NDRA to Crown 1st Champ This Weekend

It’s not often that someone gets the chance to say they were the first to accomplish something, but this weekend at the Canadian Funny Car Championships at TMP, four drivers will have a shot at doing just that….

Some of Canada’s best Alcohol Funny Car racers will vie for the inaugural NDRA Alcohol Funny Car Series presented by Ohsweken Speedway championship.

Heading into the final event of 2012, Welland, Ontario native Larry Dobbs leads the points chase with 433 markers, behind the wheel of his Sportz by Napier Firebird. “I’m really looking forward to Cayuga and running the car some more,” said Dobbs. “I was very disappointed at Grand Bend when a minor wiring issue put us out in the first round. That was heartbreaking.” Dobbs has been on the receiving end of lady lucks bad side at the last two events and feels that that will work in his favour this coming weekend. “That would be kinda neat [to be the first NDRA champion],” said Dobbs. “We’re due for some good luck after, you know, two races in a row.” 

Second in the points standings is London, Ontario native Paul Noakes, who has dominated the last two NDRA tour stops, qualifying number one and winning the event in both cases.  However, due to sponsorship commitments, Noakes will not participate in this weekend’s event, instead making the trek to the most historic drag race in the sport, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Just two points back of Noakes sits Gasport, New York campaigner Vince Rastelli, who has shown great consistency throughout the season in his Vince’s Auto Wrecking/Climax Collision Corvette, with the highlight of it being a runner-up finish at the first event to Dobbs. Dylan Hache of London, Ontario holds down the fourth spot with his For Wheels Auto Care backed Firebird and is well within striking distance of Dobbs should he be able to shake some of the bad luck he’s had this season, including a first round losing elapsed time that would have put him in the second round, had he been paired with anyone other than Noakes, during the Stratford Spectacular Hot August Nationals three weeks ago.

Fifth place Brian White, from Cicero, New York sits just less than 100 points back of Dobbs in the championship standings and has shown that he has what it takes to run with the rest of the competitors in the series after posting a strong runner-up finish at the Canadian Nitro Nationals in June. White would have to run the table and have some luck on his side in order to put his Freeman Farms/Whites Auto Speed Avenger on top of the heap at weekends end. 

Adding to the mix will be Ron Bankes and his Bankes Marine Services Firebird, who was runner-up at the last event on tour, and 3-time IHRA champion Rob Atchison, who will be making his second appearance with the series this season piloting his Atchison Machine Service Monte Carlo. Neither can mathematically win the championship, but both have the ability to play the role of spoiler during the event. 

Qualifying for the NDRA Alcohol Funny Car Series presented by Ohsweken Speedway gets underway with the first of three sessions, Saturday afternoon at 3:00 PM. Eliminations will commence at 1:00 PM Sunday.  

For more information or to purchase event tickets in advance visit www.torontomotorsportspark.com  

For more information about the NDRA and for full race results and points standings visit www.ndra.ca 

Posted by:  Dale Boeru