Fans at Grand Bend’s Mopar Canadian Nationals last weekend got a little something extra…..


We really like how prominent drag strips in Canada, including both Castrol Raceway in Edmonton and Ontario’s Grand Bend Motorplex — do provide extra value for attending racing fans – during their annual IHRA national events. In conjunction with the IHRA, both have developed a nice habit melding in and showcasing regional class strengths and different mixes of Motorsports entertainment.

That trend continued at last weekend’s 17th annual Mopar Canadian Nationals in GBM when fans witnessed some great feature racing in added attraction Nostalgia Super Stock and Outlaw Sleds eliminators.

For the 2nd year in a row the Canadian based Nostalgia Super Stockers roared to life during the race in a special shootout co-ordinated by Karbelt Speed and Custom owner Kevin Dundas (Pickering ON).

This year’s race saw ten vintage Mopar cars make qualifying runs and they were paced by Ontario’s Harry Schilling who set the pace with a 8.633 secs at 157.39 mph run in his cool ’70 Barracuda.

Canada's Harry Schillings set both low ET and top speed.

Canada’s Harry Schillings set both low ET and top speed.

But the final round match on Sunday afternoon saw a pair of Hemi-powered ’68 Darts face off. In that match-up Jerry Kassin (from Fraser MI) out duelled Jim Jewer (from Ancaster ON) who had a red-light foul. Kassin had a winning 9.631 secs 138.63 mph to 9.856 secs 133.35 mph margin.

Jerry Kassien won the Mopar Canadian Nationals Nostalgia Super Stock title for the 2nd straight year.

Jerry Kassien won the Mopar Canadian Nationals Nostalgia Super Stock title for the 2nd straight year.

Kassin had defeated the machines raced by Dwight Vorsevelt and Lloyd Brooker in rounds one and two and earned a bye into the final round.

“That was Kassin’s second win in a row,” Kevin Dundas affirmed.  “He said his “Ironman” from last year was lonely and now it has some company!”

Kevin Dundas

Kevin Dundas

An extremely entertaining 15-entry field of Outlaw Sleds made their Canadian IHRA national event debut at Grand Bend. That group featured a bunching of very high tech machines based from both Canada and the USA.

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Wisconsin’s Glenn Hall emerged victorious aboard his 2016 Arctic Cat capping the 1/8th mile feature with a final round 4.713 secs at 147.95 mph. That earned him a decision over the Ski Doo raced by Michigan’s Chris Homrich which ran 4.875 secs at 136.96 mph.

Hall had outran Alex Beretrand, Rob Lowe and Michael Swartz in earlier rounds.

Check out the cool canard wings on this one!

Check out those wild canard wings on this one!

Following 3 rounds of qualifying, the field was anchored by Kelly Shilts who qualified #1 with a 4.736 secs. David Marshall (from Preswood ON) was credited with top speed hitting an rather amazing 152.85 mph on his 1300 CC Pro-Line.

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Post by Bruce Biegler
Photos by Bruce Biegler & Brennan Shortall