ACSSA Maritimes drag racing — a review and New Years prospective…
Some news and mews from within Canada’s Maritimes niche drag racing circuit.
The ACSSA enjoyed another excellent year in 2025.
Mike Ingram was of course the story of the year, making the efforts of us mere mortal racers around him seem even more mundane.
Mike Ingram continued his domination in Canada’s “far east” — collecting his 5th career ACSSA points championship.
Around the fringes of Mike’s dominance however several other racers also posted strong performances. Dave Garland, Kale Johnson, Bruce Riley and Dan Nickerson all scored ACSSA race wins in 2025, with Bruce’s happening at the Miramichi National Open which also netted him a Wally.
The other three Maritime National Open Wallys were taken home by Mike, along with one from Napierville enroute to winning the John Scotti Eastern Canadian Championship.
After only his third season racing in the ACSSA Kale Johnson has already cemented his position as a rising star. In his three seasons so far Kale has finished 4th, 3rd, and most recently 2nd in ACSSA points. The former Junior Dragster Champion scored a NHRA Wally at the young age of 18 at the 2024 Miramichi National Open, and is always a threat to win in his immaculate home-built Camaro.
ACSSA rising circuit star is former Junior Dragster class racer — Kale Johnson
New Brunswick’s fabled Howes family have added yet another vehicle to their race stable with the debut of Colton Howes in his H/SA Dodge Dakota. The 3rd Generation drag racer also came out of the Junior Dragster ranks and joins his sister Paige, father Mark, uncle Chris, and grandfather Wendell in the Stock/SS ranks. The Howes have been regular participants in ACSSA and NHRA races, and we expect to see even more of them in 2026.
3rd generation racer Colton Howes made is debut with this H/SA Dodge Dakota last season.
The off-season has only just begun and major developments have already been in the news. The ACSSA would like to congratulate Greenfield Dragway for joining the NHRA family of tracks. Greenfield was the location of the very first ACSSA race back in 2010, and has hosted multiple ACSSA races each season since.
With this announcement, all three Maritime tracks that host ACSSA races are now NHRA member tracks.
The final effects of the other big announcement have yet to be fully known. The recent news that Maple Grove Raceway is now an IHRA owned track shocked many ACSSA members, who considered it a home track albeit a distant one. For nearly 50 years Maritime racers, several of whom still compete in the ACSSA, raced and won at Sanair, Epping, Englishtown and Maple Grove. Of all those legendary tracks only Epping now remains on the NHRA circuit.
While IHRA will certainly make use of the beautiful facility at Maple Grove, they face a big challenge to adequately fill the voids left by the end of the NHRA events there. Luckily the John Scotti NHRA Canadian National Open Series is providing some exciting options for us looking to race. — right here in Canada.
The ACSSA has revealed it’s 2026 race dates:
June 6-7 Miramichi Dragway, NB – ACSSA Races 1 & 2
July 3-5 Greenfield Dragway, NS- GREG’S LEGACY RACE – ACSSA Races 3 & 4
July 23-26 John Scotti NHRA Nat Open, Miramichi Dragway, NB – ACSSA Races 5 & 6
Aug. 13-16 John Scotti NHRA Nat Open, CB Dragway, Sydney, NS – ACSSA Races 7 & 8
Sept. 25-27 Greenfield Dragway, NS – ACSSA Races 9 & 10
Posted courtesy of Jeff Kempton
Photos Courtesy of Chris O’Neill, Dana Maria Lane & Stacee Richards
