Racers, fans gearing up for historical weekend at Grand Bend
Classic IHRA action highlights 14th running of Mopar Nitro Jam Nationals
GRAND BEND, Ontario (July 12, 2013)
– The 2013 IHRA Nitro Jam series returns to the Grand Bend Motorplex
in Grand Bend, Ontario July 19-21 for the Mopar Nitro Jam Nationals
presented by Parts Canada. This exciting 1/4 mile competition is one of
the biggest drag races in Canada and will feature racing in several
different classes with professional and sportsman racing taking place
all three days.
Here is what's making headlines entering this weekend's race:
EVENT: Mopar Nitro Jam Nationals presented by Parts Canada
PRO-AM DIVISION: Division 3 North Stars
WHERE: Grand Bend Motorplex | 70292 Bullock Line, Grand Bend, ON N0M 1T0
WHEN: July 19-21
CONTACT: (519) 238-7223 | www.grandbendmotorplex.com
Two-time IHRA Pro Stock World Champion Pete Berner
CLASSIC IHRA AT ITS BEST
By
far the biggest storyline entering the 14th running of the
International Hot Rod Association's Mopar Nitro Jam Nationals presented
by Parts Canada is the return of Mountain Motor Pro Stock.
This
four-car exhibition featuring the cars of Pete Berner, Bob Bertsch,
John Konigshofer and Toni Pontieri will mark the first time Mountain
Motor Pro Stock cars have competed at an IHRA event since 2009 and one
of the few times in the past four years they will run the full drag
racing distance of a quarter-mile.
The
event will also feature competition within the Pro Modified Racing
Association pairing the two classes the IHRA invented together for the
first time since the 2009 season.
"The
secret is out, we're going back to IHRA," said Berner, a two-time IHRA
Pro Stock World Champion. "I'm really looking forward to racing again
at what used to be the home for Mountain Motor Pro Stock. This four
car, Chicago-style shootout is sponsored by Summit Racing Equipment and
I want to thank Jim [Greenleaf] as well as Scooter [Peaco] for their
efforts in making this a reality. I know that Pro Stock is a favorite
class of many drag racing fans and I hope they are as glad to see us
back at IHRA as we are to be back.
"The
last time we ran quarter-mile we set the World Record. With the car
and power we have now, we've surpassed our eighth-mile time on that
record setting run, so depending on the conditions, we might have the
opportunity to reset it again."
The
Pro Stock showdown will be a welcomed addition to the event as the
four drivers join the stars of the PMRA series headlined by 2012 Mopar
Nitro Jam Nationals winner Eric Latino. The eight-car qualified field
is always an exciting addition to the Grand Bend weekend.
The 2013 Mopar Nitro Jam Nationals will feature a record number of jets for the event
JETS, JETS AND MORE JETS
This
year's Mopar Nitro Jam Nationals will be run in conjunction with the
Grand Bend Motorplex's Jet Jam as three different jet-powered classes
will join a jam-packed lineup of 16 nitro cars plus Pro Stock and Pro
Mod in one of the biggest events in the 14 year history of the IHRA's
annual Ontario event.
The
three jet classes will include the 30,000 horsepower "Super Shockwave"
jet-powered '57 Chevy, the Battle of the Jet Trains between the
"Chattanooga Choo-Choo" and "Cannonball Express" and two of the
fastest jet Funny Cars in the world. All of the jet-powered vehicles
will light up the night sky with an impressive fire show and
earth-shaking launches and will conclude with the IHRA's famous Wall of
Fire and pyrotechnics show.
It
will be the biggest jet show in the history of the event and, coupled
with the regular Nitro Jam action, promises to be one of the biggest
events in the history of the race.
Canadian Top Fuel driver Ike Maier will be looking to back up his successful weekend in Edmonton
TOP FUEL THROWDOWN
Following
a weekend sweep at the Mopar Rocky Mountain Nitro Jam Nationals
earlier this month across the continent at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton,
Bobby Lagana Jr. will be looking to add a third and possible fourth
win in a row in IHRA competition as he looks to repeat at Grand Bend.
The
driver of the "Nitro Ninja" 8,000 horsepower nitro rail blasted to a
huge win at last year's Mopar Nitro Jam Nationals over longtime rival
Bruce Litton and added the fastest pass of the weekend – 320.81 miles
per hour – to his lengthy Grand Bend resume.
This
year Lagana will have his toughest completion yet as Litton, Kyle
Wurtzel and Canadian heavy hitter Ike Maier join the show. Maier came up
just short of setting the Castrol Raceway track record two weeks ago
at 324.75 miles per hour, covering the quarter-mile in 4.99 seconds,
as he looks to do battle with the trio of American drivers and bring
home a win for his home country.
