One of the most iconic names ever within Canadian drag racing has passed…..

Everyone at DragRaceCanada joins the Canadian drag racing/motorsports community as a whole in mourning the loss of legendary and pioneer Canadian drag racer – John Petrie.

Petrie who arguably was one of the first Canadian drag racers to achieve international fame status for our sport from Canada, passed away on June 8th in his hometown of Tofino, BC.  Born September 19th, 1942,  John was 77 years old.

John was famous for his long series of drag racing vehicles (most of which were of the Chrysler brand) while competing within Stock, Super Stock, Modified Production and Pro Stock classes dating back from early 1960’s and into the 1970’s.   He even toyed with experimental A/FX machines which was a class that  eventually evolved into flip top Funny Cars.

Known very affectionately as Canada’s “Mr. MOPAR”, John Petrie’s name will always too be recognized as the only Canadian to win a Pro Stock points Championship in what was then NHRA’s (Land of NED) Division 1 chase ( occurred in 1970).  That level of racing was in fact an immediate prelude format to what eventually became NHRA national event competition and for World Championship title Pro Stock racing.

Traditional fans will also remember John Petrie for his extensive all across and throughout Canada dealership touring (the John Petrie Super Car Clinic) which at the time played a very key roll in helping to grow the recognition of drag racing into what it is today.

Petrie was most deservingly inducted into both the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame and also the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame (both in 2015).

Arguably one of John Petrie’s (far lane) most famous event appearances came while winning the WCS Pro Stock class at Sanair back in 1971. That event was a prelude to the inaugural NHRA Molson Grandnational (Canada’s first ever national event) which happened a bit later that summer.

Posted by Bruce Biegler

Photos Files Courtesy of Stacee Richards, Gerry Frechette, Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame and Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame.