Mopar Canada sets to present the “second stage” of it’s yearly major commitment to Canadian drag racing….
Following a very recent and very successful 16th version Mopar Rocky Mountain Nationals out at Edmonton — Mopar Canada will shift it’s focus East when it again hosts the Mopar Canadian Nationals at Grand Bend Motorplex.
That marquee annual calendar date (Aug. 3-5th) will mark the 19th year of consecutive support from Mopar Canada to the Canadian drag race scene and once again the 2018 version promises to be an exciting and entertaining mix.
The Professional and exhibition car line-up will go something like this. There will be four Top Fuel dragsters on the premises headlined by former NHRA World Champion Larry Dixon who will return to Grand Bend Motorplex for the 2nd straight year. He will be joined in competition by fellow US racers Bruce Litton, Kyle Wurtzel and rookie lady driver Audrey Worm.
In addition, GBM President and Owner Paul Spriet has confirmed a 4-car Chicago style nitro Nostalgia Funny Car show as well as six Nitro Harley riders.
But, the nitromethane fumes will not end there however – because this year’s race will also include a formidable injected nitro dragster match race featuring a head to head confrontation between two of Canada’s very best and fastest cars in that A/FD class – Jeff Veale (from Ontario) and Daniel Mercier (from Quebec).
Veale is scheduled to make a public debut with an all new car at this race and for Daniel Mercier, who just recently did stride into the ranks of NHRA Top Fuel racing too, this will be his first ever appearance racing in the province of Ontario.
“Yes – this will be my first time to race in Ontario,” Daniel confirmed. “I’m very happy to have been invited to this great event. The fans will get to see two very refined injected nitro cars – that both have run over 280 mph. But I’m not coming just for fun – I definitely want to win this match race against Jeff.”
Daniel also did hint that this year’s scheduled appearance at Grand Bend Motorplex may also be sort of a catalyst for some things to come in the future. He has run his new Top Fuel dragster twice within NHRA national event competition so far this year (at Virginia and Epping) and that possibly he might bring that car to Grand Bend instead – next year.
“Soon I will begin to plan my Top Fuel racing for next year,” he added. “Depending on our schedule I would certainly like to race more in Canada and Grand Bend Motorplex would be on that list.”
Over the 2018 Mopar Canadian Nationals weekend there will be a slew of great exhibition cars as well as guaranteed ferocious competition for qualified fields in Pro Modified, Outlaw 10.5, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster.

Russ Lethbridge of Caledonia, Ontario will run his HellFire – the World’s fastest Freightliner Truck.
And as there always is too, Sportsman racing will be a big part of the event program — with a few hundred machines entered. “This is our biggest show in a long long time,” confirmed Paul Spriet (with a wink!)
For more information on the 2018 Mopar Canadian Nationals including the event schedule – click: HERE
Post by Bruce Biegler
Photos by Bruce Biegler / Darwin Kent