, setting up the battle of the best in IHRA Pro Modified competition.
Hoover survived a scary first round, stumbling twice before powering his way to a win. He didn’t have nearly as much of a challenge in the quarters with an easy win over Wayne Hofer. In the other quarterfinal matchups Distefano got a free pass when Joe Delehay failed to show and Lang smoked Ross Hogenson.
Roger Bateman left no question who had the most dominating car of the weekend Sunday afternoon when he rocketed past Ken 
Webster in the Alcohol Funny Car final as Bateman walked away from the Rocky Mountain Nationals with two new track records and a shiny new IHRA Ironman to add to his collection.
“We had a good week. The race car was good and it makes it easy on an old man when the race car is this good,” Bateman said.
But it wasn’t just the car that kept Bateman motivated – it was the memory of the last time he was at Castrol Raceway for the Rocky Mountain Nationals.
“We raced here three years ago and the guys reminded me that I lost in the final that year despite having the fastest car,” Bateman said. “We didn’t give it away this time.”
Bateman (Calgary, Alberta) was a force to be reckoned with all weekend long, taking the No. 1 spot in qualifying and setting a pair of track records on Saturday before rolling through the competition Sunday on his way to his first career IHRA victory.
Not only did he set the new track record over the weekend, but every run over the course of the weekend was faster than the old track marks.
“Even our worse run was better than the track record,” Bateman said. “Now that is a good weekend.”
Bateman defeated Ken Webster (Red Deer, Alberta) in a superb final as Bateman ran a 5.669 elapsed time at 252.80 miles per hour to Webster’s 5.909 second lap at 233.92 mph.
Bateman’s domination of the Alcohol Funny Car class continued in the semifinals in a matchup with the second fastest car of the weekend, John Evanchuk. While Evanchuk got off the line first, Bateman was able to regroup and drive around the Edmonton native with a 5.697 elapsed time at 250.97 miles per hour. Evanchuk ran a 8.112 after hitting some trouble on the far end.
Webster advanced to the finals when his opponent, Trevor Lebsack, took too long to stage essentially giving the free pass to Webster. Webster ran a 5.723 second lap at 253.33 miles per hour.
In quarterfinal action Lebsack pulled a bit of an upset over three-time IHRA world champion Rob Atchison who heavily shook the tires at about 200 feet. Webster got a nice win over Nathan Sitko in a super race, while Evanchuk took down Scott McVey and Bateman rolled over Jordan Pawlick.
A great weekend of racing in Nitro Bikes saw a bit of a scary moment during the finals when Jason Arkinstall, moments after taking the win light, ran off the far end of the track after failing to get stopped during his run against Damian Cownden.
After a brief delay Arkinstall’s and his bike were pulled from the sand and he was able to celebrate in victory lane with his first 
career IHRA Ironman trophy.
Arkinstall (Surrey, British Columbia) ran a 6.610 elapsed time at 214.31 miles per hour to Cownden’s (Victoria, British Columbia) 7.192 E.T. at 154.60 mph as Cownden dropped a cylinder at halftrack, easily handing the victory to Arkinstall.
Arkinstall and Cownden, who seemed to be on a crash course all weekend long, made sure that matchup became a reality with a pair of nice wins in the semifinals.
Arkinstall defeated John Breckenridge with a 6.659 elapsed time at 212.76 miles per hour to Breckenridge’s 7.882 second lap. Cownden reached the finals with a 6.779 second time at 212.03 miles per hour to get past Ken Kent who ran a 6.899 E.T.
In the quarters it was Cownden over Mike Scott, Kent over Kevin Boyer, Breckenridge over Andy Beauchemin and Arkinstall over Mike Pelrine
Without a doubt the most dominating vehicle of the weekend whether on two wheels or four was the 2004 Ninja motorcyle driven by Gary Christopher in Pro Modified bike.
Holding down the top spot in qualifying throughout the weekend and carrying that momentum into Sunday, Christopher (Hope, British Columbia) was able to easily eliminate one opponent after another en route to taking the Pro Modified Bike championship Sunday afternoon.
Christopher eliminated Gord Smith (Kelowna, British Columbia) in the finals with a 7.229 second pass at 182.53 miles per hour while Smith coasted across the line nearly six seconds later after running into a bit of trouble early in his run.
Christopher, who had the fastest car all weekend long, easily reached the finals with a dominating win over Kevin Shupac. Christopher ran a 7.309 elapsed time at 188.12 miles per hour to Shupac’s 9.172 E.T.
Smith matched himself with Christopher via a win over Rich Podszus who struggled at the line. Smith ran a 6.679 E.T. at 167.76 miles per hour.
In the quarters it was Christopher over Mike Smith, Shupac over Spencer Johnson, Smith over Terry Schweigert and Podszus in a solo pass when his opponent failed to show.
In Pro Nostalgia Rod Elliott was able to survive a couple of scares to reach the finals, eventually taking a victory over No. 1 qualifier Eddy Plaizier in the 7.20 index class.
Elliott (Edmonton, Alberta) ran a 7.242 elapsed time at 198.78 miles per hour while Plaizier (Edmonton, Alberta) ran a 7.274 E.T. at 163.10 miles per hour.
Elliott, who held the top spot on Friday, was knocked off of the podium by Plaizier on Saturday but was able to get his revenge by taking home the Ironman Sunday afternoon.
Plaizier was gifted a trip to the finals when opponent Cal Tebb took too long to stage, essentially awarding a free pass to Plaizier. Even with the freebie Plaizier still ran a blazing 7.210 E.T. at 188.70 miles per hour on the 7.20 index.
Elliott advanced to the finals with a win against newcomer Corey Sakura in a great drag race. Elliott ran a 7.258 second time at 187.05 miles per hour to Sakura’s 7.282.
In quarterfinal action it was No. 1 qualifier Plaizier over the two-time Rocky Mountain Nationals champ Joey Steckler, Sekura over Jason Bussey, Tebb with a free pass and defending champ Elliott over Tim Boychuk.
Boychuk, who was entered in both Top Fuel and Nostalgia Funny Car, failed to make the semis in either class.
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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - THE STORIES FROM INSIDE THE EDMONTON PITS
GUTS - Crazy, psychotic, suicidal – all are words that have been used to describe the riders of the 200 mile per hour nitro powered
But while those terms seem to fit perfectly anyone who consciously decides to hop on a two-wheeled bomb going speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour, the drivers of the Nitro Bike class will be quick to tell you that, while it is as dangerous as it looks, it is all about the adrenaline and putting on a great show for the fans that keeps these guys glued to the seats week in and week out.
“Chasing the adrenaline rush, that is what it is all about,” said Surrey, British Columbia native Jason Arkinstall. “I have always been a snowmobile guy and an extreme guy so I got tired of watching and said you know what, I am going to try this. We have had nothing but success ever since.”
