(Mid-Summer) Maritime Momentum « DragRaceCanada.com

(Mid-Summer) Maritime Momentum

by editor on Jul.30, 2025, under ACE MFG Northern Exposure

Far eastern round results for NHRA Open/John Scotti Championship Series…

Season race numbers 7 & 8 are in the books following another successful venture to New Brunswick’s Miramichi Dragway last weekend.

The “double header” affair attracted a premier field of Eastern Canadian regional NHRA class car racers, however, in the end it was the more local Maritimes provincial names that occupied victory lane.

The series’ Stock/Super Stock combo class contingent highlighted action — with hard fought wins going to Michael Ingram and Bruce Riley – both in “all Nova Scotia” final round conclusions.

Top rated Atlantic Canada NHRA Stock eliminator racer Michael Ingram won his second John Scotti Championship Series event of the season.

Ingram (Middle Sackville) racing his H/SA Chevelle, prevailed for event win #1 when his strong 11.192 secs (11.92) dial in held off Jeremy Keans (Bridgewater) who broke out. For Ingram, the win was his 2nd for the series this year, after having won at Napierville Dragway’s event just 8 days earlier. Ingram topped a 30-car field.

Race #2 featured a couple of skilled and seasoned veteran drivers in its trophy dash final when Bruce Riley (Lake Echo) ran down Fred Thibeault (Wilmot NS). Riley’s familiar and totally classic SS/DA classed ’71 Chevelle clocked a winning 9.253 secs (9.28 dial) while Thibeault had a red light foul start in his ’69 Camaro Stocker.

The Stock/Super Stock Combo victory lane also included veteran Bruce Riley.

Stock/Super Stock Combo racing did include Jeremy Keans qualifying #1 for both events. He bombed the J/SA national index (12.45 secs) a couple time with his Chevy Monte Carlo after runs of -1.301 and -1.320, respectively.

Jeremy Keans ran super quick versus his national index – to take the pole for both days in the Stock/SS Combo races.

NHRA’s “Index” racing featured a number of headlines being made. That did include an impressive double up by Nova Scotia icon class driver Jim Morrison. Jim took his tried and true ’70 Opel to victory for S/G 9.90 and then a later his Spitzer-chassis dragster to a S/C 8.90 class win — both on Saturday.

Jim Morrison “doubled up” at Miramichi winning in both S/G & SC.

Friday’s Super Comp winner was the Lobo Racing’s Trevor Cowie who topped Brett Ramsay in a double break out final round and it was Benny Niesten’s Chevy Nova (from Nova Scotia) beating James Cowie in the Lobo Racing Corvette in the S/G final round.

Benny Niesten’s Chevy Nova was a winner in Super Gas

Super Street (10.90 index) class car racing saw wins go to two Ford Mustang competitors with John Rankin and Paul Weir each winning respective events Friday & Saturday.

18 cars showed for very well-attended racing in the (1/8th mile) TS/TD Combo eliminators – which was the largest field assembled ever within Atlantic Canada.

Friday’s event went to a brand new driver within the series, Chris Hobart’s dragster (Grand Bay Westfield NB), who beat Dave Powell’s Ford Thunderbird T/S in the final round.

Wyatt Rankin collected his TD/TS Combo title with his New Brunswick based dragster on Saturday.

Saturday’s winner was Wyatt Rankin’s T/D, who with that earned his first ever NHRA Wally, by beating last year’s series champion, Sebastien Levesque (Rimonski PQ) in the final round. Wyatt’s victory was in fact the second of the weekend for his family, joining father John’s S/ST title the day before.

Series newcomer Chris Hobart scored in the TS/TD Combo with his New Brunswick-based dragster.

Atlantic Canada area T/D repute, Doug Forbes (below), was the low qualifier for both days racing with his supercharged dragster from Douglas NB.

Bike/Sled class titles went to Mike O’Neill’s Suzuki (on Friday – photo below) and to Gordon Ferguson’s Honda on Day #2.

Junior Dragster wins were collected by Madalyn Justason (over Lily Arsenault) for Friday and by Bryson MacNeil who defeated last year’s series Champ Carter Maclean in the Saturday final.