Canadian drag racers won two major Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series titles during today’s NHRA Carolina Nationals conclusion!…
British Columbia’s Shawn Cowie, who came so excrusiating close to winning the Top Alcohol Dragster title at the NHRA Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals two weeks ago at Indy — has shrugged off any residue disappointment from that by winning today. Cowie earned his 6th career NHRA national event win and his 2nd of the 2016 season when he beat Rich McPhillips in the final round.
Cowie combined a .027 RT with a run of 5.350 secs at 268.06 mph to prevail over Pennsylvannia’s McPhillips who ran a losing 5.401 secs at 268.81 mph racing his injected nitro car.
Cowie, who entered eliminations as the #6 seed (5.299 secs) driving his Bill Moore-tuned dragster was very consistent all weekend while beating Jackie Fricke, Megan Meyer and Duane Shields in earlier rounds of competition.
The event also produced a first time national event win for Quebec’s Gerald Milette in Top Sportsman class racing. Gerald, who is based from St. Etienne PQ, was also a picture of consistency while winning the TS title over 19 other entries.
Gerald first qualified his show quality and nitrous-injected ’63 Corvette #14 with a 7.044 secs before earning round wins over Chadrick Morrison, Ken Ellison and Jeff Pittman to make the championship round.
Then in the final he ran a 7.077 secs at 188.36 mph (7.07 dial in) to take the stripe by a wide margin over opponent Johathan Gibbs.
This was Milette’s first win at the NHRA national level — his only other previous NHRA “Wally” had come during the Lucas Oil Divisional race held at Indianapolis in May last year.
Gerald campaigns a self assembled S&G Racing ’63 Corvette which is powered by a 780 CID Sunset motor program, with his wife Suzanne.
Post and photos by Bruce Biegler