Arkinstall has been racing Nitro Bikes for the past few years, maxing out at an incredible 219 miles per hour a few years ago. Just yesterday Arkinstall threatened to equal that mark, putting down the fast lap of the race at 218.90 miles per hour during the pristine evening conditions, but it wasn’t good enough to top Friday’s charts.
That honor went to Victoria, British Columbia native Damian Cownden, another driver who has found just how addicting these two-wheeled rockets can be.
“We started out racing in the dirt and I watched these bikes as a spectator and basically got dared into trying one. We started out in the dirt and before you know it we are dong 100 miles per hour in three seconds and so we decided to step it up and move to asphalt,” Cownden said. “I have moved quickly through the ranks. I went from a 10-second gas bike to a 450 horsepower nitro bike and then to a Top fuel bike all in a few years and I will tell you, there truly is nothing like it in the world.”
While most people would question the sanity of anyone who would choose to ride one of these bikes, Cownden will quickly point out that, while he may be a bit crazy, he isn’t any different than anyone else.
He is just a regular guy who likes to ride his motorcycle – at over 200 miles per hour of course.
“The biggest thing is just to hold on. You can’t be taught how to drive one of these things. I have tried every dangerous sport and nothing compares to this,” Cownden said. “There is no adrenaline that relates to hanging over the side of a motorcycle going 200 miles per hour just to steer because your front wheel is still in the air.”
That is another thing that makes these motorcycles so dangerous.
As if 900 plus horsepower Nitro Methane engines weren’t dangerous enough, these monstrous machines will keep the front wheel in the air nearly half the track before finally returning to earth for the final few feet.
“I can’t explain it. Nothing comes close to the feeling and the rush. It is just unbelievable,” Arkinstall said. “It is all about having fun and keeping her pinned and putting on a good show for the fans.”
“While it is an adrenaline rush you still have to respect it and you have to be aware it is very dangerous just starting one of these things,” Cownden added. “I have always loved two wheels and I hope we can continue to do this for a long time.”
Over a dozen Nitro Bikes are on hand for this weekend’s River Cree Resort and Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Paradise RV looking to make an eight bike field.
A PROPER SALUTE - Just a few days after suffering a nasty accident at the Rocky Mountain Nationals last year at Castrol Raceway
Dale Creasy Jr., while still lying in a hospital bed in Edmonton with casts on both legs, vowed he would one day return to the track that almost took his ability to walk and make a successful pass in the same lane that got him.Last night, Creasy made good on that promise.
With the world watching and waiting to see how the Illinois native would handle running on the same track and in the same lane that provided a years worth of rehab and 13 surgeries exactly one year ago, Creasy made a successful pass to the approval of the thousands who were on hand to witness the emotional moment.
“It was just one of those things that happens. You just have to go back to where it happened and make the run and that is what we did. Just getting the car down that lane and getting the first run was big for us,” Creasy said.
While the pass went smoothly and Creasy was able to cash in on his promise, what wasn’t originally on the docket was his reaction after making the run. What started out as a bit of a joke a few months back when Creasy was planning to make his return quickly took on a life of its own.
“It all started out as a joke. I did a few interviews with newspapers and radio stations and they all asked what I was going to do when I got out and I said I am going to get out and flip the track off,” Creasy said. “From there it just took off.”
With everyone watching Creasy stopped his car at the far end of the track, climbed out and, surrounded by members of the rescue crew, turned around and gave the track the one finger salute.
“I was getting ready to swing around the corner and a safety guy stopped me. He really wanted me to do it,” Creasy said. “So I got out of the car and said ‘are we going to get in trouble for doing this’ and he said no so I turned around and gave that lane the bird. I basically told the track that I win.”
Creasy’s return has been met with fanfare all week long as media outlets and fans all across Alberta have flocked to the easygoing Illinois native to wish him well in his return to drag racing.
“The reception has been tremendous. I have had people I haven’t even met coming by and giving me hugs and wishing me luck,” Creasy said. “That is what racing is all about. I hope we can continue to put on a great show for the fans as the weekend goes along.”
DREAM COME TRUE - Of all the sports across the globe, there is perhaps none as diverse as the world of motorsports.
It is not uncommon to see drivers in IHRA competition come from countries such as the United States, England, Canada – even the tiny island of Aruba – but one place you don’t often associate with racing is the often forgot state of Alaska.
Big in area but small in fan base, Alaska is not usually known for its drag racing.
Jay Childs hopes to change that.
Growing up in Anchorage, Childs has been around racing his entire life even when it wasn’t the most popular thing to do. Watching his father, Childs learned the ins and outs of the sport and learned to love tinkering with a race car on the weekends.
“My dad started me off. He has been racing since before I was born so it was just a natural fit for me,” Childs said. “We were always working on his cars, playing around with anything motorized – it has always been my life. Some people even joke that I was conceived at a race track in Alaska.”
And that love of the sport eventually led to Childs getting into a car of his own.
Beginning with tuning his dad’s door car, Childs eventually decided to try it for himself and build a car of his own. Starting out in the door car ranks, Childs eventually moved up to a funny car when he constructed an Alcohol Funny Car a few years back.
While he has had opportunities to race his AFC at a few tracks around Alaska and western Canada, this weekend marks his first try at running a national event and for Childs that means the realization of a lifelong dream beginning with making his very first full quarter mile pass Friday afternoon.
“We have been coming here for years, but this is the first time we have got to bring our funny car and yesterday was the first full quarter mile pass we have made,” Childs said. “It felt really good to bring our car up here and make that run.”
Now Childs hopes he can put the butterflies behind him and focus on turning a good performance the rest of the weekend.
“In Alaska you might have 100 people come out and when we pulled out here yesterday it was like having stage fright there were so many people,” Childs said. “This is a big deal for us. We get to showcase what we can do in front of a bunch of people at what we consider our home track. This is the pinnacle of our summer every year.”
NO PLACE LIKE HOME - In the United States most drivers can find a race track or a national event relatively close to their hometown.
That isn’t always the case in Canada.
With few “big league” drag racing events in the country, every time the IHRA visits it is always a big deal as thousands of fans pack the stands during three days of edge-of-your-seat drag racing action.
While these events are always a huge hit for the fans, for the local racer base the Canadian national events always provide drivers who otherwise wouldn’t have a big stage to showcase their talent a chance to test their mettle against the best in the world.
“It is big in a lot of ways. It is not just big for us but it is big for the IHRA and is one of the best attended events that they have on their national event schedule. It is also big for the owners of the track, it is big for the sponsors and it is big for the racers because we get to run at a national event in front of our hometown crowd and in front of all of our supporters,” said Alcohol Funny Car driver John Evanchuk. “It is great to see what a huge success a national event can be in this city. It is something that everybody really enjoys.”
