Canadian racers within the mix for major specialty events….

Some lucrative and high profile appearances for some top-rated Canadian racers — this autumn.

The upcoming 2025 edition JEGS All Stars event — arguably the most prestigious annual attraction for NHRA Sportsman class racing includes some very elite Canadian qualifiers.

This race goes down this coming weekend as part of the NHRA’s Texas Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex – located south of Dallas.

Now celebrating its 41st year, the JEGS Allstars has brought out the best from across NHRA’s seven geographical divisions for each specialty gathering. The unique event crowns individual champions in 10 separate classes, in addition to the overall team title.

Racers qualified for the prestigious event by earning points in their home divisions during year-long battles in the following categories — Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Competition, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Top Dragster and Top Sportsman.

Canada’s strength within the Top Alcohol Dragster class is extremely prominent this year with defending NHRA Lucas Oil World Champion Shawn Cowie’s Mundies Towing & Recovery race team representing NHRA’s Western region again.  The TAD category will also include for the first time rookie sensation driver McKenna Bold, from Alberta, driver of the Randy Meyer Racing injected nitro car. McKenna will represent both the NHRA Central Division and her new primary sponsor Diezel Excavating for that elite 8-car eliminator.

Shawn Cowie & McKenna Bold are both qualified for JEGS AllStars event competition this coming week.

Canada will also have two racers to watch within the Lucas Oil Sportsman racing ranks. In Super Gas (9.90) index racing Renfrew Ontario’s Charlie Kenopic will make the trip with his Corvette representing NHRA’s Northeast Division 1.  The Super Stock class mix will include Abbotsford BC’s Darrell Stobbe campaigning his truly meticulous/classic ’64 SS/JA Malibu.

Charlie Kenopic and Darrell Stobbe are both headed to the Dallas area too.

The JEGs All-Stars portion of the race is scheduled for Oct 10th with the final rounds held Oct 11th.

As part of NHRA’s Northeast Division 1 restructure this – a door of opportunity was opened for more Canadian racers within the NHRA Summit Racing ET World Championship Series.

Following the establishment and then the completion of the “Eastern Canadian Division” ET Finals – held at Luskville Dragway (Sep 18-20th) – four event winning drivers qualified to make an appearance at the Summit Racing ET Finals which will be held in conjunction with the NHRA Nevada Nationals (Oct 30-Nov 2nd) out at Las Vegas.

Cody Levasseur (from Quebec) will represent Canada in the Summit ET Finals Super Pro class division.

Those are Eastern Canadian drivers Cody Levasseur (Super Pro), Patrick Alarie (Pro), Dustin Taylor (Sportsman) and Mike Konopacki (Bike).

For Mike Konopacki (from Oshawa ON), Canada’s highly reputed motorcycle drag racer,  this Las Vegas race opportunity will be his second in a row –Mike placed R/UP at this event in 2024.

Canada’s undisputed top motorcycle driver – Mike Konopacki – will try to improve on his R/UP placing at the 2024 Finals event.

And while the results for the above elite and special events are TBA — Canada does have one in the bag already – just recently!

At the PDRA’s once a year Summit Racing Equipment ProStars event — Ontario’s Kyle Harris (KHR) collected during that speciality all shootout race held at Virgina Motorsports Park (just last week).

Kyle, was the winner for the PDRA’s Elite-presented Top Dragster class defeating opponent Steve Furr. That payout and title for Harris was his second year in a row.

Harris coaxed his fan favourite supercharged DFS Projects ’32 Bantam Altered to the win — leaving first with a .002 reaction and powering to a 3.74 secs (3.73 dial) while Furr broke out.

All drivers had qualified to compete in the 2025 ProStars race using a special event by event points system.

Kyle Harris, who won the over Elite Top Dragster World Championship for 2024, did have another superb campaign this year – with a 3rd place finish in final PDRA class points standings.

Posted by Bruce Biegler

Photos by Dave DeAngelis, Phil Hutchison, Tara Bowker, Mike Lacelle, Tony Hayes