A very popular & scenic race destination for the JSCCS is played out…
Eastern Canada’s 2026 NHRA John Scotti Canadian Championship National Open series touched down at Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Dragway facility — last weekend — for season event races #9 and 10 for that 2026 chase.
After losing Friday’s scheduled action due to rain — the racing taps were then turned full on for a highly competitive event the rest of the way through — as 100+ machines were on the premises for the NHRA categories.
Saturday’s racing was highlighted by the MacNeil family name (from Nova Scotia) who found victory lane for both the Top Dragster/Top Sportsman Combo and Super Street class categories.
In “Top Combo” it was Michelle MacNeil defeating Jason MacNeil for the title of that 5-round tournament which featured 24 entries. Michelle ran a final round 5.192 secs (5.18 dial in) to hold off Jason’s 4.766 secs (4.75 dial) and capture her first JSCCS National Open title.
Saturday event “Top Combo” winner – Michelle MacNeil
Bryson MacNeil, who is a graduate of Junior Dragster racing (and son to Jason) — took his first career win in a “big car” driving his ’79 Monza to the title for the S/ST (6.90 index) class. Bryson (photo below) ran an impressive “spot on” 6.900 in the final to defeat Charles Coughlin’s break out 6.893 secs effort.
NHRA’s Super Comp and Super Gas class divisions saw wins go to Justin Cummings and Benny Niesten on Saturday. Cummings defeated Jason MacNeil in the S/C final and Niesten raced his Nova to a break through victory, getting past Maritimes-area Sportsman racing legend Jim Morrison in the S/G title round.
Stock/Super Stock Combo racing saw 16-cars make the first round call — and the end result produced a first time circuit winner with Chris Chapman (Onslow Mountain NS) in his ’69 E/SA Chevelle turning on the win-light over Bill Clarke in the final round. Clarke’s R/UP ’71 Chevy Chevelle was also built by Chris Chapman.
Chris Chapman earned his first career NHRA JSCCS “Wally” with this super clean Chevelle defeating Bill Clark’s Chevelle (below photo).
Other winners for race #1 this weekend at Cape Breton did include Gordon Ferguson on his Honda taking the Bike/Sled National Open crown and Maria Pearson (from PEI) collected a nice win for Junior Dragster Racing.
On Sunday, racing featured Benny Niesten (from Millville NS) collecting another “Wally” with his ’71 Nova — but this time in the S/ST division. Niesten used a slightly better RT in the final to hold off Saturday’s event winner Bryson MacNeil by a 6.930 to 6.621 secs margin.
Benny Niesten was a 2X event winner at Cape Breton Dragway.
Super Gas saw Glenn MacLean (below photo) win over a 12-car field with his Corvette (a Super Pro class regular car) and it was Brett Ramsay taking the Super Comp class (also 12 cars entered) topping the previous day winner Justin Cummings.
The Stock/Super Stock category event was won by home provincial racer Dan Nickerson with his SS/JA class Firebird. Dan topped Ryan Thibeault’s Camaro in the final hitting a 6.734 secs (6.72 dial in) while Ryan had a red-light foul start.
Nova Scotia’s Dan Nickerson tool the Stock/SS Combo event on Sunday.
15 cars were entered for Sunday’s S/SS combo event – which also earned points within the area’s ACSSSA season schedule. That group had been paced by Jeremy Keans with his ’83 Monte Carlo (J/SA) which dipped to a .929 under for the #1 qualifier position heading into eliminations.
The Top Combo saw Peter Carpenter (Belleville NB) collect with his Dan Page-built dragster, defeating Jason MacNeil in the final round for that day’s 22-car program. Carpenter delivered a nice 4.681 secs (4.68 dial) in the final round.
Peter Carpenter – from New Brunswick – collected in Top Combo racing.
Stuart Ferguson, who is brother to Saturday’s Bike/Sled winner Gordon Ferguson, kept things in the family by winning on Sunday for that same category as did Ben Pearson for Junior Dragster competition. Ben joined his sister Maria by also winning a Junior title this weekend.
Bike/Sled winner Gordon Ferguson.
Junior Dragster winner Ben Pearson
“As expected, Cape Breton Track Manager Gary Pozzebon and his staff did a great job once again,” affirmed Glenn Grow, NHRA’s Canadian representative.
The 2026 John Scotti Canadian Championship National Open Series now has three events remaining — coming at TMP/Cayuga Dragway (Sep. 4-5), Napierville Dragway (Sep 10-12) and then it’s weather deferred event rerun for at Luskville Dragway (Sep 19-20).
Posted by Bruce Biegler
Photos Courtesy of Gerard “Indy” Bryden
