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Mission Raceway National Open July 23-25, 2010 (Coverage here presented by Joey's Place Paint and Restoration). Huge fields in all six feature classes this weekend. Sunday results.
This is the lure of the NHRA, the coveted Wally trophy.
A record setting weekend at Mission Raceway as elimination's continued the Saturday trend of close racing and track records. Tim Boychuk in the Hodgson/Boychuk Troy Lee Firebird had one of the most dominant performances ever seen in drag racing. Tim made four runs on the weekend with the quickest being 5.70/253 and the slowest being a 5.74/248. In between those runs, he went 5.72 and 5.71. The final round saw him take out the #2 qualifier Mark Sanders, with that 5.71/249. The car was coasting from 1200 feet, as I shot the finish line, and his butterflies were closed at the MPH marker (1256 feet).
Sanders went 5.92/241 but he had a bunch of excitement from 1200 feet on. The transmission in his car gave up and parts started to rotate inside the casing until they poked out of the case, rattling around his feet. The parts actually tore hit safety boots and badly bruised his ankle. Right at the finish line Mark pulled the chutes and got on the Carbon Fibre brakes really hard. He proved how well the carbon brakes work as he had his car stopped 100 feet past the 1st turn off 700 feet (approx.) past the finish line. Usually it is 12 second bracket cars that make that turn. From 240 to 0 in that short of time! Sander's was okay, just a little sore.
This shot shows the spot Mark Sanders stopped at on the track after suffering a clutch/transmission explosion. Less than a 1000 feet after a 240 mph run. To get to the final round Boychuk defeated Clint Thompson in the first round with the aforementioned 5.74. Thompson's car was fat and flat and he was off the throttle just before the finish line. He went 6.50. In the semis he defeated Tim Nemeth in a battle of the two Tim's and the two Western provinces. Nemeth went 5.89 in round one defeating Andy Beauchemin (6.02), making him the second quickest Nitro Funny Car driver in Canada. In their semi final race, Boychuk went 5.72 to Nemeth's 5.95. Final round AA/FC, both cars have been dominant in the last 6 weeks, with multiple wins in every series they have raced in. For Sanders, he reached the final round by defeating Tom Padilla in round one with a 5.89. Padilla had three cylinders out on his run and he lifted early. In the semis, he defeated Todd Lesenko with a 5.96. Lesenko defeated Mark Hentges in round one with a 6.00 to a 6.33.
Nemeth ran three five second ets on the weekend. His performance level puts his in an elite group. AA/FC Final qualifying 1 Tim Boychuk Edmonton,
AB '78 Pontiac Firebird 5.729 249.44
Clint Thompson is running the Miner/Fontana Hemi. The first guy to try it. AA/FC pit notes....... The Boychuk team did their best to make up for not racing in Saturday's late session with that first round 5.70 et in round one, but one wonders what they would have run if they ran in the cool air.
Dave Benjamin's Red Dragon is a very cool looking Flopper. Note the lack of a wheelie bar. Tom Padillo was out for the first time since the Benjamin/Padillo teams suffered that huge explosion over a year ago at Bakersfield. The blower explosion lifted the body off the car and sent it over 100 feet in the air. They replaced it with the same body type and I must say their car looks very cool. The different injector system and the smaller scale body (looks smaller) makes the car look very different. Mark Hentges in the Bucky Austin Arrow is getting a solid handle on the nitro ride, and Bucky is making big headway on the tune-up. In only five runs with the new combination they were well into the 5.80's (5.88). They team will continue over the next month running in Firebird and Seattle. Nemeth along with Sean Brown assisting in that team's tune-up also made huge strides in just a few runs. Running three 5 second ets out of four runs (actually three runs, as Tim shut off the car Saturday night when his visor fogged up) is very impressive for sure. His next race is in Spokane next weekend. Clint Thompson has one of the nicest cars I have ever seen in the Funny Car ranks. He made the switch over from his usual Chevy relationship (due in part to Chevrolet bowing out of the family car dealership in Klamath Falls) and also due to the fact that Randy Parker had this brand new car sitting in his shop looking for a good home. Tim Stevenson's 'Tachman' Mustang struggled on the weekend running a 6.0 in testing and then struggling in their lone qualifier. The car went 6.24 but suffered piston damage that the team had to address before elimination's. In round one they still had issues that kept them from making their usual 5.9-6.0 laps. Todd Lesenko with tuner Jon Wentz appears to have the 6.0's figured out, as that car has likely run more 6.0's than any car out there. Unfortunately for the Jolly Roger's / Pirate Racing team, they need a tenth or more to get to the final rounds. I know Lesenko wants it bad! How patient will he remain, we will have to wait and see. Finally Mark Sanders could make an entire just about his weekend experiences, and he is not shy about telling you about it. Certainly the John Force of the nostalgia ranks. On Friday they ate their #1 motor in the test session, so a complete rebuild was in order that night. While the team was thrashing, Mr. Explosive himself was on the telly getting every courier and friend and anyone else who was available to get parts from Seattle up to the track, so they had enough spares for the weekend. They are one team that makes sure they run balls out every lap. He did his best to pump up the race Saturday along with Ron Hodgson who both helped out with the mike during and after the first round of qualifying. Career bests for the top four teams prove how good the Mission track is even in extremely hot conditions. Next year, the only way to improve this part of the race is to make it a 16 car field. Any sponsors out there? Rocky Mountain Funny Cars and the NW BB/FC's.
