In this edition of John Waldie’s Canadian Connection Drag Racing Update for InsideTrackNews.com, John features Canadian straight-line racers in action at recent events in the US.
In late March at Phoenix, AZ’s Firebird Motorsports Park, the venue played host to the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals. British Columbia’s – and recent Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame inductee – Justin Bond led the Canadian contingent, defeating legendary Pro Mod racer “Stevie Fast” Jackson with a 5.736‑second elapsed time at 251.8 mph (400‑plus km/h) after Jackson went red.
The former NHRA world‑championship car owner (Jordan Lazic, 2024) and his JBS company are also the official sponsor of the Pro Mod series for 2026. Congratulations Justin, and many thanks for your dedication and numerous contributions to our sport, both nationally and internationally!!
Likewise, CDRHF inductee Ron Hodgson of Edmonton, Alberta, and his legendary Bubble Up Firebird nostalgia funny car – driven by Nathan Sitko and tuned by his son Ryan – repeated their win at drag racing’s premier event, the 2025 U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Canadian team recorded a 4.799‑second winning ET over California’s Ryan Horan, and also posted low ET of the event at 4.717 seconds!!
The Pro Stock category saw a repeat of the Gainesville Gatornationals final – an event that once again attracted massive grandstand crowds – this time witnessing Dallas Glenn defeating KB Titan Racing teammate Cody Coughlin, 6.627 seconds to 6.674 seconds. Glenn also won the Mission Foods 2Fast2Tasty Shootout on Saturday. He recently shared that he is feeling far less pressure this season following his 2025 championship and is really enjoying his increased interaction with fans.
Along their way to the finals, Glenn and Coughlin defeated the KB Titan father‑and‑son duo of Matt and Eric Latino. The KB Titan Racing ownership group Pro Stock team consists of Eric Latino, Jim Whitley, Greg Anderson, Rob Downing, and now Pro Mod racer Keith Haney, and has expanded its Mooresville, North Carolina race facility to include a dedicated Pro Mod operation.
Stratford, Ontario’s Spencer Hyde had a great Arizona weekend!! “John, I had seven of eight best runs possible!! Ran my hero Ron Capps in the finals and am leaving the track second in NHRA championship points!!” Spencer also qualified No. 1 in 100‑plus‑degree temperatures with 9‑percent humidity, a 29.79 barometer, 4,282 feet of corrected altitude, and a 142‑degree track temperature. Spencer and the Jim Head Racing team fielded one of the very few funny cars capable of running in the three‑second zone under the toughest atmospheric conditions experienced in several seasons.
Edmonton, Alberta native – and fellow CDRHF member – nitro tuner Rob Flynn, along with rookie Top Fuel driver and Ron Capps Motorsports team member Maddi Gordon, are also enjoying an exceptional 2026 season. Another semifinal performance saw them leave Phoenix fifth in the NHRA national standings.
Top Fuel in Arizona was won by Shawn Langdon over teammate and defending NHRA world champion Doug Kalitta.
NHRA POMONA
In Mid April, Canadian racers were back on track in big number, literally from coast to coast!!
At the NHRA Lucas Oil Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona (California) Dragstrip) defending Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster world champion Shawn Cowie of British Columbia qualified No. 1 and advanced to the semifinals with the event’s low ET of 5.192 seconds at 274.44 mph (400‑plus km/h).
Following their previous divisional win in Arizona, the Mundies Towing team currently leads the national standings while seeking a three‑peat Lucas Oil world championship. Upon returning home to B.C., Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Famers Shawn Cowie and crew member Patrick Brown will begin final assembly of a brand‑new Richie Crampton Indy Speed Shop dragster, scheduled to debut in early May at the Mission, B.C. regional event.
KB Titan Racing was once again represented in the Pro Stock final. In a professional category that continues to grow more competitive with each event, six‑time defending world champion Greg Anderson defeated teammate Dallas Glenn, 6.50 seconds to 6.52 seconds. Anderson also set low ET of the meet at 6.487 seconds.
After Pomona, the KB Titan roster – Dallas Glenn, Greg Anderson, Matt Hartford, Matt Latino, Cody Coughlin, Eric Latino, Cody Anderson, and Deric Kramer – holds eight of the top 15 positions in NHRA Pro Stock points.
In Sportsman qualifying at Pomona, Aaron Steinkey and Will Yakimetz of Alberta qualified first and second in Top Sportsman. For those technically curious, after 100‑plus‑degree weather and 140‑degree track temperatures in Arizona, California conditions measured 73 degrees ambient temperature, 55‑percent humidity, a 29.96 barometer, 2,571 feet of corrected altitude, and a 128‑degree track.