Evanchuk, who is from right here in Edmonton, has been racing for years and loves the opportunity that racing in front of a packed house and in front of his sponsors and fans can provide.
Calgary native Roger Bateman, also a driver in the Alcohol Funny Car ranks, reiterated that thought.
“I have raced in Edmonton quite a bit being from Calgary and they have always been a great racing crowd here. They are a knowledgeable crowd that understands what they see and it is fun to race in front of them,” Bateman said. “While we get to race in front of big crowds throughout the year, these guys are more outgoing. They hoot and holler and they have a lot of fun.
“It is nice to be appreciated and we look forward to doing a great job in front of this crowd this weekend.”
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SATURDAY QUALIFYING - MCMILLEN SHOOTS TO THE TOP OF TOP FUEL CHARTS; HOOVER HOLDS OFF LANG
Despite a sudden downpour during the afternoon session and chilly
temperatures throughout the day, the IHRA still saw record crowds
during the SMS Equipment Night of Fire at the River Cree Resort and
Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Paradise RV Saturday night
at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta Canada.
It was standing room only before the showers and more of the same once
the rains subsided as fans in attendance stayed to see a collection of
nearly ever form of drag racing on the planet earth.
Top qualifiers during Saturday’s SMS Equipment Night of Fire were Terry
McMillen (Top Fuel), Ed Hoover (Pro Modified), Roger Bateman (Alcohol
Funny Car), Jason Arkinstall (Nitro Bikes), Gary Christopher (Pro
Modified Bikes) and Eddy Plaizier (Pro Nostalgia).
McMillen (Elkhart, Ind.) used what ended up being the only Top Fuel
round of the afternoon to shoot to the top of the charts with a 4.834
second time at 287.78 miles per hour.
McMillen and Terry Haddock were able to get in one round of Top Fuel
qualifying moments before the rains started, giving McMillen the
advantage as the only driver with three qualifying runs over the
weekend.
“It was a great run under some pretty awesome conditions. I hated to
see the second round of qualifying get rained out, but we were happy to
be able to get in that run,” McMillen said. “It was great to see all
these fans out despite the downpour, the Edmonton fans truly are some
of the best in the world.”
Despite the great lap by McMillen it was Bruce Litton who grabbed the
five bonus points for being Saturday’s Last Man Standing, running a
4.844 elapsed time at 302.41 miles per hour. Litton claimed the honor
by being the fastest winning car during the SMS Equipment Night of Fire
qualifying session.
With that lap Litton dropped in behind McMillen in second while
Edmonton’s own Tim Boychuk placed himself third with a 4.898 E.T. at
299.46 miles per hour heading into Sunday’s eliminations.
Mitch King (5.044) and Del Cox (5.448) rounded out the top five in Top Fuel.
“I think we are in pretty good shape going into tomorrow. It won’t be
easy, IHRA Top Fuel always has tough competition, but we are ready to
get back at it in the morning,” McMillen added.
In Pro Modified Lang (Grande Pointe, Manitoba) got his revenge on Ed
Hoover (Gilbert, S.C.) in the battle of the United States versus Canada
as the two drivers who have went at it all season long continued their
grudge match Saturday night.
Hoover got the edge on Lang Friday night, garnering the five bonus
points associated with claiming the Last Man Standing award, but Lang
responded on Saturday with a 6.060 elapsed time at 235.93 miles per
hour to steal the five points back and claim Saturday’s Last Man
Standing Award.
While Lang had the top time Saturday night, Hoover remained on top as
the No. 1 qualifier heading into eliminations. Hoover ran a 6.026 E.T.
at 237.55 miles per hour on Friday to remain on top of the charts.
“Usually after a rain like that the track gets super good so I stepped
al over the motor and my clutch just to see if we could go a five here
and that is just a chance you have to take,” Hoover said. “You plan on
the track cooling off and it did, but what happened was that enough
cars didn’t go down the track before the fast cars got out there.
“I got in trouble when I put it in second gear, I pedaled it and then I
quit it. We will now just go back with what worked in the daytime and
go with that tomorrow.”
Lang wedged himself just behind Hoover in second, followed closely by a
trio of Alberta natives in Rick Distefano (6.208), Joe Delehay (6.240)
and Ross Hogenson (6.293).
When it was all said and done the two drivers on top of the points
split their wins during qualifying, but it is Sunday where the win
light really matters.
“I like racing him until race day when he kicks my butt,” Hoover said
with a laugh. “It was nice getting a few wins over him during
qualifying, but it would be better if we could do it when it counts.
Tomorrow we need to stay in that right lane because that is my lane of
choice. The car is set up for that lane so I need to go very fast every
round to keep that choice.”
Alcohol Funny Car continued to put on a show Saturday night with
several close side-by-side runs and a pair of new track records set by
Alberta’s own Roger Bateman.
Bateman (Calgary, Alberta) reset both track records at Castrol Raceway
with a blazing 5.615 elapsed time at 254.23 miles per hour to take the
top qualifying spot heading into Sunday’s eliminations.
Ken Webster (Red Deer, Alberta) was just behind Bateman in second with
a 6.675 E.T. at 253.56 miles per hour and three-time IHRA world
champion Rob Atchison (5.767) was third. Scott McVey (5.775) and John
Evanchuk (5.791) rounded out the top five in a field that came one spot
shy of an all five-second field.
In the two wheel category it was Arkinstall in Nitro Bikes and
Christopher (Hope, British Columbia) in Pro Mod bike topping the
motorcycle charts.
Arkinstall (Surrey, British Columbia) ran a 6.599 elapsed time at
218.90 miles per hour on his nitro-powered 2003 Weekend to top the
Nitro Bike category while Ken Kent (Edmonton, Alberta) qualified second
with a 6.625 E.T. at 210.93 mph.
Damian Cownden (6.664) who had the top spot going into the day dropped
to third while Andy Beauchemin (6.723) and John Breckenridge (6.756)
round out the top five going into Sunday.
Christopher ran a 7.153 elapsed time at 190.67 miles per hour to top
the qualifying charts in Pro Modified. Gord Smith (Kelowna, British
Columbia) was just behind him in second with a 7.243 E.T. at 189.63 mph.
Rich Podszus (7.473), Kevin Shupac (7.975) and Spencer Johnson (8.046) rounded out the top five in Pro Modified Bikes.
Half track burnouts and crazy bodies highlighted the Pro Nostalgia
class as Eddy Plaizier claimed the top spot in qualifying heading into
Sunday’s eliminations.
Plaizier (Edmonton, Alberta) ran a 7.203 second elapsed time on a 7.20
index at 188.28 miles per hour to take the top spot while Jason Bussey
(Edson, Alberta) was second with a 7.208 E.T. at 188.44 miles per hour.
Rod Elliott (7.223), Cal Tebb (7.230) and Ron Sekura (7.235) rounded out the top five.