This group (the RMNFC) has raced at Mission on a number of occasions, but not under the banner they run now. The Rocky Mountain Nostalgia Funny Cars are the progression from the IBAA (it still exists, but in much smaller form), The teams wanted to run quicker and a few others felt they did not need to.
By looking at the event I have seen so far, I feel the six second ets at over 200 are much more appealing to the fans, and the tracks are more receptive to booking faster cars. Eight teams showed up for the event and qualifying became a battle of epic proportions.
The NWBB/FC group based out of Washington and Oregon also run in the high six second range, so the two groups decided to run side by side in qualifying in a Civil War. It was an absolute blast as American announcer extraordinaire Stevie Wong took on me (a Canuck). I made sure he remembered the Olympics of a few month's ago and how team Canada won the Gold in both Men's and Woman's Hockey against the American's.
Qualifying is supposed to be on a 6.90 number, for both groups, with the Rocky's boys making it a hard index (meaning you can't go under) while the American boys and girls run on a softer index meaning the closest to the 6.90 under or over is okay. But you just knew the teams would try to get to the finish line first. After the first round of qualifying the team groups were tied four apiece. The second session under the lights saw a bit of carnage from the Canadian teams as well as a loose right lane. Three of the teams had to abort their runs for fear of crossing into the other lane, and Eddy Plaizier broke the rear end while he was way out in front. In the end the American team won the battle 9-7, based on getting to the finish line first. If it was based on running closest to the index then the Canadian teams were way out in front by a score of 10-6. SO in the end, it was almost a wash, but it got the crowd into the qualifying and kept things interesting through Saturday Night.
Rocky Mountain Funny Cars final qualifying 1 Ron Sekura Drayton
Valley, AB '82 Pontiac Trans-Am 6.916 203.57 (+.016) Round one Rocky Mountain Floppers: Two cars were broke, as Plaizier had the rear end out of the car and Cory Kincaid broke his motor (valve train). Ron Sekura was #1 qualifier with a 6.91 in qualifying and he was to race Kincaid. He had a bye as did Steckler, so they raced each other (so there were no singles). Both Cars would advance so they raced for bragging rights only. The second pair saw Brent Murray defeat Rod Elliot. Murray had the holeshot, but Elliot got there first and broke out handing the win to Murray. Corey Sekura defeated a very late Cal Tebb to round out the first round. Semi finals.... In a great semi final the two Sekura's battled, and this one was all Ron. Both teams did great burnouts and the girls raced back to line the drivers up with the music blasted. Most of the fans seem to enjoy the music being played with the Rocky Mountain boy's race. The two drivers once the burnouts were completed sat just back of pre-stage, and wacked the throttles a half dozen times like they were goading each other. The veteran of the team Ron, schooled Corey on the tree, and then ran a 6.93 to take the win. Too bad for Corey, as he ran a dead on 6.90, the only one of the event. In the other semi, Brent Murray took the win to go to his first ever final found. He had a big holeshot and took a 3/100ths stripe. Final round..........Went to the finish line to shoot the finals and this one was odd from my vantage point. Both cars did their burnouts and got into pre-stage the rpm's went up from both cars, and from the camera, I saw just one set of lights come on. Ron took off and was basically on a single, he pulled the chute at 1000 feet and let off the gas right at the stripe. His win light came on despite a 6.88 run (.02 too quick). Brent took off about a second or two after Ron left, and came through the finish line with no time. Brent got timed out taking too long to stage. Tough luck for Brent, but it made it back to back wins for Ron at Mission. Adding this win to his win at Edmonton, gives Sekura the two biggest trophies of the year in the Rocky Mountain series. It was a great race and a great show by the Rocky teams. Their pit area is prime time for the spectators, as it is wide open and very accessible. They are interactive, having a bunch of interesting things for spectators to get involved in, including a practice tree autograph area, seating, open cars for the spectators to sit in etc. A very good set