NHRA’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series circuit featured a record number of Canadian victories during last weekend’s action…..
Those wins were concentrated during the “Night of Fire” event hosted by Salt Lake City’s Rocky Mountain Raceways. That event was in fact “double header” including a make up date for a previously weather affected race within NHRA’s Division Pacific Division 7 season schedule.
No less then four different Western Canadian drag racers collected their coveted first career NHRA “Wallys” and that list included two talented female drivers.
During Saturday’s “race #1” Regina’s Sandy Cawsey rolled her 1967 Ford Fairlane to a victory for the first time when she beat another lady racer Brenda Watson in the S/ST final round. Racing against the altitude adjusted 11.35 secs index, Sandy combined a .019 RT with a run of 11.359 secs to win while Watson broke out. Sandy’s win came after winning five rounds of competition and was her first win in three career LODRS final rounds appearances.
Saturday’s event also featured a win for Red Deer Alberta’s Mike Quayle who topped a very competitive Top Dragster program. After qualifying #4 with a 6.897 secs, Mike prevailed in six rounds of class competition including the final round when his 6.751 secs at 201.02 mph ran down opponent Thomas Bayer who is from California.
Sunday’s race #2 – saw wins go to two more Alberta drivers, Caitlin Setters in Super Stock and Gary Miserva in Top Sportsman.
Caitlin, who is daughter to Western Canadian Super Stock class racing icon Byron Setters, scored racing her GT/BA classed Pontiac G5 which is also based from Red Deer. Caitlin had a terrific day driving while prevailing over the 36-car field, including combining a .005 RT in the final round with a run of 9.795 secs at 136.11 mph to win over California’s Kyle Rizzoli. Caitlin had started her event off with a win over fellow Canadian racer Grant Singer (Regina) in round one before then turning on 5 more consecutive win lights to assure her first date with “Wally”.
Racing his 1963 Corvette, Gary Miserva (from Sherwood Park AB) collected his first divisional title when he beat Wyoming’s Brian Leibee in the TS title bout.
Miserva, after qualifying #13 of 30 cars entered hit a winning 7.338 secs (7.32) dial in at 187.57 mph to secure the win. To get there, Miserva too won five gruelling rounds previously and his win came in his second career final round appearance at the NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional race level.

Gary Miserva ran down the TS competition with his 1963 Corvette – including Brian Leibbe’s Chevy in the final round.
Posted by Bruce Biegler
All Photos by Bob Johnson