Probability of Canadian NHRA National Open events facing serious jeopardy…..
In some more “Canadian COVID consequence” – fans of NHRA class car racing completion must deal with more disappointment this season due to the ongoing world health crisis.
In past years — both NHRA’s Pacific Northwest Division Six and Northeast Division One have presented some traditional races in Canada that featured some of the NHRA’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Sportsman class categories.
In the West things look pretty bleak — with the NHRA National Open at Edmonton’s Castrol Raceway — held in unison with the Rocky Mountain Nationals event — now officially is not going to happen.
“The Edmonton Open (RMN) is cancelled,” confirmed NHRA Division Six Director Matt Levonas. “The race at MHDRA (July 17-19) is on our schedule still — as they would like to hold it. But with the status changing back and forth in Alberta, there are still many unknowns.”
There is also not a National Open event slotted for BC’s Mission Raceway this year — however hope does still remain for a potential 2020 edition for the Lordco BC Nationals (Sept 15-17th) — and if presented that race would include some NHRA Sportsman class car racing.
In the East — the PC Richard NHRA National Open which was slotted for June 13-14 at Cayuga Dragway is deleted. The subsequent NHRA races at Napierville PQ (July 18-19) and Mirimachi NB (July 24/25) — are not yet cancelled officially — but are probably unlikely.
“Toronto is cancelled with no reschedule,” affirmed David Mohn, NHRA’s Northeast Division Director. “Napierville and Miramichi are on hold right now. We should have a better idea in the next few weeks.”
In additional to regional health authorities having the last say, a major complicating logistical factor remains the harsh reality of the border between Canada and the USA being closed — with anyone’s guess as to when that will change.
Posted by Bruce Biegler