up. They impressed Ron Hodgson so much (Spokane track lease holder) he invited them to Spokane this coming weekend for the Divisional event there. Pit Notes....Rod Elliott had issues for the third race in a row, with electrical issues that get the car from making full laps. He got it sorted out in time for the final qualifier and then they ran great in elims, only to break out. Cory Kincaid also had issues, but they were more mechanical, as he went through two bullets, prior to this race and then wounded this hemi here as well. Eddy Plaizier has not had an issue with his 37 Chevy in forever, but he broke the rear end in the car Saturday night, ending his weekend. Tough luck for the Edmonton driver who has put on a 1,000's of miles in the last month, going from Edmonton to Seattle, to Sonoma and then back north to Mission. He heads to Spokane for the Divisional this coming weekend. What a schedule! NW BB/FC.... Their qualifying is summarized with the Rocky Mountain guys, and they are paired up with a pro ladder as well.
NW BB/FC Final qualifying: 1 Kim Parker Graham,
WA '70 Ford Mustang 6.925 200.93 (+.025)
Semi finals...... Husband vs wife, and Randy seemed to have a slight performance advantage running 6.70's throughout the weekend. Both did big burnouts and then backed up with Kim's daughter Stefanie backing Kim up. Randy got the holeshot (a bit of a surprise) and kept the lead right through the 1/4 mile. He took the win running another 6.7 pass. Kim was right there, but I bet she was pissed at her hubby!. In the other semi, Howland took on Taylor and Royce went 6.7 again, to advance to his first final of the year.
The final round lived up to its expected billing based on the way the two cars ran throughout the weekend. Both were well into the 6.70's most of the weekend. Randy got the big holeshot (.051), but by half track the two cars were real close. At 1000 feet they were side by side and at 1200 feet Taylor was just out in front. He got the win, by less than 2/100ths, running 6.728/212 to a 6.787/207. What a great final!
BB/FC pit notes...........This group is a real tight knit bunch as well, woth new member signing up every year. Russ Parker, the brother of Randy has a new car and he was hoping to debut this past weekend, but he had another commitment keeping him from attending. They will be back at Mission in four weeks, the same weekend as the "Jet cars" and "Wheelstanders". The Harter's have very nice paint jobs on their rides with lots of metal flake. Trickpaint took care of the work. Jeff Dykes "Photo OP" Datsun, the car Randy Parker drives, has new paint this year as well. It is also a very nicely finished. The detail Jeff went to finishing the car is amazing. Check it out in four weeks time. CPSA Pro Street........
This was the race many Pro Street fans have been waiting for. 14 cars (one was a 10.5) made qualifying attempts and three of the cars with the most potential did not get in a decent lap in qualifying. In all eight cars ran in the 6's, and a couple others were close. Trevor Lowe was expected to be the top dog but he only made one qualifying run and it was an early pedal job that ended up being a 6.89/223. Yvonne Lucas ended up #1 with a great 6.48/217. Keith Korecki was #2 with a 6.59 and Garrett Richards was #3 with a 6.61. Dale Pederson debuted his new Monte Carlo and ran as quick as a 6.69. He ended up #4. Final qualifying: Pro Street 1 Yvonne Lucas Maple
Valley, WA '68 Chev Camaro 6.489 217.07
Round one...... There was a bit of carnage in qualifying and three drivers did not make it to eliminations. Lucas was set to race Steve Horne, but Horne could not make the call. Lucas was off on a single, but she broke just off the starting line. The convertor bolts sheared off and she was now done for the weekend. Keith Korecki ran Mark Wolfe and Wolfe got the win running his best lap in Pro Street. He went 6.53/220. Garrett Richards was broke so his opponent Trevor Willms got a freebie. Dale Pederson was to race Jay Syvertsen, but the big guy was also broke so Pederson was off to round two. Roy Moznik faced Darryl Stone and Stone finally got his cars chassis sorted out. He ran a career best 6.84/205 to defeat a troubled Moznik. Trevor Lowe laid down the run of the season for Pro Street. He ripped off a 6.24/227 to take car of Dave Magee. the first leg on a new series record. The final pair saw Ken Sihota take on Kerry Stone and this one was close. Side by side 6's, with Stone running his best lap of the weekend, a great 6.84 to match his brother.