"This
is one we really want to do well at. The car was great in Edmonton and
we hope to continue that momentum at Grand Bend, a track that is known
to hold some great speeds," Maier said. "There is no reason to think
we can't put down some awesome numbers and challenge those guys for a
win or two."
Top Fuel will compete all three nights at Grand Bend with winners crowned Saturday and Sunday.
The famous 'Chi-Town Hustler' will be sporting a new look at Grand Bend
NEW LOOK FOR AN OLD FAVORITE
For
years the famous "Chi-Town Hustler" nostalgia Nitro Funny Car has been
easily identifiable by its silver and red design and Dodge Charger
body.
But
in Grand Bend the legendary machine, which has been wowing crowds
around the world since the 1970s, will be sporting a brand new Monza
body as the team looks to lose a few pounds and push the car to new
levels of performance against a stout field of Funny Cars in western
Ontario.
The
"Chi-Town Hustler" machine, with driver Troy Martin at the helm, will
square off against two-time IHRA AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car
World Champion Peter Gallen in his '78 Monza bodied "Poverty
Stricken" machine, Mike McIntire in the "McAttack" Camaro and Rick
Krafft in the "Bullet Bob" funny car.
Gallen
won one of the two races held last season at Grand Bend and paced the
field with a weekend-best pass of 5.743 seconds at 247.57 miles per
hour.
This
year's event will also mark the first time racer Rick Krafft has been
back to the Motorplex since his injury at the track two years ago.
Krafft's legs were severely injured when the transmission broke in his
nostalgia flopper sending the Indiana native into a long recovery. He
returned to IHRA action in June for the first time piloting the "Bullet
Bob" funny car in Pittsburgh and will be back behind the wheel in
Grand Bend.
Ron Hope's only two IHRA wins came at this event last year
'HOPE'ING FOR A REPEAT
It's not about the wins or the trophies for some racers, it is about the show.
But don't let that fool you into thinking that winning doesn't matter.
After
three years of competition with the IHRA the legendary Ron Hope and
his world famous "Rat Trap" Nostalgia Fuel Altered had put on show
after show to the delight of hundreds of thousands of fans, but Hope
had never tasted victory. Victories were instead reserved for some of
the more modern Fuel Altereds in competition today, reducing Hope and
his truly nostalgic – and truly tiny – Fuel Altered to the exhibition
card.
But in Grand Bend everything changed.
Hope
earned his first career IHRA Ironman on Saturday at last year's Mopar
Nitro Jam Nationals and then followed that up with another win on
Sunday giving the oldest and most famous nitro machine on the
property a weekend sweep at one of the biggest races of the year.
"That
weekend was more than exciting. It is hard to find the words to
describe what it meant to this team," Hope said. "It was David versus
Goliath both days last year. Some could say that sometimes you just
get lucky and that is probably true, but the Ironman doesn't say a word
about that. It just says we got there first."
Since
last year's weekend sweep Hope has failed to grab another Ironman will
certainly be looking for a little luck when he returns to the site of
his most successful weekend in years.
"Either we have that places number or it just really likes us," Hope said. "Either way, we will take it."
Hope
will be joined by 2012 IHRA Fuel Altered champion Kyle Hough in
"Nanook", 2011 champ Ron Maroney in "Blind Faith" and Mike Hilsabeck in
"Arizona Thunder."
Jacob Elrod made IHRA history with three wins in one day at last year's Grand Bend event
A HISTORICAL TRIPLE
One
of the biggest highlights of last year's Grand Bend event was Harrod,
Ohio native Jacob Elrod's three wins in one day in sportsman
competition. Elrod won the Quick Rod, Hot Rod and Top ET titles on
Sunday of last year and, in the process, became the first IHRA racer to
ever win three major classes in a single weekend in IHRA history.
Elrod
went on to become one of the most decorated drivers of 2012 and earned
IHRA's coveted Sportsman Driver of the Year award in October.
Elrod
will be back this year looking for similar success at the third of
four Division 3 North Stars races on the Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am
Tour presented by AMSOIL. This year's event will be the first time
Grand Bend will host a Pro-Am doubleheader during the Nitro Jam
Nationals weekend.
Other
2012 sportsman winners included Bob Bauer (Top Sportsman), Jamie
Tupper (Top Dragster), Jory Elliott (Super Stock), Anthony Platania
(Stock) and Joe Ferrari (Super Rod).
