Grand Bend Motorplex’s “660 Sportsman Nationals” report….

What happens when you wake up one day and think “man, I should put on a big Bracket Race”… well this is something that’s been going through the heads of Drew Buchner and Ian Hill for the last few years. This year we got together and said…”lets do this thing!!!”

In only three and half weeks we were able to chat online and over the phone to put together what has to be one of the single largest payout dial-in races ever to hit the strips on Canadian soil! The 660 Sportsman Nationals split the event between some big money guaranteed purse classes, some big money purse classes that carried minimum car counts and some 100% payout classes.

Together Drew and Ian put together a great schedule that allowed as many teams to double class (or more) as possible. 

Kevin Wicke (from Stratford ON) drove his popular Dodge Stratus to a T/S title.

The inaugural 660 Sportsman Nationals featured: two high rollers 32 Car dial in shootouts; Friday Gamblers Box and No Box classes, Box and No Box guaranteed $7500 to win racing both Saturday and Sunday, a Stock/ Super Stock combo race, Bikes and Sleds and Jr Dragsters both days as well.  

Top Sportsman, Top Dragster and 6.50 index had 3 rounds of Qualifying and E1 Saturday followed by the rest of eliminations run off Sunday. Als, with the help of Jr. Dragster racer Arnold Fox, we had kids RC Bracket racing both Friday and Saturday evening.

All in all, the 660 Sportsman Nationals paid out over $93,000 and pushed through 770 entries (including buy backs and Jr Consi entries) over the 3 day events. We would like congratulate Will Steckley and David Duval for doubling up, both taking home 2 wins over the weekend and Benny Smith for hitting 3 final rounds (including one win) over our three day event.

The Inaugural “660 Sportsman Nationals” included Stock/SS eliminator titles for Chris Lozon (top) and Wally Clark.

Class Champions were:

Southerntruckboxes.com $10,000 to win Friday 32 Car Shootout – Don Vincelli

Southerntruckboxes.com $10,000 to win Saturday 32 Car Shootout – Dean Schwemler

DSE Automotive Friday Gamblers Box – Will Steckley

DSE Automotive Friday Gamblers No Box – Brad Gibbs

Arnold Fox’ Friday Night Kids RC Dial In race – Austin Vermuelen

J&S Collision Saturday Box – Andrew Stirk

J&S Colission Sunday Box Split – Roch Beaudoin/ Jeremey VanBastelaar

Twin Oaks Towing Saturday No Box – Will Steckley

Twin Oaks Towing Sunday No Box – James Little

Finishline Niagara Saturday Stock/ Super Stock Combo – Chris Lozon

Finishline Niagara Saturday Stock/ Super Stock Combo – Wally Clark

Advanced Motorsports Saturday Bikes and Sleds – David Duval

Advanced Motorsport Sunday Bikes and Sleds – David Duval

Western Overhead Door Saturday Jr Dragster – Shelby Alams

Boomer and Deb Saturday Jr Consi – Alexis Hinds

Western Overhead Door Sunday Jr Dragster – Mya James

Boomer and Deb Sunday Jr Dragster Consi – Brody Brown

Bracket Life Top Dragster – Benny Smith

Cheapside Auto Care Top Sportsman – Kevin Wicke

Corriveau Concrete T/S vs T/D run off – Kevin Wicke

BLASTALLequipment.com 6.50 Index – Double-oh-Joe Muro

GBM track “hitter” Will Steckley came away with two event wins.

We would like to acknowledge and thank our Associate Sponsors: Hutches Transmission CMS, EWS, Quest Manufacturing, Henderson Racing, Belmont Automotive, For Wheels Racing, Performance Unlimited and Dirty Squirrel Racing for helping come together and put this amazing event on!

Posted by Ian Hill

DragRaceCanada File Photos by Bruce Biegler