Racing action will get back underway at 9 a.m. Sunday morning with pro
eliminations getting underway at 11 a.m. Final eliminations are set to
begin at 4 p.m. Sunday evening.
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First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the
River Cree Resort & Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by
Paradise RV at Castrol Raceway, the fifth of 10 events in the 2009
Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying,
which ended Saturday.
Top Fuel -- 1. Terry McMillen, 4.834 seconds, 287.78 mph vs. 8.
Smax Smith, 8.449, 89.20; 2. Bruce Litton, 4.844, 302.41 vs. 7. Bobby
Lagana Jr., 7.509, 107.04; 3. Tim Boychuk, 4.898, 299.46 vs. 6. Terry
Haddock, 5.714, 174.37; 4. Mitch King, 5.044, 286.80 vs. 5. Del Cox
Jr, 5.448, 182.16.
Pro Modified -- 1. Ed Hoover, Chevy Camaro, 6.026, 237.55 vs.
12. Wade Sjostrom, Camaro, 7.043, 195.05; 2. Kenny Lang, Chevy
Corvette, 6.060, 236.01 vs. 11. Tim Vogt, Corvette, 6.691, 206.73; 3.
Rick Distefano, Corvette, 6.208, 229.12 vs. 10. Tom Meheden, Chevy
Beretta, 6.649, 208.52; 4. Joe Delehay, Camaro, 6.240, 228.69 vs. 9.
Perry Thyr, Camaro, 6.515, 212.66; 5. Ross Hogenson, Corvette, 6.293,
219.51 vs. 8. Dan Vogt, Corvette, 6.484, 211.93; 6. Vern Mills, Chevy
Bel Air, 6.357, 218.27 vs. 7. Wayne Hofer, Corvette, 6.398, 215.20.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Roger Bateman, Ford Mustang, 5.615,
254.23 vs. 8. Jordan Pawlick, Dodge Avenger, 6.044, 237.17; 2. Ken
Webster, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.675, 253.61 vs. 7. Nathan Sitko, Pontiac
Firebird, 5.944, 239.65; 3. Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo, 5.767, 250.41
vs. 6. Trevor Lebsack, Chevy Camaro, 5.848, 246.21; 4. Scott McVey,
Monte Carlo, 5.775, 248.75 vs. 5. John Evanchuk, Firebird, 5.791,
247.38.
Nitro Bikes -- 1. Jason Arkinstall, 6.599, 218.90 vs. 8. Mike
Pelrine, 6.979, 189.84; 2. Ken Kent, 6.625, 210.93 vs. 7. Kevin Boyer,
6.904, 205.60; 3. Damien Cownden, 6.664, 210.97 vs. 6. Mike Scott,
6.871, 216.10; 4. Andy Beauchemin, 6.723, 206.23 vs. 5. John
Breckenridge, 6.756, 200.26.
Pro Modified Bike -- 1. Gary Christopher, 7.153, 199.49 vs. 8.
Craig Pelrine, Harley-Davidson, 8.148, 146.35; 2. Gord Smith, Kawasaki,
7.243, 190.11 vs. 7. Terry Schweigert, Suzuki, 8.096, 166.42; 3. Rich
Podszus, Suzuki, 7.473, 178.35 vs. 6. Walter Dwelsdorf, Ninja, 8.057,
169.15; 4. Kevin Shupac, Suzuki, 7.975, 165.72 vs. 5. Spencer Johnson,
Suzuki, 8.046, 148.38.
Pro Nostalgia -- 1. Eddy Plaizier, Chevy, 7.203, 188.36 vs. Bye; 2.
Jason Bussey, Chevy Camaro, 7.208, 200.65 vs. 15. Tom Reithmayer,
Mustang, 7.034, 207.88; 3. Rod Elliott, Plymouth Barracuda, 7.223,
194.24 vs. 14. Brian Ross, Swindahl Camaro, 10.022, 98.36; 4. Cal Tebb,
Pontiac GTO, 7.230, 195.59 vs. 13. Rick Barnhart, Ford Fairlane, 7.662,
177.28; 5. Ron Sekura, Camaro, 7.235, 188.60 vs. 12. Brent Harris,
Willys Coupe, 7.467, 200.62; 6. Tim Boychuk, Ford Mustang, 7.267,
190.00 vs. 11. Sherrie Bodnarchuk, Plymouth Superbird, 7.373, 198.03;
7. Corey Sekura, Pontiac Trans Am, 7.284, 191.38 vs. V; 8. Darrell
Webb, Chevy Nova, 7.295, 194.16 vs. 9. Joey Steckler, Chevy Corvette,
7.325, 192.96.
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FRIDAY QUALIFYING - HOOVER RESETS TRACK RECORDS AT CASTROL RACEWAY
On a night where records seemed to fall left and right, Pro Modified driver Ed Hoover made the biggest splash of them all with a new 
track mark for speed and elapsed time in front of a packed house Friday the River Cree Resort and Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Paradise RV at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Going head to head with points leader Kenny Lang in a battle of the United States versus Canada, Hoover (Gilbert, S.C.) got the best of the Grande Pointe, Manitoba resident with a 6.026 E.T. at 237.55 mph to Lang’s 6.154 elapsed time at 235.72 mph to top the provisional qualifying charts and claim Friday’s Last Man Standing in Pro Modified.
“Jim (Weinert) has done a great job on the track. I did not expect that kind of E.T. out of my car, but we just got a hold of it early and had a great 60 foot and a great eighth mile and that is where your E.T. comes from,” Hoover said. “I didn’t expect 6.02 here on the mountain. I figured it would probably go 10 or 11 at best, it was pretty surprising.”
Hoover’s numbers were good enough to reset all of the track records at Castrol Raceway, joining a pair of Alcohol Funny Car drivers who also set new marks as records seemed to fall at will under the pristine drag racing conditions at the Canadian quarter mile.
“We work on this thing every week and I am tuning it myself,” Hoover said. “I never quit tinkering with it; I am never settled on a tune-up. We are trying a few things a little different this weekend and hoping they will pay off on Sunday.”
Behind Hoover and Lang was a trio of Alberta natives including Rick Distefano (6.231, 229.12) who made his IHRA return after a lengthy absence with the third spot through two rounds of qualifying. Rounding out the Pro Mod top five are Ross Hogenson (6.298) and Joe Delehay (6.309).
While Hoover headlined the door slammer rounds, the nitro rounds saw an incredible night of racing in both Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car as the IHRA welcomed the nitro burning floppers back to competition in style.
Dale Creasy Jr., Terry Haddock, Jason Duchene and Randy Bykowsky put on quite a show in Nitro Funny Car to round out the evening’s competition rounds.
While the Funny Cars put an end to the evening’s qualifying sessions, Top Fuel got down to business in trying to determine the fastest rail car of the evening.
