“John-E” Shines at Medicine Hat TA Shootout

By:  Bruce Biegler

Western Canada’s very progressive Medicine Hat Motorplex hosted one of it’s most significant drag racing events of the season June 12-13th when that quality facility brought in some of the best Top Alcohol racers in the Pacific Northwest for it’s 5th Annual Top Alcohol Shootout event.

The event featured an open field of qualified cars with eliminations pitting Top Alcohol dragsters running side-by-side with Top Alcohol Funny Cars.    A handicap start (for TAFC) was determined by the current NHRA national record difference between the categories.

Western Canadian mainstay racer John Evanchuk emerged on top of the event driving his superb and familiar Red Wolf Racing Firebird TAFC.

John Evanchuk Wins at Medicine Hat

In the final round the Edmonton-based driver ran a 6.253 secs at 221.54 mph to defeat Red Deer’s Ken Webster, driver of Geoff Goodwin’s Chevy Monte Carlo.  Unfortunately for Webster his car had a broken throttle cable in the final which slowed him from his earlier pace.   Ken had earlier set both low ET and top speed with a 5.773 secs at 246.63 mph (TAFC track records).

Evanchuk, had beaten the TAD car of Greg Sereda in round one and then Nathan Sitko’s TAFC Firebird in the semi final round.

Calgary’s Ashley Bart, who was voted as Canada’s Top Up-and-Coming new racer during DragRaceCanada’s off-season on-line poll last winter, set low ET of the event with an impressive 5.65 secs ride in the Gilmour Racing dragster.   She had entered the event holding the track record at 5.44 secs — set in 2009.

Greg Sereda set top speed of the event at 248.02 mph driving his newly acquired Top Alcohol Dragster.

 “We had great weather, super crowds and record performances,” said event Top Alcohol coordinator Ian Gallately.  “The track prep was awesome and we had a great BBQ for the Top alcohol drivers and crews.  Thanks to local rancher and good guy Gary Eide for donating the steaks.”

 Photo by: Bermie Frey