Round two.........Lucas was supposed to have the bye, but she broke in the round earlier, so the top of the ladder was empty. Dale Pederson ran Darryl Stone and this was a great race early. Stone got the win in a battle of pro charger vs turbocharger. Pederson had to lift at the 400 ft mark when he drifted toward the wall. The next pair saw the other Stone (Kerry) take on a turbo car like his in the other lane. Mark Wolfe, in the small block twin turbo'ed Thunderbird faced the big block single turbo Camaro. This one should have been over by 100 feet, as Wolfe got a huge holeshot and was well out in front, but then at 400 feet his car made a hard move to the right. Stone was late and rattled the tires hard at 50 feet. He pedaled it, and then got hard on the gas, as he must of saw Wolfe's troubles. Wolfe got back on it as well, and both battled right to the finish line. Stone got the win by two car lengths. The other 1/4 final had Lowe take on Willms. Ya, it should not have been close as the 57 Chevy driver had two seconds on the Corvette up to this point. But, and you know the old saying...you don't race on paper. Good thing for Willms, as he was dead in the water from every pundit on the property. Trevor had him for all of, one foot. Lowe struck the tires hard, while Willms was off to his best run of the weekend. Lowe pedaled it for 200 feet gave up, and then got back on it when he saw Willms have troubles. His car finally hooked up and by the time both cars got to the finish line there were two clouds of smoke, one in each lane. I forget the ets, but they were in the vicinity of a 7.65/165 to a 7.74/204 for Willms. A huge upset for the Washington state driver! Semi finals.....Darryl Stone got the bye in the semis so he just took the green light. Kerry Stone ran Willms and Stone took this one as a single when Willms car failed to fire.
The two Stone brothers would face each other in the final round. Running in the 6.80's throughout Sunday shows again that you don't win these races on paper. They were both middle of the pack performers, but both managed to run well when they had to. The final was good, but both drivers did not have very good lights. Darryl took the lead, but Kerry was making up ground in the middle of the track. On the top end, it was Darryl who took the stripe running his third 6.80 of eliminations. A 6.89 defeated a game 6.99. CPSA Pit notes.....Mark Wolfe was trying to make history this past weekend, as he ran in both Pro Street and Comp Eliminator. The car is just fresh back from having the chassis redone, new paint and extensive engine work. He made a couple solid runs in but only went to round two in both classes. Steve Horne brought out the famed Canso from a half decade ago. The Horne and Braid team were one of the most popular Pro Street teams in the North West. It has an all new Twin Turbo combo in the small block and Steve hopes to get it dialed in to be a strong player in the Pro Street ranks. Jay Syvertsen struggled ..again.. in his Blown 37 Chevy. The local Pro Street racer has made one or two really good runs (not good according to the owner/driver), but it is still lacking any sort of consistency. For every decent run there are a handful of aborted runs. Not sure what the issue is, but it appears to be chassis related, but it must be frustrating for the team. Has to be a tough car to get balanced. Garrett Richards left the track early for the third weekend here at Mission. The last ear here a month ago, the nose of the pick up shredded at the finish line. They have their old most rigid nose on the full size pickup now, they this weekend they had mechanical issues that prevented them from running in eliminations. Dale Pederson debuted his new Pro Street Monte Carlo. It is a very nice car, and Dale ran a personal best 6.69. This car will fly. Three cars ran in the Outlaw 10.5 class, and this class also proved you don't need to be the quickest to win. Dean Branham and Dale Moznik were the favorites to go to the final but Mike Hawkins had the Wally in the end.
Branham broke in qualifying after running a low seven at over 200 mph, and Moznik showed why he has won the Super Nationals at Vegas on two different occasions. He was #1 qualifier with a 6.82/207, and was on a single in round one when all hell broke loose. Sequence captured by Bill Jeffery and Dean Murdoch
The car left strong
but was slowly moving to the left in the right lane. At 400 feet the
car made a hard move to the left and then crossed into the left lane.
