Stratford Spectacular “Hot August Nationals”

Grand Bend, ON – Grand Bend Motorplex hosted another superb drag race event last weekend. The Stratford Spectacular “Hot August Nationals” presented by Ideal Supply and NAPA Auto Parts (August 9 – 11) was a huge success and the National Drag Racing Association Alcohol Funny Cars Presented by Ohsweken Speedway did their part to give race fans a big bang for their buck.

2012 NDRA Alcohol Funny Car Series champion, Larry Dobbs put another notch on his gun to protect his title by capturing the event win. This is his second victory of the 2013 series, using Shellbourne Fuels M53 racing fuel.

In round one, he had the bye and went on to line up his Sportz Truck Tents sponsored 2002 Firebird against Vince Rastelli’s Climax Collision – Vince’s Auto Wrecking backed ’01 Corvette for round two.

Rastelli was supposed to face Todd Loughry in round one but Loughry’s Foxy Delivery Service sponsored 2000 Pontiac couldn’t make the call due to engine “gremlins” so Vince was automatically matched with Dobbs for the semi-finals.

Dobbs piloted the Welland, ON based Kardiac Kids Racing car through the beam with a 5.85 at 241 mph to beat Rastelli’s 6.21 / 231 numbers, heading him to the finals against London, Ontario’s Rob Atchison and his Atchison Machine Service ’06 Chevy Monte Carlo.

Atchison’s trek to the finals took him through round one, defeating Cicero, New York racer Brian White in his 2001 Dodge Avenger that flies the colours of Freeman Farms and White’s Auto & Speed. Rob took the stripe with a 5.74 ET at 248 MPH; pairing him up with Dylan Hache’s For Wheels Auto Care ’02 Firebird in the semi-finals.

Hache defeated the Federated Insurance – Ron Bankes Marine Service ’02 Firebird driven by Ron Bankes, which entered the event as the NDRA Alcohol Funny Car series points leader in the first round.

Atchison was dead-eye focused on being top dog of the day though. He sent fellow hometown racer Dylan Hache to the trailer with a 5.90 / 243 combination over Hache’s 6.04 seconds at 231 MPH then set his sights on Dobbs.

In the finals match up, both Larry Dobbs and Rob Atchison were in full out battle mode as they nosed to the line. At the top end, the deed was done as Dobbs took the win with a 5.77 at 249.65 over Atchison’s 5.81 at 249.30. Indeed, it was a “hold your breath” close race!

Atchison was on the mark all day and took the low ET of the event with a 5.74. Dobbs took it to the very end to produce the top speed of the event with his 249.65 MPH dash in the final round.

As for the NDRA Nitro Nostalgia Funny Cars, Doug Cadman and Gary Kraus did their entertainment magic once again. The matchups of Cadman’s Chi-Town Hustler, ’73 Dodge Charger and Kraus’ Pony Up, ’72 Ford Mustang definitely gave the fans their money’s-worth!

At the end of the day, it was a good outing for the NDRA Alcohol Funny Cars and Nitro Nostalgia Funny Cars at the Stratford Spectacular “Hot August Nationals” at Grand Bend Motorplex.

The next event for the National Drag Racing Association will feature the Alcohol and Nitro Nostalgia Funny Cars as well as the popular NDRA Pro Doorslammers at Toronto Motorsports Park – Cayuga Dragway on the August 31 to September 1 Labour Day weekend. This will be the season finale with the NDRA Alcohol Funny Cars and Pro Doorslammers so the competition for the 2013 championships will be fierce. Race fans are in for some high-octane entertainment.

The NDRA is proudly supported by Ohsweken Speedway, Essroc Ready Mix, Miska Trailer Factory, Xylotek Solutions Inc., Fast Entertainment Inc., Trackless Vehicles Ltd, Cambridge Concrete Pumping, Shellbourne Fuels, Sousa Concrete, ClearShot Customs, Pegasus, InSight Graphics & Design, Carmen’s Banquet Centre, Sportz Truck Tents and Canadian Drag Racer Magazine.

For more information about the NDRA and their 2013 schedule, visit the website: www.ndra.ca