Fresh off win in Vegas, Alberta native Tim Boychuk heads to Salt Lake City, Edmonton Nitro Jam events
EDMONTON, Alberta (June 2, 2010) – For racing aficionado Tim Boychuk, the past 12 months have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride.
This time last year Boychuk was fourth in the world in Top Fuel fresh off of a victory at the Sooner Nationals at Tulsa Raceway Park as he prepared for the biggest race of his career at his home track of Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
After winning an event in Vegas last weekend Tim Boychuk heads to Salt Lake City and Edmonton later this month
But by the end of last year Boychuk was out of Top Fuel and at a crossroad in his career as he mulled over what avenue of drag racing to pursue next. Boychuk admits that he loved racing Top Fuel, but his heart truly belonged to the Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car he co-owned with Ross Hodgson.
It was a tough decision, but by the end of 2009 Boychuk had decided to put all his time and effort behind the Nostalgia Flopper and give up Top Fuel – at least for a little while.
Now, nearly a year after rising to fame on the Nitro Jam tour driving Top Fuel, Boychuk returns to his roots driving both a Top Fuel machine and his Nostalgia Funny Car at his home track June 25-27 while also making an appearance in his Funny Car at the Salt Lake Nitro Jam in Utah a week earlier.
Boychuk is a three-time winner with the Nitro Jam series
“Edmonton will be our first time back in the Top Fuel car and I have really missed driving it. In today’s economy, there just are not the funds available to get sponsorship to be able to run a full schedule,” Boychuk said. “I will be running both the Top Fuel car for the Paton’s and the Nitro Nostalgia Funny Car that I own with Ron Hodgson at both Edmonton and Salt Lake City.
“I love Nostalgia racing, but I just have to run the Top Fuel car here at our hometown track. We just hope to have a successful weekend.”
And Boychuk has certainly proven he is no slouch in any race vehicle he is piloting.
In addition to his Prostalgia machine Boychuk will return to the seat of a Top Fuel dragster at Castrol Raceway
Despite missing the final two events of the 2009 Nitro Jam season Boychuk still managed to finish fifth in the standings off of the strength of two final round appearances. In two full seasons Boychuk has recorded three victories. This season in his Nostalgia Flopper he has qualified in the top half of the field at every race entered and is coming off of a huge win at the Rockabilly Reunion in Las Vegas.
He has also put up career numbers against some of the toughest competitors in the class.
“We raced at Firebird in Phoenix this February and qualified No. 1 only to be rained out. A couple weeks later we went to Bakersfield for the March Meet and qualified third in a 29-car field. We had a bye first round and in the second we went on to face eventual winner Leah Pruett-LeDuc only to lose with our fastest pass ever at 5.81,” Boychuk said. “The car is running great right now so we should be a contender anywhere we go.”
Boychuk was named Canada’s Professional Driver of the Year in 2008
Despite having nearly three years worth of experience racing with the Nitro Jam tour, the Salt Lake Nitro Jam at Rocky Mountain Raceways will be Boychuk’s first event driving in the brand new Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car class. At the inaugural Nitro Jam event Boychuk will face a strong field with stout competition from drivers Dale Pulde, Todd Lesenko, Twig Ziegler, Steve Nichols, Jack Harris and more.
“I am really enjoying this class because it is affordable and it is a great bunch of people to work with and race against,” Boychuk said. “The car was made for me so it fits me well and all the aspects of driving are really accessible.”
One week after the Utah event Boychuk will return to Alberta for the River Cree Resort and Casino Rocky Mountain Nitro Jam Nationals presented by MOPAR and E3 Spark Plugs at Castrol Raceway for a double weekend. Boychuk will compete in both Top Fuel and Prostalgia NFC in front of his hometown fans as he tries to keep the momentum of his incredible season alive for another weekend.
“We will be running Salt Lake and Edmonton which will be a lot of fun. I am looking forward to getting in a lot of racing against some great competition later this month,” Boychuk said.
