Bond’s Secret Service — It could be strongly argued that Justin Bond’s very first national event effort driving a Pro Mod car was for sure one of the top news stories overall of NHRA’s recent AAA Texas Nationals held south of Dallas.  Bond (from Mission BC) who is a team co-owner with Shane Molinari for the JBS Limited/RAD Pontiac Firebird took full advantage of his first chance to drive the car in competition by advancing all the way to the championship final round for the E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod Series eliminator.  He qualified 3rd (5.793 secs) and then went as quick as 5.747 secs during eliminations.  In the title bout he was in fact the quicker car too — but a slightly better starting line RT by his opponent Jeremy Ray (.038 to .054) proved to be the difference.

A Record Setting Ride! — Terry Schweigert — a very popular Pro Extreme class motorcycle racer from British Columbia reset both ends of the PDRA’s PXM national records during that circuit’s recent Fall Nationals (at Darlington SC) Riding a new motorcycle owned by Kevin Clark (a turbocharged ’18 Hayabusa) Schweigert rocketed to a 3.914 at 184.58 to qualify #1 for that event. Terry (who is a dairy farmer back home near Abbotsford) won his first round (over TT Jones) before a red-light foul ended his event bid.

Definite Canadian Content! — The championship round for the PDRA’s penultimate season race (Fall Nationals at Darlington) featured undeniable Canadian presence when Melanie Salemi (originally from Orillia ON) faced off against the Barrie Ontario-based Al Billes owned Camaro now driven by Tommy D’Aprile.  That title bout which was between the #1 and #2 qualifiers (D’Aprile 3.68 secs and Salemi 3.73 secs) went to Florida-based D’Aprile in a very close decision – 3.69 secs 201.25 mph to 3.70 secs 200.62 mph.  The win for D’Aprile and Billes was their 3rd circuit score of 2018 and put them to the cusp of winning the PDRA’s overall season championship for Pro Boost — with one race remaining.

Another Injection! — Let there be no doubt that Canada’s presence within NHRA’s TAD class (in particular injected nitro cars) is not anything but world class. That was evident again during the NHRA’s AAA Texas Nationals when Doug Doucette’s Winnipeg-based machine advanced to the championship final. With skilled driver Alan Bradshaw (from Odessa TX) at the controls – the Doucette Racing dragster (which is tuned by legendary Ken Murray) qualified #6 (5.307 secs) and then won three rounds. But in the final the team’s 5.342 secs fell short of Joey Severence’s supercharged car which ran a winning 5.236 secs.