Made in Manitoba
Winnipeg’s Doug Doucette has quite a streak going. He is Canada’s longest running competitor within the Top Alcohol Dragster category and he will celebrate an anniversary next season….
In 2012 Doug Doucette will hit an important milestone – his 30th year of being involved in NHRA TAD class racing.
The Manitoba-based injected nitro car of Doug Doucette continues to make solid progress on the NHRA racing scene
While Doucette would probably be the first to admit that his machines have not exactly always been record setters – his reputation is still very whole.
It will be 30 years and counting in TAD racing for Doug Doucette next season.
Throughout the years all of his TAD dragsters have been very competitive within this demanding stepping stone class to Pro racing. Doucette is a text book example of being an independent racer and he is well known for thinking outside the box in the class. Doug has traditionally run his own self-built chassis configurations and has equipped his car with numerous innovative home made components.
“I began racing dragsters back in 1982,” Doucette revealed. “I drove all of my cars when they were supercharged but then scaled my driving back when I switched to injected nitro. To be honest that was because I found it difficult to both work on the car and drive it too. Now I actually enjoy the challenge of making the car run — more.”
Doucette’s present car is in fact a chassis that he first built back in 1999. But two years ago that car received a new back half and then in 2010 a new front end. Doug’s motor program has also evolved to go with those upgrades.
“We did change to the BA8 cylinder heads last year,” Doug continued. “That has proven to be a good move as we have made some performance strides. We also have a different manifold and cam shaft assembly.”
Throughout his career Doucette has relied on Canadian drag racing tuning legend Ken Murray who has remained a close confidant. Murray, who is also fromWinnipeg, has very vast experience within the drag racing scene as a racer himself before tuning both supercharged and injected nitro cars.”
“Ken has always been with me – even when he was helping other teams progress – he really never left,” Doug added.
Doug Doucette (left) with Scott Palmer & Ken Murray
“I was actually looking for somebody with a bit more driving experience,” Doug continued. “Scott has driven in Top Fuel and made a lot of laps in a lot of different cars. He is able to give us more feedback and that helps in a big way.”
On an annual basis Doucette’s team makes about six to eight appearances per season racing at select NHRA divisional and national events. Doucette’s machine has run as quick as 5.35 secs and regularly eclipses the 250 mph mark which places his team solidly as middle of the pack car in the category.
While his first career win in NHRA national event competition continues to elude him – it is very safe to say that this Canadian dedicated racer is now positioned closer then he has ever been to achieving that goal.
(Bruce Biegler Photos)
