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The latest update as of June 15, 2010


Never let the facts get in the way of a good story


When I checked out the latest news on SpeedZone yesterday morning, I noticed one major flaw in my storyline on Shawn Cowie from Sunday night. If you need a refresher, check out That Really Sucks - Part Two and read about his really bad luck at Fallon Nevada's Top Gun Raceway on the weekend.

The only flaw in my otherwise brilliant piece was that the team started the week in Joliet, Illinois (not at home in Delta, BC) and didn't really go that far out of their way to attend the Division Seven event. Oh well, it looked good on paper, but it wasn't quite correct. So my apologies to everyone who was misled by my non-checking of the facts.

Truthfully, I must be getting old because how could I forget so quickly that Cowie was racing at Route 66 Raceway last weekend and looking like a good bet to be in the finals ? He had lane choice and a big performance advantage over the A/FD of semifinal opponent Jared Dreher, before losing to a combination of a late leave, spinning tires and finally, a popped burst panel. The previous day saw the Cowie team finish runnerup to Jim Whiteley in the Jeg's All-Stars competition too. A good weekend that could have been even better.


Toronto Nitro Show Update


We've got some more details about their show on the July 2 - 4 weekend, and the Top Fuel portion of the race has seen the field doubled! Yes, not two, but FOUR fuellers match racing. And some Canadian content too. Joining Spencer Massey and Del Cox Jr. are Todd Paton and "Fearless" Fred Farndon.

Farndon is certainly a blast from the past, with the emphasis on past as his 72nd birthday is coming up later this year and the man has been driving blown fuel dragsters and boats for nearly half a century. A quick Google search brought me to the NitroGeezers website where I spent some time reading about Fred's racing history. If you've got a bit of time to spare, check it out for an interesting history lesson. Oh and click back to the index page (link at the bottom of each page) to check out more of your drag racing heroes from the good ol' daze. Note: Don't click on the home page link: it doesn't work.

Back to the Toronto deal now, where we've also sussed out a schedule that shows the fuel dragsters going off twice on the Saturday night and a final winner vs winner and loser vs loser match on Sunday afternoon. Appearing with them each time are the nitro floppers of Dale Creasy and Jack Wyatt, two long-time dyed in the wool match racers. And to round out the big noise part of the show, the jet dragsters (Black Ice and The Terminator) run once on Friday night, twice Saturday night and finish off with one more pass on Sunday afternoon.

Add in the Pro Mod Racing Association cars (an 8-car field), the Quick 32 (dragsters and door cars), the Can-Am Stock/Super Stock Association, fireworks each night and rock bands entertaining in the campgrounds and you've got a pretty good show shaping up for the July 4th weekend. AHRA sanctioned or not, it looks the Toronto Motorsports Park folks are going to have a successful promotion. More news about the event when we get it.


SuperNationals TV Broadcast on TSN


I just had a feeling. A sick feeling. But then I thought no, even when I joke about something crazy, like a drag race broadcast being pre-empted by a dog show, it just isn't going to happen. Is it ? Well, welcome to the Twilight Zone, where anything can and will happen, and yes folks, it really was an f-ing dog show, ok dog competition (running, jumping, diving, etc) that pre-empted the racing. Because my PVR runs a few seconds slow, and I habitually forget to set it to start one minute early, I didn't see the excuse/reason for the racing pre-emption, but I'm sure it was due to the rain delay at Englishtown yesterday.

Just when you think something really great is going to happen - like a race being broadcast in Canada, in Hi-Def, less than 24 hours after it concludes, it all goes to you-know-what. Hang on while I search the TSN schedule to see if they're going to show it later, or is it just going to evaporate into the ether ?

Aaarrrggghhhh! Just went to NHRA's TV schedule page and see the race was shown Monday afternoon - a two hour version from noon to 2pm (pacific time) on TSN2. The two network. Looks like the next broadcast is on the alternate TSN network too. That being this coming week's Thunder Valley Nationals (Bristol, TN) which will be shown on Wednesday, June 23rd from noon to 2pm. On the 2 network. Remember that ? Not one, but TWO.


Meanwhile at Calgary's Race City


Let's move on to something not as frustrating, such as what's happening with the Calgary Father's Day race, coming up in just three days. Not the AHRA event that was scheduled for this weekend, the race that didn't really exist, but the one that the Calgary Drag Racing Association and Race City folks are scrambling to organize and promote at the last minute. The race I'm flying out to Calgary on Friday to report on.

Clicking on the Race City website and following the link to the CDRA website brought me to the advertising poster for the event, so at least we've got something to attend. Doesn't look anything the Toronto extravaganza or the Edmonton Rocky Mountain Nats, but at least it's a race instead of a long weekend spent doing nothing in a hotel down near the railyards.

The feature attraction is the Rocky Mountain Nostalgia Funny Cars (an 8-car field, running on a 6.99 index with a mix of older body styles and long smoky burnouts!). Check out their website for more info. The next group out of the staging lanes are "Blown Renegade Dragsters" which I know nothing about, other than they appear to be "junior" top alky cars. I'm still looking for any info I can dig up about this class, and if anyone can help, please do so.

Rounding out the Calgary show will be Kevin Therres' Bio-Diesel Jet Funny Car from Saskatchewan. (No word yet on whether he's running solo or will have an opponent). And as a special treat for every true drag race fan in Calgary and surrounds, none other than Mr. 240 hisself, Gordie Bonin will be on hand to sign photos and pose for autographs (?!?) with the fans. Yes, it looks like a fun weekend as long as the weather cooperates. Damn, that "w" word has just been getting too much use lately, and as I type this update, it's thundershowers galore here in Vancouver after a warm, and mostly sunny, mid-June day. Global warming, my foot!

Well, that's enough rantin' and ravin' for another day, and time to put this puppy down for the night. Tune in again tomorrow for more news, updates and fun from the Northern Thunder folks. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to try and recover four files I accidentally deleted from the 2008 IHRA Rocky Mountain Nationals. It was only two or three hours work, but at my age, do I really have that much time to burn ?




To see previous updates go to the What's Old page