Dale got the car corrected for a second but the momentum and the suspended
chassis did not stay straight as the car made a hard move back across
into his original lane. The car got up on two wheels, came down hard
and then hit the right wall nose on really hard. I thought the car
was going to flip over the wall. It stayed on the racing surface spun
360degrees and hit the wall again before going across the track. It
his the left guard rail before coming to rest just past the finish
line. Dale got out of the car okay, but the car suffered serious damage.
It is repairable, and Dale already has the wheels in motion. With
Moznik out and Branham broke as well, Mike Hawkins had a freebie to
the winners circle! It is better to be lucky then good, right!
Top Fuel Harley………
This class, like Pro Street also had some amazing performances. It was one of the quickest fields ever including a total of eight of the 11 riders running in the sixes. John Breckenridge lead qualifying with a 6.40@ 217 mph. Nate Gagnon was right behind him with a 6.45. Jason Arkinstall had a scary ride as he hit the wall at 800 feet but managed to stay on the bike and was not seriously hurt. Local Jim Schellenberg had a head let go on him in his lone run Saturday and that ended his weekend.
Mike Scott ran 6.52 in qualifying Final qualifying
#1 qualifier John Breckenridge lost in round two when he went up in smoke and Nate Gagnon was also out keeping the top two qualifiers out of the final round. In the final, Miko Pelrin took on Ron Houniet. Houniet is the winningest rider in CMDRA history, but he has been out of the seat for a couple years. At this race he is just a hired gun so to speak. Pelrine was able to keep his Harley in the 6's running a 6.80/200 to get the win over Houniet. That bike struggled at half track and Ron coasted through for a 8.second time slip.
John Breckenridge was #1 with a weekend best 6.40 The final feature class was Comp eliminator.
This high end Sportsman class had not run in the National Open for a few years and two long time supporters of the class Tom and Chad both Lordco Parts store managers, got the ball rolling with some sponsorship money and a whole bunch of phone calls. Chad Perkin, the son of Bruce Perkin, a long time Comp racer used his contact list to entice 13 cars to Mission for a no holds bar race. Records could be set in both the 1/8 mile and ¼ mile, and no permanent index hits could take place. They would host a group bbq and just have a good time as a race without all the pressures of NHRA National or Divisional competition. It was a great success, with five cars running quicker than .50 under the index. One 1/8th mile record was set, and that was by Terry Spargo, but he did not want to have his car torn down (would keep him out of eliminations) so he did not get the record.
Final qualifying 1 Rob Harrison North
Vancouver, BC '05 Chev Cavalier J/A 7.680 8.33 -.650
They ran eliminations
on a pro ladder, something they don't usually run, so that made it
a bit more interested compared to the norm. Harrison had the round
one bye, Dale Giroux defeated Maureen Jondahl, Marshall took out Ray
Hadford, Mark Wolfe defeated Grant Klohn, Jim Warter defeated Bruce
Perkin, Terry Spargo had a single as Craig Donaldson did not make
eliminations and Casey Plaizier was upset by Aaron Strong. Plaizier
went into a huge wheelstand, and had to lift, as he went towards to
the wall.
Giroux did seem to have a couple hundredths on Marshall, but in so many cases in Comp, the race is usually won on the starting line. It was here as well, as both drivers were amped up big time and both went red. Giroux was first to leave going .07 too quick handing the race to Marshall. Both Cars ran it hard though, as bragging rights sometimes are just as important as the actual win. The cars were glued all the way down track, with Giroux getting their first with a 7.04 to a 7.06 for Marshall. Both cars ran over 193 mph as well. On this weekend, Dale Giroux was the quicker car (.02 on the other runs as well), but it was Marshall who headed to the final.
Jet Equipment Canada gave out four $500.00 bonuses at the race.
Tim Boychuk was the AA/FC $500.00 low qualifier bonus winner which included cash and a ½ drive torque wrench. The fourth Jet Equipment bonus went to Aaron Strong in the Comp class for having the best reaction time. He went .007 to earn the prize.
They also gave that same bonus to the low qualifier in the Rocky Mountain Funny Car class (Ron Sekura) above, and the NW BB/FC class (Greg Howland) below.
The sportsman classes are what the National Open series were designed around and there were 11 classes competing at Mission: The original Top Comp class only runs at the Open events now, as that class has been separated (TS and TD) at the divisional level.
