It’s something that’s been highly anticipated for quite some time – but now it is reality!….
Canada’s amazing propensity for having a very fast and very competitive racer contingent within NHRA’s Lucas Oil TAD class category was again exemplified during yesterday’s concluding rounds for the NHRA Dodge Nationals held at Reading PA.
That event’s post race list of national event winners included a brand new and most deserving name with Jeff Veale from Stoney Creek Ontario scoring a break through first ever victory at the national level.
For Jeff, along with his father Gary and mom Sue — this win was not only a way overdue one — it was also very convincing.
Ontario’s Jeff and Gary Veale have scored a much deserved – first ever – NHRA national event title!
As any fan of NHRA drag racing well knows, the Jeff Veale Racing injected nitro car has been consistently one of the fastest machines in the class category over the past few seasons all along the Eastern seaboard. During that time Jeff’s team has racked up a very long list of top speed of the meet event honours (including multiple times over 280 mph!) with some steadily improving super quick times to go along with it. However as fate within drag racing would have it, they were not able to turn those performances into a victory lane appearance – yet.
The Jeff Veale racing team had numerous happy rides to the top end to pick up their driver last weekend!
In addition to winning – Jeff Veale was again the fastest TAD class car – setting top speed of the meet @ 281.13 mph!
At iconic Maple Grove Raceway yesterday, this team which made a recent switch in tire technology by installing bonafide Top Fuel dragster class tires on their car, saw that change in strategy reap big benefits.
After qualifying in the middle of the pack #8 with a 5.297 secs run, Jeff’s team did a great job managing the very quick but very hot racing surface at Maple Grove Raceway. During four rounds of competition, Jeff turned back four other injected nitro cars. He beat Rich McPhillips, Richard Bourke and Robin Samsel to earn a final round spot versus the defending 2016 Dodge Nationals champion Jackie Fricke, in what would be his second career NHRA final round appearance.
But instead of muscling his way past the competition with superior performance like he had done in previous rounds — this time Jeff used a superior RT (.030) with a run of 5.402 secs at 274.27 mph to take the task of Fricke’s quicker 5.384 secs – 269.89 mph.
In the Lucas Oil TAD championship round Jeff used a superior RT to edge out defending 2016 event champion Jackie Fricke.
When that final round win-light did come on in Jeff’s lane — that marked not only the second straight NHRA circuit victory for a Canadian TAD class racer (Shawn Cowie won at NHRA Concord the week before) — we would argue it was the single most deserving win-light of the season, in any class and in all of NHRA drag racing — so far.
Insert smiling face emoji here!
Post by Bruce Biegler
Photos by Bruce Biegler – Phil Hutchison – Dave DeAngelis