And that honor went to Indianapolis, Ind. native Bruce Litton who claimed Friday’s Last Man Standing and topped the provisional qualifying charts with a 4.868 elapsed time at 297.16 miles per hour.
“It was a good run. We just wanted to go down to the finish line under power and just get something under our belt,” Litton said. “The sun played a little bit of havoc, driving right in the glare, but we kept it in the groove and that is all you can ask. It worked out well.”
Mitch King (Galveston, Texas) was just behind Litton with a 5.044 E.T. at 286.80 mph while King’s second car, driven by Del Cox Jr., qualified fourth (5.448). Tim Boychuk (7.509) was fifth.
IHRA also welcomed Alcohol Funny Car back to the fold and the alcohol burning cousins of the nitro clan did not disappoint.
Both track records were reset during Friday’s qualifying rounds as Roger Bateman (Calgary, Alberta) set the new E.T. mark with a 5.655 second lap at 252.05 mph to top the provisional qualifying charts while Ken Webster (Red Deer, Alberta) set the new speed record at 253.61 miles per hour, falling in line behind Bateman on the charts with a 5.761 elapsed time.
Three-time IHRA Alcohol Funny Car champion Rob Atchison was third on the charts with a 5.767 E.T. at 250.41 mph followed by Scott McVey (5.775) and John Evanchuk (5.807).
A pair of two-wheel classes made quite a bit of noise in the middle of the order headlined by the nitro-burning Harley Davidson class. Damian Cownden (Victoria, British Columbia) headlined the Nitro Harleys with a 6.664 elapsed time at 210.97 miles per hour to take the provisional pole, followed very closely by Ken Kent (Edmonton, Alberta) who put down a blazing 6.665 E.T. at 210.93 mph.
Andy Beauchemin (6.729) was third and Jason Arkinstall (6.747) was fourth, putting down top speed of the night at an incredible 218.90 miles per hour, one mile per hour shy of the world record. John Breckenridge (6.821) rounded out the top five.
In Pro Modified Bikes it was Hope, British Columbia native Gary Christopher on top of the charts with a 7.154 elapsed time at 199.49 miles per hour. Gord Smith (Kelowna, British Columbia) is second with a 7.243 E.T. at 189.63 mph.
Rounding out the Pro Mod Bikes are Rich Podszus (7.473), Kevin Shupac (7.975) and Tony Clizbe (8.089).
In Pro Nostalgia Edmonton’s own Rod Elliott topped the provisional charts with a 7.243 E.T. at 194.24 miles per hour. Ron Sekura (Drayton Valley, Alberta) was second on the charts with a lap of 7.243 seconds at 188.25 mph.
Eddy Plaizier (7.254), Tim Boychuk (7.267) and Cal Tebb (7.272) rounded out the top five in Pro Nostalgia.
Racing action will get back underway at Castrol Raceway at 10 a.m. Saturday morning leading up to the SMS Equipment “Night of Fire” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday evening.
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Results Friday afterqualifying for the River Cree Resort & Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Paradise RV at Castrol Raceway, fifth of 10 events in the 2009 Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Bruce Litton, 4.868 seconds, 297.16 mph; 2. Mitch King, 5.044, 286.80; 3. Del Cox Jr, 5.448, 182.16; 4. Tim Boychuk, 5.649, 174.75; 5. Bobby Lagana Jr., 7.509, 107.04; 6. Smax Smith, 8.449, 89.20; 7. Terry McMillen, 8.770, 88.56.
Pro Modified -- 1. Ed Hoover, Chevy Camaro, 6.026, 237.55; 2. Kenny Lang, Chevy Corvette, 6.154, 235.72; 3. Rick Distefano, Corvette, 6.231, 229.12; 4. Ross Hogenson, Corvette, 6.298, 219.51; 5. Joe Delehay, Camaro, 6.309, 226.24; 6. Vern Mills, Chevy Bel Air, 6.357, 218.27; 7. Wayne Hofer, Corvette, 6.411, 208.39; 8. Dan Vogt, Corvette, 6.484, 211.93; 9. Perry Thyr, Camaro, 6.515, 212.66; 10. Tim Vogt, Corvette, 6.696, 206.01; 11. Tom Meheden, Chevy Beretta, 6.777, 198.99; 12. Wade Sjostrom, Camaro, 7.043, 195.05.
Nitro Bikes -- 1. Damien Cownden, 6.664, 210.97; 2. Ken Kent, 6.665, 210.93; 3. Andy Beauchemin, 6.729, 206.23; 4. Jason Arkinstall, 6.747, 218.90; 5. John Breckenridge, 6.821, 199.76; 6. Mike Scott, 6.871, 212.29; 7. Lyle Newton, 7.292, 193.85; 8. Ben Ground, 7.327, 191.97. Not Qualified: 9. Mike Pelrine, 7.785, 173.47; 10. Kevin Boyer, 8.233, 188.99; 11. Jim Schellenberg, 8.378, 165.86.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Roger Bateman, Ford Mustang, 5.655, 252.05; 2. Ken Webster, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.761, 253.61; 3. Rob Atchison, Monte Carlo, 5.767, 250.41; 4. Scott McVey, Monte Carlo, 5.775, 248.75; 5. John Evanchuk, Pontiac Firebird, 5.807, 247.38; 6. Trevor Lebsack, Chevy Camaro, 5.848, 246.21; 7. Nathan Sitko, Firebird, 5.953, 238.30; 8. Jay Childs, Dodge Avenger, 6.408, 213.84. Not Qualified: 9. Jordan Pawlick, 10.129, 91.29.
Pro Nostalgia -- 1. Rod Elliott, Plymouth Barracuda, 7.243, 194.24; 2. Ron Sekura, Chevy Camaro, 7.243, 188.25; 3. Eddy Plaizier, 7.254, 188.36; 4. Tim Boychuk, Ford Mustang, 7.267, 190.00; 5. Cal Tebb, Pontiac GTO, 7.272, 192.91; 6. Joey Steckler, Chevy Corvette, 7.325, 192.96; 7. Cory Kincaid, 7.330, 192.55; 8. Darrell Webb, Chevy Nova, 7.337, 194.16. Not Qualified: 9. Rick Barnhart, 8.259, 173.76; 10. Brian Ross, 10.022, 98.36; 11. Corey Sekura, 7.196, 187.34; 12. Brent Harris, 7.182, 200.62; 13. Jason Bussey, 7.105, 200.65; 14. Sherrie Bodnarchuk, 7.071, 198.03; 15. Tom Reithmayer, 6.906, 207.88.