The winner was first time Open competitor Justin Bond (.031rt & 7.259). The Mission racer defeated Jason Gibson (.064rt and 7.864) in the final round. The stripe was less than a hundredth of a second. Quentin Chambers was the #1 qualifier with a 6.24. Marty Zazula was #2 with a 6.65.
Super Comp was won by Bob Woodruff (.033 rt 8.911), he defeated Earl Cunningham (.117 8.920) . Cunningham was real late on the starting line.
Todd Sims (9.875 .30 light) won Super Gas against Dale Dryden (9.875 and .18 red) who was way early at the tree.
Brad Vinge (.031 10.912) took the win in Super Street. His margin of victory was .011, half a fender aginst Steve Lowe (.052 10.902).
Brett Payne (.024 9.356) won Motorcycle against a late leaving Jon Jenkins (.148 9.142).
Mission's Vicki Strell (.021 10.185) defeated Al Quigley (.014 9.753) in Super Pro. Quigley left first but forgot to turn on his air bottle, so his car did not shift in time, by the time Quigley caught it, he was well back.
Allen Macham (.028 10.343) won Pro Bracket against Guy Johnston (.035 10.653) in the closest final of the day.
The stripe was only .005. Sportsman winner was Don Elgin (.025 12.948). The veteran defeated a snoozing Cameron Bauder (.171 13.378).
In the Jr. ranks, Peter Lachanas (12.599 & .038rt) defeated Bradee Lowe (9.110 & .048rt) in the Thunder class.
Austin Calhoun (8.031 & .007rt) defeated Thomas Howe ( 7.912 & .004 red) in the Lightning class.
On Saturday, Mike Peck Jr. defeated Damian Giddens in the NW Super Comp Assoc. race. Damian went to the final without a throttle stop.
SpeedZone and Mission
Raceway would like to thank Jet Equipment for their sponsorship of
the low qualifiers bonuses as well as the Comp RT bonus. Saturday results (Murdoch photos) Captions Sunday night
........The Weather last year, hit the track like a tornado just as the Feature classes were set to run for the evening show. It rained harder than I have seen it in a short period in a number of years. The year before, a couple of the bracket cars had issues, so did a Jr. and then an alcohol funny car soiled the track big time just before the nitro cars got their chance. One pair got a run, a track record, and then they had to call the event due to curfew. With the hot weather forecasted for 2010 in the days leading up to the race, all thoughts were on, "what can go wrong this year"? In a word nothing!. The Saturday night show was a great success, with a solid crowd, some stellar runs early in the evening and then a bunch of great performances under the lights.
The only issue I had in what was one of the best days of racing at MRP in a long time, was the Hodgson/Leong decision to skip the final FC session. After the Boychuk/Hodgson/Leong Papernick team annihilated the track and Canadian record in AA/FC with an out of this world 5.72/248 at 7:00pm, all eyes were on a possible 5.60 pass under the lights, which would have been only the second ever in history. The word was they were concerned with elims (which is more important), as they were short on spares for this and next weekend at Spokane (a track that Hodgson owns). That part I understand, and maybe it is a bit selfish on my part. I do know the fans wanted to see them run. But, I won't let that take anything away from a simply great day.
The first part of the day, the actual National Open portion which included Top Comp, Comp, the Super classes, Stock/Super Stock combo, and all the bracket classes ran with very few delays. The Jr. portion was also outstanding with close to 50 cars in attendance.
Comp eliminator ran for the first time in a decade at the Open, Tom and Chad from Lordco put a deal together a started the ball rolling. They wee hoping for around eight cars to commit (six were local and a few washington state cars also. But the attraction of no permanent CIC issues, record setting capabilities in both the 1/4 and 1/8th mile and a laid back event brought out 13 (would have been 14 for sure but Howie Steven's crashed his C/A Mustang two weeks earlier).
The hot weather unfortunately kept any 1/4 mile records from being set, but there were a couple 1/8th mile records. Terry Spargo went almost a tenth quicker and faster than the existing record. He was actually 5 mph faster than the current 1/4 mile speed record as well. The only way for the MPH record to stand is to set the et record at the same time and he was .06 off that. Unfortunately for the 1/8 mile record, you need a tech inspection, but with he new monster motors in Comp, the NHRA did not have a pump large enough to check Terry's cubes.
