A 3X Winner! – Canada did collect yet another NHRA Silver Anniversary Season “Wally” at the New England Nationals, with Eastern Ontario’s Charlie Kenopic prevailing to win the event in the S/G (9.90) category with his super reliable ’63 Corvette. 
For Kenopic, the victory was his 3rd NHRA title and his first win at New England Dragway. 
Charlie put together another string of consistency to win that class’s 5-round tournament. In the championship “double breakout” round he combined a .002 RT with a 9.893 secs to defeat his opponent Rick Mattioli who ran a losing 9.883 secs. “We had a great weekend started off with a 9.900 on first time run we had good lights and solid runs up to the final,” Charlie stated.  “Our worst light was .016 — we ran our buddy in the final– he had been killing the tree so I took a few thou out of the box and ended up going .002.  He had a great run but Lady Luck was on our side – this time!” Kenopic’s previous two NHRA nationals level event titles had come at Maple Grove (2013) and VMP (2018).

Like Father – Like Son!! — Ontario-native racers Eric and Matt Latino continued to impress within NHRA’s dynamic and truly expensive Pro Stock class category at the New England Nationals. The Canadian component for that category leading multi-car KB/Titan Racing team,  qualified extremely high again for Sunday. Matt (above photo) earned a career best qualifier (#2) at 6.525 secs while dad Eric (below) was just a whisper behind (#3) at 6.534 secs. Both drivers however did fall out in round two last weekend, with Matt losing to Aaron Stanfield and Eric (red-light) losing to Matt Harford.

Deserving Recognition — The attention to detail for Richard Grenier’s meticulous and unique ’33 Willys did not go unnoticed at Epping NH last weekend!
One of the NHRA prestigious Special Awards for the New England Nationals event did include this Quebec-based recipient, a long time NHRA S/G competitor, who was awarded the event’s “Best Engineered” trophy.

New “Top” Players — The Top class racing mix for the NHRA’s New England Nationals did include a couple of first time that level players from Canada.
Jay Beaulieu (from Riviere-Du-Loop PQ), who is the founder of DragRaceQuebec and also the driving force behind Eastern Canada’s thriving Super Tour Series races, entered his now Carlyle Tools-presented American-chassis dragster for the very first time in NHRA T/D.
Jay qualified #22 for the big field when he drove to his career quick and fastest 6.969 secs at 192.85 mph and then proceeded to card two round win lights before losing out.
“That was the first NHRA national event for competing,” Jay affirmed. “I was at Epping about 20 years ago when I started my racing career but with the IHRA sanction. It was my first 1/4 mile run in about 10 years — because my primary focus is now our own series (Super Tour) and various the “big money” bracket races.”
Jay did reveal he enjoyed the experience but also it affirmed a reality for the nature of that class category, saying, “I qualified bottom half and I feel I don’t have the right weapon to be competitive at those type of events. I would eventually need a faster car for sure.”
Also coming to play at Epping was Cody Cook, who is from Bourget Ontario, who entered for the first time in NHRA nationals competition with his Chevy Camaro T/S car (photo below).
Cook did have a more than decent debut race after qualifying that machine #4/17 car at 6.973 secs and then going to the 2nd round before losing out – despite a .007 RT in that round.

Top Tier Qualifiers — Canadian drivers Al Kenny and Louis Gill were both high on the grids after qualifying was completed at New England.
Kenny, who is a native of Kingston ON., but who now resides from Juniper Florida, set the pace for T/D class racing when he qualified #1 at 6.157 secs.
Kenny, who is no stranger to NHRA event victories, did pick up two round wins in T/D before losing out in round #3 to eventual class winner Ava Meloni.
Louis Gill (from Quebec City) who did enter both his cars (Super Stock & Stock) at the event – just missed on a pole qualifying effort for Stock eliminator driving his FS/G classed Ford Mustang.
Louis’ time of 10.28 secs (-1.069) was #2 for the 48 cars entered. Louis was not however able to transfer that strong Q effort to a first round win light. Gill placed a 2nd round finish in his ’92 Cavalier, GT/FA, in Super Stock.