Pro Modified Bike -- 1. Gary Christopher, 7.154, 199.49; 2. Gord Smith, Kawasaki, 7.243, 189.63; 3. Rich Podszus, Suzuki, 7.473, 171.36; 4. Kevin Shupac, Suzuki, 7.975, 165.72; 5. Tony Clizbe, Suzuki, 8.089, 156.10; 6. Cory Duncan, Suzuki, 8.091, 163.63; 7. Terry Schweigert, Suzuki, 8.096, 166.42; 8. Craig Pelrine, Suzuki, 8.148, 144.69; 9. Walter Dwelsdorf, Ninja, 8.351, 169.15; 10. Spencer Johnson, Suzuki, 8.468, 130.86; 11. Dan Boehm, Kawasaki, 9.263, 175.07; 12. Devin Pelrine, Suzuki, 10.938, 75.28; 13. Mike Smith, Kawasaki, 11.211, 153.81.
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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - FREQUENT DRIVING MILES, FAMILIAR FACES AND DRAG RACING
LONG HAUL - From the Nitro Nationals at Rocky Mountain Raceways to the Rocky Mountain Nationals at Castrol Raceway, IHRA’s west 
coast swing continues this weekend as drivers from all over the globe converge on Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for the seventh annual River Cree Resort and Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Paradise RV.
While the IHRA it typically considered more of an east coast racing organization, the past two weeks have proven the sanctioning bodies’ continued commitment to expanding its borders and growing its presence across North America.
For drag racing fans that means more racing at a track near you, but for the drivers that expansion means more miles logged on the trucks and trailers hauling the rigs from one stop to the next across the U.S. and Canada.
Two drivers in particular, Pro Modified veteran Ed Hoover and Top Fuel ace Bobby Lagana Jr, have learned the hard way what growing the IHRA brand is all about.
Lagana, a New York native who has traveled with the IHRA for both of their west coast stops and Gilbert, S.C. native Ed Hoover both made the long haul to Edmonton this weekend and both are hoping to make the long trips pay off with wins at one of the largest drag races in North America.
“The best part about this event is the fans. They don’t have a lot going on up here so they really appreciate the IHRA coming up here,” Hoover said. “I remember a few years ago we got here on Friday and it was pouring outside. Despite the rain, I had more fans come by that day and thank me for coming than I do during most sunny days.
“They are all nice people and they take the time to thank you for being here. You don’t see much of that anymore.”
Hoover’s crew began their journey one week and 3,000 miles ago, making it to the Edmonton track early this week. Hoover, however, decided to meet his team a few days later in an effort to avoid fatigue behind the wheel.
While the trip is long enough in a plane, behind the wheel the miles – and the wear and tear on both the equipment and the body – can really add up.
“We spent a week and roughly $4,000 on maintenance alone just to make the journey,” Hoover said. “It beats them to death during the four day drive and that is why I fly because the driver doesn’t need to be tired on Sunday.
“But once we get up here, the fans make it all worth while.”
Top Fuel veteran Lagana reiterated that thought.
Lagana, who rarely passes on a chance to race, made the trip to Salt Lake City last weekend for the IHRA Nitro Nationals and wasted little time packing up and heading across the border for the race in Edmonton this weekend.
“We were in Salt Lake City when I made the comment that maybe we should have our heads examined as far away from home as we are, but it was beautiful out there,” Lagana said. “Already being in Utah the trip wasn’t bad coming up here. I have been here every single year except for one and I really think it is a pleasure racing here.”
And Lagana isn’t done yet. Immediately following the race this weekend Lagana and his crew will pack up and head back across the border for an event in New Hampshire next week. He will then return to Canada a week later for the MOPAR Canadian Nationals in Grand Bend.
“We are definitely going to see the country. From the Midwest, east, central and west, we are going to see it all,” Lagana said. “These are dedicated racers. Every car that is up here and even some of the guys who wanted to come but couldn’t make it, they are all hardcore racers. That is what the IHRA is all about – dedicated racers.”
DOUBLING UP - Racing one nitro car in a weekend is tough enough, but wrestling two cars down the track is just downright 
impossible.
Well, almost impossible.
IHRA veteran Terry Haddock will show why he is one of the best drivers on the tour this weekend when he wheels both a Top Fuel dragster and a Nitro Funny Car this weekend at River Cree Resort and Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals at Castrol Raceway.
“It makes for a tremendously hectic weekend. And we are going to have a new challenge this weekend because a few crew members were unable to make the trip,” Haddock said. “We will figure out how to do a good job, but it won’t be easy.”
Haddock, the 2008 IHRA Nitro Funny Car world champion, will debut his flopper this weekend in a match race against three other NFC wheelmen. One of his competitors, two-time world champion Dale Creasy Jr., will be looking to get back at the Washington native after he stole a potential third straight title from him late last year.
Creasy, who was seemingly well on his way to a third title midway through the 2008 season, was involved in an accident at Castrol Raceway last year that put him out for the rest of the season, opening the door for Haddock to steal his very first championship.
Now Creasy returns to the track that bit him one year ago to take on Haddock in a battle of the best in nitro burning floppers.
But proving who is king of the Nitro Funny Cars is only a small portion of Haddock’s schedule.
Along with driving his flopper in a handful of match races, Haddock will also be looking for a victory in the Top Fuel ranks this weekend as he tries to move back into the top five in points after missing the last few events.
“Driving these cars is what we love to do so getting to drive them both will be a lot of fun,” Haddock said. “The economy hasn’t been nice to us so far this year, but we are hoping people will see how much dedication and heart this team has.
“We really don’t have much in the way of money or support, we are just out here doing what we love each weekend and hoping in the end it all pays off.”
WELCOME BACK - While the decision to cut Alcohol Funny Cars from the 2009 Nitro Jam schedule was not an easy one, the IHRA 
welcomes its alcohol burning floppers back to the fold this weekend at the Rocky Mountain Nationals at Castrol Raceway.
Well over a dozen Alcohol Funny Cars are on hand for this weekend’s event including one of the greatest in the history of the sport – Rob Atchison.
The Canadian born wheelman is second all-time on the IHRA charts in wins (20) and has three championships to his credit all gained back-to-back-to-back during the 2003, 2004 and 2005 seasons.
While Atchison has been able to keep the tires spinning on his Ace sponsored car, the 35-time final round participant is thrilled to be able to return to IHRA competition this weekend.
“It is a great opportunity to be able to come back and run at the Edmonton track. For me I was fortunate to have Ace Manufacturing step up and sponsor my west coast car and I have been able to run a few more races in Canada giving me an opportunity to see a little more of my Canadian fans,” Atchison said. “This is a beautiful facility. They work hard at accommodating the racers and making it the best they can. This is usually the best weekend of the year for drag racing.”
While Grand Bend is considered Atchison’s home track, Castrol Raceway has a special place in his heart. Along with a win in 2005, Atchison has seen plenty of success and has one of his biggest followings right here in Edmonton.
“Other than Grand Bend our biggest following is here. Alberta fans really support this event and that is why we are here,” Atchison said. “We are here to put on a show and entertain a full crowd. It is nice to be able to do this in front of 30,000 screaming fans. It is a place where you can here them cheering on you even from the other end of the track.”