If he was will to tear down his motor they could determine the Cubic Inches but he wanted to race the rest of the weekend and was not willing to do a complete tear down and rebuild. NHRA needs to have the equipment to pump these big motors. So many are being used right now. Rob Harrison, lead qualifying with a .67 under 7.65. Dale Giroux was .59 under with a 7.02 in his Cavalier. Bob Marshall went 7.05 for a .56 under lap in the same class. I know Spargo was #6 with a 6.67. Full qualifying results when I get the sheets.
Top Comp saw Quentin Chamber lead with a 6.35 and Marty Zazula second in the 6.6 range.
Pro Street and Nitro Harley got in an early qualifier and both classes ran very well. 11 Nitro Harleys were on the grounds. Jim Schellenbeg broke in round one of qualifying, and could not make repairs, but the other 10 in the field ripped off some of the best runs ever in Canada.
There were side by side 6 second runs all day long and the field had 6 or eight bikes in the six second zone at over 210 mph, by the time the night sessions were complete. Full qualifying #'s Sunday night.
Pro Street, Outlaw and Open Comp were the CPSA's contribution to the weekend, and Pro Street finally showed its potential with more cars and quicker runs that the NW has ever witnessed.
At least 9 of the 13 cars in the field were in the six second range, with a couple of the quicker cars not making the elite "6's". It was THE best Pro Street race ever in Division 6.
Before the two qualifying session the fans were treated to something not witnessed ever at Mission Raceway. The three FUnny Car classes did a pade and parked on the race track much like the old 32 and 64 funny car days.
After the parade. they did everything and more Saturday in their two sessions. In a real cool deal, both the Nostalgia Funny Car classes ran on a 6.90 index so they decided to run one group vs the other in qualifying. Canada vs the US, a great way to get the fans involved. And it worked!
The end result was "Team USA" getting two more round wins based on getting to the finish line first, but many of the runs were way quicker than their set 6.90 index. If the wins were determoned by the 6.90 #, team Canada had a huge edge and five or six of their drivers were in the 6.90's. Full qualifying later today.
The Nitro Funny Cars rounded out a fantastic day.
Tim Nemeth was the first out to show the local Chilliwack based team was serious. In his first run against Andy Beauchemin he laid down an awesome 5.91/244. The run makes him the second quickest Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car in Canada. It improved his previous best by over a tenth.
Mark Hentges went 6.07, Todd Lesenko went 6.0 as well. Beauchemin slowed to a 6.24 in a troubled top half. Tom Padilla slowed at 500 feet as he got a little close to the left quard rail. That car is very cool. Mark Sanders repeated his Friday 5.83 to show that team was serious. Then Boychuk ran. THe team was very confident they would run a big number and why woldn't they be. The car has been on a string for the last month and a half. They proved they were among the elite with a ground pounding, earth shattering, record breaking 5.72/248.
The night session had only six of the eight cars come out for attempts, as Boychuk elected to sit out and Stevenson could not make the repairs in time. Hentges was first out against Sanders and this run was all Hentges as he ran a career best 5.88/236 to move into the # 3 spot. Sanders blew the tires off tying to run in the 5.70's. Clint Thompson was up against Tom Padilla and Padilla shut off after the burnout.
Thompson looked to be on a strong 5.9-6.0 pass but the car steered toward the centre line and Thompson had to lift by 400 feet.
Nemeth was up against Lesenko and Nemeth was really stoked about this pass. Way better air, a great based line from their earlier record setting run and a chance to be a 5.80 player in the class. Only a dozen or so guys total have been in that realm.
He did the burnout along side Lesenko, and I must say, Tim's was the only car that was belching flames while backing up, much like the old times. Very cool! Both guys got to pre-stage and then Todd rolled in. Tim sat there for a while and inched forward but not in time. He got timed out after autostart kicked in. What the heck happened? Lesenko ran had trouble and shut off early. Tim's car was rolled back and then he got out of the car. I walked up to a guy you could see was visibly upset. His visor fogged up so bad he could not see. He tried to pull it open but the big gloves and likely a bit of hyperness get him from getting the visor open and staged in time. He really wanted that run. The #'s will be posted Sunday night, but the order looks like this. Boychuk, Sanders, Hentges, Nemeth, Lesenko, Beauchemin, Thompson and Padilla. As I head o the track for Sunday, I hope it is half as good as Saturday.
Friday testing A hot test day at Misison Raceway did not seem to slow down the Nitro Coupes or the Rocky Mountain boys as both classes ripped of stout runs from a number of competitors. Mark Sanders ripped off a career best 5.83 with a bunch of death smoke. Then in good old John Force fashion told me in 1000 words in less than 30 seconds how he was getting a bunch more parts and pieces brought up from Seattle for today so they could rip off a couple more good laps tonight.