What a Pomona weekend for Tony Stewart Racing, Leah, and Matt Hagan!! Tony Stewart defeated Justin Ashley in Top Fuel with the event’s low ET of 3.683 seconds to Ashley’s 3.714. (Doug Kalitta recorded top speed at 350.56 mph / 567 km/h.) Leah Pruett qualified No. 1 in Top Fuel.
Matt Hagan won ‘NHRA Funny Car race No. 1000’ for Tony Stewart Racing, defeating Ron Capps 3.876 seconds to 3.893 seconds. J.R. Todd posted top Funny Car speed at 337.16 mph (546 km/h).
In Legacy Funny Car, Canada’s premier team – Ron Hodgson’s Bubble Up entry – was again a finalist. Pomona champion Geoff Monise used low ET of 4.644 seconds to defeat the Ryan Hodgson-tuned / Nathan Sitko‑driven Firebird at 4.698 seconds.
IHRA VIRGINIA
The IHRA Darana Virginia Nationals complemented NHRA Pomona, with major drag racing venues running coast to coast on the same weekend and delivering outstanding competition.
Full nitro fields included Top Fuel, Funny Car, bikes, and altereds, plus Pro Mods (35 entries across two classes), Mountain Motor Pro Stock (24 cars), full fields of alcohol funny cars and dragsters, factory‑style Pro Stocks, a strong sportsman presence, and Canadian Rick Kopps’ fan‑favourite exhibition jet truck, The Bone Crusher!!
Top Fuel journeyman Scott Palmer of Missouri defeated Darana Galot winner Gary Pritchett, 3.085 seconds at 270.59 mph. Pritchett earlier set top speed at 286.01 mph (463 km/h), all recorded in the 1/8‑mile per IHRA standards. Best Top Fuel race of round one featured Canadian Dan Mercier of Montreal, who ran 3.08 seconds against Pritchett’s identical 3.08. Might we see a two‑second Top Fuel run in IHRA this summer – perhaps at the IHRA Canadian Nationals in Grand Bend?
In Nitro Funny Car, another popular journeyman win came from Dale Creasy of Illinois, who ran 3.276 seconds over Californian Del Worsham at 3.326. Earlier, Worsham set top speed at 275.96 mph (447 km/h), again in the IHRA‑mandated 1/8‑mile format.
In Nitro Harley, Jason Ketner of Spencer, Illinois, ran 4.21 seconds at 186.05 mph to defeat Mike Béland of Maiden, North Carolina, at 4.55 seconds.
Mountain Motor Pro Stock saw New York’s Johnny Pluchino rewrite the IHRA record book, defeating Florida’s Jordan Ensslin, 4.014 seconds at 180.21 mph to 4.03 seconds at 179 mph. Ontario’s Tony Pontieri did not qualify for the highly competitive 16‑car elimination field.
In Alcohol Funny Car, legendary Canadian tuner and Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame inductee Les Davenport resumed his 2025 pace following five national victories. With driver Phil Esz of Illinois, they defeated No. 1 qualifier Chip Beverett of Florida, 3.592 seconds to 3.611 seconds. Ryan Slack of Wingham, Ontario, was defeated by Esz in round one after qualifying seventh.
In Alcohol Dragster, New Jersey’s Jackie Fricke defeated Joey Severance of Woodburn, Oregon, 3.609 seconds to 6.30. Earlier, Ryan Harris of Burford, Ontario, was eliminated by No. 1 qualifier Jamie Noonan, while Jeff Chatterson lost to runner‑up Severance.
Outlaw Pro Mod was claimed by drag racing legend Bubba Stanton of Mississippi, who posted 3.501 seconds at 219.09 mph (354 km/h), setting new IHRA class records.
In the fan‑favourite large IHRA Pro Mod field, Tony Wilson defeated Jason Harris, running 3.586 seconds at 209.04 mph. Wilson was quicker on the light every round – including a .012 reaction time in the final – in a Pro Mod tuned by Harris, who won the Galot season opener.
Other eliminator winners included Paul Miller of Ohio in Fuel Altereds (3.83 seconds), legendary NHRA racer Dan Fletcher in Stock, and Tracy Robbins in Super Stock. Please consider checking Rich Green’s excellent Drag Race Central online column, which once again provides complete IHRA D‑Rana qualifying and round‑by‑round results, continuing the long‑standing coverage he has delivered for NHRA events over many years.