WELCOME BACK PART 2 - After taking a couple of years off competing in the Pro Modified class, Rick Distefano is back.
Distefano has competed in a number of WCPM events in the west, getting a win and a runner-up in the process. This weekend will be his biggest test, however, as he takes on the competitors in the IHRA for the Rocky Mountain Nationals.
This year is really a season long test session as he dials in his engine program in anticipation of taking delivery of his new 70 ½ Camaro. This is the newest body style to debut in the Pro Mod ranks and he will be one of only a handful to compete with this very unique frame.
The engine program has also netted the team some success including a few rounds in the low 6s at non-national event tracks leaving the team very optimistic that they can net a few rounds in the five second range at close to 240 miles per hour.
“The engine program is all in-house this year and it gives us complete control of all aspects of its development,” said Distefano.
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IHRA KICKS OFF ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONALS WITH HUGE PRE-PARTY
In anticipation of this weekend’s River Cree Resort and Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Paradise RV, one of the 
largest
drag races in North America, Castrol Raceway and the IHRA teamed up for
a party fit for royalty Thursday evening at the River Cree Resort and
Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
“This is one of the biggest races of the year and we wanted to
celebrate that fact by throwing a huge party for the Edmonton race fans
and for the media,” said Castrol Raceway owner Kimberly Reeves.
Hundreds of fans, drivers and media packed the River Cree Thursday as
the Edmonton area braces for the biggest drag race of the year this
weekend at Castrol Raceway. Racing action gets underway early Friday
morning and runs through Sunday evening as hundreds of drivers from all
over the globe converge on Alberta for three days of edge-of-your-seat
drag racing action.
Among the VIPs at Thursday’s fan bash were Top Fuel drivers Tim
Boychuk, Bruce Litton and Terry McMillen, Nitro Funny Car driver Dale
Creasy Jr. and Pro Modified racer Kenny Lang. Castrol Raceway owners
Rob and Kim Reeves and IHRA President Aaron Polburn were also on hand
to celebrate with the diehard Canadian race fans in anticipation of
this weekend’s event.
“We absolutely love coming to Edmonton. It is always a fun atmosphere
and the race fans here are among the best in the world. This
celebration was a perfect way to kick off this weekend’s festivities,”
Polburn said.
Along with loaded Top Fuel and Pro Modified fields, the jam-packed
Rocky Mountain Nationals will also feature Nitro Funny Cars, Alcohol
Funny Cars, Pro Nostalgia, Pro Stock Motorcycles, Nitro Harleys,
wheelstanders and the 20,000 horsepower “X-Treme Machine” jet semi.
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IHRA SEEKS HISTORY IN EDMONTON
While 2009 has so far been plagued with financial woes and a variety of problems for sporting events across the globe, for the 
International
Hot Rod Association, the start to the 2009 season has ironically been
one of its most competitive beginnings in the nearly 40 year history of
the sanctioning body.
For only the second time in IHRA history there have been no repeat
winners through the first four races of the season as a dozen different
drivers have claimed wins in three professional categories heading into
the midway point of the ’09 Nitro Jam season.
If that trend continues in Edmonton this weekend, it will mark the
first time in IHRA history there have been repeat winners through the
first half of the schedule.
“I think this speaks volumes about the teams that compete with us.
Clearly these guys are hardcore racers as these guys are racing as hard
for a championship with no points fund as they were with hundreds of
thousands of dollars on the line,” said IHRA Vice President of Racing
Operations Skooter Peaco. “Bottom line is that they want to be a
champion and that, at its core, is what our sport is supposed to be
about.
“For me personally, the big rigs and big budgets are cool, but there is
no better group of die-hard competitors out there than the IHRA teams.”
Even more interesting, the IHRA is also coming off of its most
competitive race of the season in Tulsa. At the IHRA Sooner Nationals
earlier this month all three professional winners edged their opponents
by mere inches at the line in one of the closest championship rounds in
drag racing history.
Through
four races this season Top Fuel drivers Bruce Litton, Del Cox, Scott
Weis and Tim Boychuk, Pro Modified drivers Ray Commisso, Tim Tindle,
Chris Russo and Kenny Lang and Elite Motorsports Pro Stock drivers
Jason Collins, Cary Goforth, Frank Gugliotta and Pete Berner have all
claimed Ironman trophies.
Included in the list of victors are five first-time winners and three former champions, one from each class.
It is quite a turnaround from the days when the same handful of drivers
won nearly every national event. In fact, the only other time where
there were no repeat winners through the first four races of the season
was 1991 when the IHRA ran its current three categories plus Alcohol
Funny Car.
That year 14 different drivers graced victory lane through four races,
with two of those events not running Top Fuel as a part of its
schedule. Winners that year included Kenny Bernstein, Gene Snow, Scotty
Cannon, Mark Thomas, Rickie Smith, Doug Kirk, Al Billes, Fred Hahn, Bob
Newberry, Harold Denton, Wally Stroupe, Larry Dobbs, Mike Preslar and
Terry Adams.
While the first four races of the 1991 season featured a different set
of winners at each race, two of the drivers repeated at the very next
event. With the streak coming to an end after four races, history could
once again be made this weekend if there are no repeat winners at the
River Cree Resort and Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada.
And that extremely competitive start has led to some very tight points races.
By far the most competitive class this season has been Elite
Motorsports Pro Stock as nearly a dozen drivers have proven they can
win on any given race day.
Gugliotta
currently leads the Pro Stock standings with 325 points, three markers
ahead of Berner. Goforth, who lost the lead after Tulsa, is just seven
points back of the leader in third.
John Montecalvo, who has had two runner-up finishes this year, is
fourth (262) and Collins is fifth (219). Rounding out the Pro Stock top
10 are Richard Freeman, J.R. Carr, Mark Martino, Cale Aronson and Dean
Goforth.
Top Fuel has seen similar results with over half a dozen drivers proving they are capable of winning each weekend.
Litton is currently on top of the standings with 357 points thanks to
three final round appearances, while rookie Cox is 11 points back of
Litton in second. Bobby Lagana Jr. (265) is third, followed by Tim
Boychuk (236) and Mitch King (221).
Rounding out the Top Fuel top 10 are Terry McMillen, Scott Weis, Terry Haddock, Paul Lee and Todd Simpson.
In Pro Modified, there haven’t been nearly as many cars fighting for
the top spot, but the fight at the top between Lang and veteran Ed
Hoover has been one of the most competitive battles of the season.
Lang is currently first with 336 points, while Hoover has been on his
heels all season long and is currently just 30 points back of the
defending champ. Chris Russo is third (197), followed by Commisso (172)
and Taylor Lastor (131).
