Edmonton native looking to keep win streak at Castrol Raceway alive this weekend
EDMONTON, Alberta (June 23, 2011) – Last year was a dream year for Funny Car driver Tim Boychuk.
Not only did the Edmonton native win multiple national events and set numerous records, but the pilot of the "Troy Lee Designs" Pontiac-bodied Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car also swept his home event and the biggest drag race in all of Canada at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton last year.
Now, after another great start and with momentum on his side, Boychuk and his team return to Edmonton this weekend looking to once again take home a victory at the Mopar Rocky Mountain Nitro Jam Nationals and keep his winning streak alive at the track he likes to call home.
"Racing in Edmonton is huge for me as it is my hometown and I have a lot of friends and family there," Boychuk said from the track Thursday morning as the team unloaded for the weekend. "Defending my title is going to be a bit nerve racking as I feel like we have a big target on our backs. Everyone will be gunning for us and trying to take our title away from us. Hopefully we won't let that happen."
But this year won't be anything like last season when Boychuk defeated fellow Edmonton native Todd Lesenko and Andy Beauchemin to sweep the Saturday and Sunday Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car races.
While last year was an invitation-only field consisting of two separate races in the nostalgia Nitro Funny Car class, this year's event will be the very first open field in the class in IHRA Nitro Jam competition as Boychuk looks to make an eight-car field and hopefully walk away the overall event winner when it is all said and done Sunday afternoon.
"Having an open field is very exciting and all I can really say is bring it on," Boychuk said. "Both formats are fun, but with an open field it adds a new element and forces you to strategize a bit more. I think it will be a great weekend for all the racers and especially the fans."
Boychuk will carry plenty of momentum into this weekend's event, not only as the defending race winner, but as the track record holder in elapsed time and speed set last year. At the time the blistering pace set by Boychuk was a national record for the class in IHRA Nitro Jam competition, giving Boychuk world records with multiple sanctioning bodies, but that record has since been bested by Pennsylvania-native Peter Gallen.
Regardless, the track record still stands and Boychuk certainly knows how to cross the finish line first so his fellow competitors will have to be on top of their game if they are to walk away with an IHRA Ironman this weekend.
"Winning at home last year was definitely the highlight of my career and winning both nights was unbelievable," Boychuk said. "Setting records and collecting all those wins was incredible and made for one of the greatest races of my life."
Adding to Boychuk's momentum entering this weekend's Mopar Rocky Mountain Nitro Jam Nationals is the fact that Boychuk is coming off of back-to-back runner-up finishes at last weekend's Salt Lake Nitro Jam.
Boychuk finished second both nights in Utah, losing to James Day and the "War Eagle" team on Friday and giving away a win on Saturday when he went red against fellow Edmontonian Todd Lesenko, giving the man known as "The Pirate" his first career IHRA Nitro Jam victory.
Now Boychuk gears up for the biggest race of his life this weekend in Edmonton as many of the best Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car drivers in the world travel to Edmonton for Canada's biggest drag race this weekend. Despite all those heavy hitters competing at Castrol Raceway this weekend, however, the road to victory still travels through Boychuk and he is not quite ready to relinquish his title as Edmonton's Funny Car champion.
"We have a great, consistent crew and an awesome car and we love racing at Castrol Raceway so that makes for a deadly combination," Boychuk said. "Going into this year's event I know that I will have a car to beat so we just have to make sure the driver shows up and gets it done. We are not ready to give up our Edmonton championship just yet."
The Mopar Rocky Mountain Nitro Jam Nationals get underway this Friday and run through Sunday at Castrol Raceway. Tickets are available at the gate or by calling the track at (780) 468-3278.