Jake said, "ya I done blowed it up, but if he he wants to fire me thats okay as I will work for a team that actually pays me". It actually blew off a fuel fitting (which went through the windshield), and went lean.
Brent Murray ripped off his quickest funny car pass ever, a great 6.61. Bucky Austin hot lapped his Tribute "Pisano" Flopper (Cruz pedregon car) with Mark Hentges in the seat. Three laps that were within .04 to half track. Netting a 6.03/225 best.
Dean Benham pedaled and then stood er up. 15 Pro Street and Outlaw cars total.
An awseome 6.40 @ 215. Steckler went 6.89 and Tebb went 6.96. They are dialed
Corey Sekura went 7.01 then broke a fule line in his second hit. Ken Sihota was out for his first hit of the year. He will be a player Saturday and Sunday.
Ron Sekura went 204 and then a 6.78. Eddy Plaizier went a great 6.86
Todd Lesenko went 6.06/230+ in his lone check out pass.
Bob Marshall went 7.10, and Roy Moznik got loose 180 feet out.
Stefan Kondolay's 25th race car this year (it only seems like it). He was in buddies car and took the Divisional Super Pro title over a red lighting (again) Jim Benhke. Jim you can not win when you go red.
Dale Pederson was out with his new Monte. It will fly.
Keith Korecki was also out and he will be a sub 6.50 car this weekend in Pro Street.
Entry Lists Nitro Funny Car: Tim Boychuk Troy Lee Designs Firebird. Mark "Mr. Explosives" Sanders '70 Nova, Tim 'The Iceman" Nemeth Mustang, Andy Beauchemin Mustang, Clint Thompson Mustang, Mark Hentges 78 Arrow, Tom Padilla 72 Satellite and Todd "the Pirate" Lesenko 73 Camaro. BB/FC: Ron"Tikiman"Huegli-Tiki Warrior '76 Monza, Greg"Zeus"Howland-Zeus "78 Corvette, Randy Parker-Photo Op '78 Datsun, Kim"Little Devil"Parker-Hell on Wheels '70 Mach I, Shane Harter-Hart Breaker II-'80 Dodge Omni, Don"Wheels Up"Harter-Support Life-'79 Corvette, Royce Taylor-Syngenta '71 Mach I, Russ Parker-High Bucks IV '70 Mach I, Matt Driscol-Wildside '71 GTX, Leon Aines-Beach City Corvette Rocky Mountain Funny Cars: Cal "Roadhammer" Tebb 69 GTP, Joey Steckler 68 Corvette, Ron Sekura 68 Camaro, Corey Sekura Trans Am, Eddy Plaizier 37 Chevy, Rod Elliott 70 Cuda, Cory Kincaid 55 Chevy, Brent Murray "Damn Yankee" 77 Mustang, Mattias Hane 73 Mustang, Arvid "Happy Hour" Fonstad 71 Mustang. Nitro Harley: Ron Houniet, Mike Scott, Steve Dorn, Jason Arkinstall, Damian Cownden, Ken Kent, Jim Schellenberg, Kevin Boyer, Steve Heidner, John Breckenridge, Mike Pelrine, Lyle Newton and Andy Beauchemin. Pro Street: Trevor Lowe, Jay Syvertsen, Dale Moznik, Roy Moznik, Mark Wolfe, Dean Branham, Kerry Stone, Darryl Stone, Ken Sihota, Garrett Richards, Trevor Willms, Dave Magee, Yvonne Lucas, Dale Pederson, Keith Korecki and Steve Horne Comp Eliminator: Bruce Perkin E/A Beretta, Rob Harrison J/A Cavalier, Pat Byron C/D Dragster, Terry Spargo A/AP Cavalier, Frank Nelson A/A Cavalier, Grant Klohn B/A Probe, Craig Donaldson A/A Grand Am, Jimmy Warter F/SM Camaro, Bob Marshal B/AA GPX, Mark Wolfe AA/AT Thunderbird, Casey Plaizer C/SMA Cavalier, Ray Hadford A/ND Dragster, Aaron Strong F/A Cavalier, Dale Giroux B/AA Cavalier, Maureen Jondhal F/A Firebird.
Special thanks to Joey's Place for their support of SpeedZone Magazine.
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