Grassroots Grid: 30 Years and Still Ticking!

While the name Scotty Bowman is probably best known from within the ranks of NHL Hockey history — there is another of that namesake who has a continued reputation within Canadian drag racing……

This Scotty Bowman, who is from Niagara Falls Ontario,  has been involved in Eastern Canadian drag racing since first establishing his race team back in 1983.

“It all began with a 1968 Camaro and on the street for money and bragging rights,” said Bowman about his earliest days. “But that eventually ended up at a local drag strip back in 1983.”

Bowman raced his ’68 Camaro until 1988 when he acquired a newer model 1978 Z-28 Camaro.  Since then that frequent runner ET bracket and fast street race car has been a familiar sight at various Ontario drag strips, and over many seasons has seen a number of changes and upgrades.

Scotty Bowman’s versatile Camaro is a familiar sight in Ontario drag racing

During 2000 Bowman took some time off from racing his own car to instead help as a crew member for one of the Top Sportsman cars raced by Hamilton’s Tom & Joe Bene.  While there he honed his skills as a nitrous oxide tuner.

In 2003 Scott did suffer a neck injury during a non racing related industrial accident which effectively ended his career as a driver.

But despite that occurrence  and fast forward to the present;  Bowman remains highly motivated and focused on drag racing.  For 2013 he is reintroducing his Camaro within the highly competitive Joe’s Transmission TNT Super Series for 10.90 secs index cars.

“We are now shooting for the top this season as some new sponsors have joined up with the goal of helping us win the Championship,” Scotty confirmed.  “These sponsors (The Meat Shoppe, Competition Fuels, Boniferro Speed & Custom, Joe’s Transmission Services, Al’s Radiator, M&B Signs & Designs, and T&T Fabricating) are all helping our cause this season.”

Bowman will also call upon the services of a new driver for 2013 with Ryan Boniferro – son to fellow Canadian drag racing proponent Joe Boniferro, taking over the Camaro controls.

Ryan Boniferro has been racing since he was a youngster and is a former junior dragster Track Champion.  Last season Ryan drove a 1968 Dodge Baracuda within the highly competitive Can-Am Stock/Super Stock Series and finished second in the Championship Points.

The Bowman Racing ’78 Z-28 Camaro will again be ability maintained by crew chief Alex Baptist and crew members, Robert Geroux,  Joshua, Janice, Tiana and Halie Bowman.

There is also a very real possibility of a 2nd car being introduced into the Bowman Motorsports equation.  Negotiations and testing with a newcomer OSCA class orientated Mustang are continuing and a agreement may be announced at a later date.

Posted by:  Bruce Biegler – Photo by:  Rob Potter