Next up for the drivers of the Nitro Jam series is a pair of stops in
Canada. First up is the River Cree Resort and Casino Rocky Mountain
Nationals presented by Paradise RV July 3-5 at Castrol Raceway followed
by the MOPAR Canadian Nationals July 17-19 at Grand Bend Motorplex.
The July swing will come to a close in Martin, Mich. at the IHRA
Northern Nationals July 31 through August 2 at U.S. 131 Motorsports
Park.
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EDMONTON SERVES AS HOME GAME FOR BOYCHUK
It was the summer of 2003 when a circle track driver by the name of Tim
Boychuk first remembers putting four wheels on a drag strip.
As part owner of Castrol Raceway in Edmonton a few years back, Boychuk
vividly recalls the thrill of driving his first vehicle – a slow, bulky
track grinder – down the Canadian quarter mile in preparation for the
IHRA’s first trip to Edmonton for the Rocky Mountain Nationals nearly
seven years ago.
“I remember for the first Rocky Mountain Nationals weekend on Wednesday
and Thursday I was out there with a grinder making the track smooth and
wondering what the heck I am doing out here. I am an oval racer so what
am I doing at a drag strip at midnight in the pouring rain grinding the
track,” Boychuk recalled.
While Boychuk’s first trip down a drag strip wasn’t the most
exhilarating experience, as it turns out, it wouldn’t be the last time
he would make a pass on the two-lane asphalt strip.
A few years later on a routine trip to Phoenix to watch a NASCAR race
with a friend, Boychuk was presented with an opportunity he simply
could not refuse. Traveling with his longtime friend and neighbor – an
avid drag racing junkie – Boychuk decided that night to give up his
days of making left turns and try something a little more exciting –
and a lot faster – when he purchased a car from his friend.
“He had a funny car and we helped sponsor him. We ended up in Phoenix
to watch a NASCAR race and that night we started chatting and by the
end of the night I ended up owning his drag car,” Boychuk said. “I
never dreamt this, it is not something I grew up with an aspiration to
do, it just more or less happened by accident.”
Boychuk
spent the next few years having all kinds of success in the funny car
ranks before finally deciding to step it up a notch early last season
and jump into one of the world’s fastest racing machines, a Top Fuel
dragster.
In February of 2008 another chance meeting between himself and Barry
Paton at a racetrack in Arizona led to Boychuk getting his first Top
Fuel ride in Paton’s Tim Horton’s backed dragster at select IHRA and
NHRA events.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Boychuk finished out the 2008 season winning the final two races of the
year in IHRA competition while also qualifying for a handful of NHRA
races. This season Boychuk has already claimed a win in Tulsa and was
the No. 1 qualifier two weeks prior in Dallas.
With the Tulsa victory Boychuk has now won nearly a third of the races
he has entered including winning a remarkable three of the last six
IHRA events.
Not bad for a driver who grew up wheeling Late Models and Sprint Cars around dirt tracks across North America.
“Our drag racing career has started out really well and has continued
to grow,” Boychuk said. “It is so surreal because I never expected the
success we have had, but it has been wonderful and we are really
enjoying it.”
From a track grinder to a Top Fuel dragster, Boychuk’s rise through the
drag racing ranks has been an unexpected yet highly successful venture
for the Edmonton native.
Now,
exactly one year after making his IHRA debut, Boychuk will return to
his hometown with a ton of momentum and plenty of support for the fifth
race on the IHRA Nitro Jam schedule, the Rocky Mountain Nationals
located in the heart of Alberta, Canada.
“It is like a dream come true. I can’t believe we are where we are,”
Boychuk said. “We are very happy about coming into Edmonton with a win
behind us. It will give us the momentum that I am pretty sure we will
be able to carry throughout the weekend and maybe get another one.”
And what a moment it would be for the Edmonton native if he could get a victory in front of his hometown crowd.
“That would be the highlight of my career. If I never raced again after
that it would be enough,” Boychuk said. “There would simply be nothing
better.”
Boychuk almost got his wish at last year’s Rocky Mountain Nationals
when he qualified third and took down Terry McMillen en route to a
semifinal appearance in his very first IHRA start. Despite a great run
– Boychuk’s first trip into the four-second zone – he couldn’t overcome
Kevin Jones’ low E.T. of the event at 4.797 seconds in the semis.
Jones went on to defeat Bobby Lagana Jr. in the final.
Boychuk followed up his first semifinal run with two first round losses
before finally breaking through with his first ever Top Fuel win in
only his third start at New England Dragway in September of last year.
He followed that up with his second straight win a few weeks later in
Rockingham.
This year Boychuk had a bit of a slow start, qualifying in the bottom
half of the field at the first two national events while never making
it out of the first round.
He began to get things turned around in Dallas, taking his first No. 1
qualifying spot and claiming his first round win of the year, but his
big breakthrough came a few weeks ago at Tulsa with a win over veteran
Bruce Litton at the Sooner Nationals.
With the victory Boychuk leaped from sixth to fourth in the Top Fuel
standings and is now just 111 points back of leader Litton. Boychuk
also has a remarkable 11-6 round win-loss record in his first nine
starts.
“The guys are doing an excellent job on the car. The first couple of
races we had some gremlins, but we looked after it and got if fixed,”
Boychuk said. “The car is working about as good as it can be.”
Now it is off to Edmonton, Boychuk’s home track and the same facility
that is home to almost every first in Boychuk’s drag racing career.
“Edmonton is a great track. Going from part owner to now being able to
come back here and race is a great deal,” Boychuk said. “To be able to
come back here with all our friends and family and with all of the
support we have will be awesome. And to win in Edmonton would just be
the ultimate.”
From a regional oval racer to now a three-time IHRA national event
champion, Boychuk has come a long way from his days making left turns.
And none of it, as he will quickly point out, would be possible without
the support of many who have helped him over the years.
“We have a pretty good group of people out here supporting us. And we
will have even more support for the Rocky Mountain Nationals with media
tours, displays and all sorts of neat deals in the days leading up to
the race,” Boychuk said. “I look forward to the next couple weeks as we
get ready for the biggest race of the year.
“And none of this would be possible without the support of great
companies like Tim Horton’s, Crosby Industrial, Red Line Oil, Gates
Canada, Chatterson Machine and Tool, Fast Eddie Racewear, Rosenau
Transport, Ashton Transport, The Iron Garage, MHK Insurance, Igloo
Building Supplies, Nelson Brothers, Blue Steel Chemicals, Redneck
Promotions, AFD Racing, Makloc Buildings and Construction, Ron Hodgson
Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Paradise RV, Racepak, Ranger Distributors and the
many others who support us all over North America.”
The River Cree Resort and Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by
Paradise RV will take place July 3-5 at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton,
Alberta.
And you can be sure that of the thousands of fans that annually flock
to Castrol Raceway for the IHRA’s biggest race, more than half will be
rooting on Edmonton’s own rising star – Top Fuel driver Tim Boychuk.
