More Maritimes Matchups! « DragRaceCanada.com

More Maritimes Matchups!

by editor on Jul.29, 2026, under Hotzone

Eastern Canada’s JSCCS invades the super scenic confines of New Brunswick…

It was “full on” for NHRA’s John Scotti Canadian Drag Racing series event racing last weekend as Miramichi Dragway in central New Brunswick played host.

With a terrific field of cars attending, it was however Maritimes-based racers who managed to shine though.

The highly competitive JSCCS Stock/Super Stock Combo class featured it’s largest ever area turnout with 27-cars entered for both days eliminations.

Friday’s eliminator saw Dave Garland (Lakeburn NB) win his first ever NHRA “Wally” driving his SS/HA ’67 Camaro past Andrew MacDonald’s super cool “Two Tons Of Fun” ’66 BelAir H/SA Chevy Belair in the final round.

Friday’s Stock/SS title winner – Dave Garland

Saturday’s STK/SS Combo event went to Nova Scotia’s Dan Nickerson who raced his ’96 model Pontiac Firebird past the defending ’25 series champion Michael Ingram (also from Nova Scotia) in that final round. Both drivers ran under their dial in but Nickerson’s 10.619 secs (10.63) was the lesser violation — but only by .00009 of a sec!

That was Dan’s second career National Open “Wally” — having also won in Miramichi in 2019.

Class qualifying was highlighted by Andrew Cameron (’89 IROC-Z Camaro 350 I/SA) who set the pace for racing both days –Saturday (at -1.366) and then on Sunday (-1.361).

Stock/SS Combo racing did have a cool prelude event which was held on Thursday with another Top Stock exhibition eliminator – which featured 6 regional “Big Block” machines. That race, which was organised by Eastern Canadian drag racing proponent Mark Howes, saw Phil Archibald take the win in his A/SA Camaro defeating Mark’s brother Chris Howes (A/SA Dodge Challenger) in the heads-up conclusion — by a very narrow 9.947 secs to 9.950 secs margin.

The area’s best Top Dragsters and Top Sportsman racers did battle it out for the TS/TD Combo with Rylie Green (Berwick NB) and Peter Carpenter (Belleville NB) emerging with wins for those 1/8th mile features.

Green bested the 22-car field (on July 24) with dragster defeating Michelle MacNeil in a tight final round — winning with a 5.659 secs ET on a 5.64 dial in.

Glenn Grow and John Scotti congratulate TD/TS winner Rylie Green who won Friday’s event with his NB-based Mopar-powered dragster.

Carpenter capped off TD/TS racing on July 25 with his dragster when he defeated Quebec’s Simon Gosselin who had a red-light foul in the championship round.

Both days for TD/TS Combo races (now presented by Kioti Canada) were paced by Doug Forbes’s supercharged machine (from Douglas NB) which scored the poles with runs best runs of 4.150 secs and 4.154 secs each day.

The JSCCS events were also highlighted by NHRA Index “target shooting” for its popular “Super” categories — sponsored by Epic Racewear. Super Comp and Super Gas used 1/8th mile indexes of 5.70 secs and 6.30 secs respectively while Super Street did run full quarter mile (10.90 secs) index.

Super Comp titles went to Justin Cummings – from New Brunswick (Friday) and Jason MacNeil from Nova Scotia (Saturday).

Friday’s Super Comp winner – Justin Cummings

Quebec’s Danny Anjou was a S/G class winner with his Corvette.

Super Gas – which featured 15 entries, saw victories collected by Nova Scotia’s Benny Niesten and Quebec’s Dany Danjou.

Super Street (10.90) saw wins first go to Jamie Champ’s Malibu who defeated defending JSCCS points champion Michael Reynolds in the race #1 final. Reynolds however bounced back the next day winning with his ’77 Vega (from Ottawa ON) topping Benny Niesten in a close double break out class conclusion.

JSCCS Super Street points leader Mike Reynolds appeared within both final rounds at Miramichi.

The weekend event included great competition for both Bike/Sled and Junior Dragster racers.

Nova Scotia’s Wayne Morris dominated Kawasaki Canada’s Bike/Sled class racing abroad his ZX14 Kawasaki model, winning both days. Morris topped Brian Hedd for Saturday and then held off Mike O’Neill in Sunday’s event.

Wayne Morris – doubled up for Bike/Sled class racing!

For Freedom Docks-presented Junior Dragster — the winners were Carter Maclean (from PEI) and Casey McKelvie (Nova Scotia).

“We had a truly great turn out,” said NHRA’s Canadian Manager Glenn Grow. “This Miramichi crew had the track in tip-top shape — a very well run event.”