LAS VEGAS, NV – Early in the weekend at the NHRA stop at Las Vegas, Stratford, Ontario’s Spencer Hyde captured the 2Fast2Tasty Nitro Funny Car Challenge, under the lights. Along the way, he defeated Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan and Chad Green.
In the Final, Hyde ran the specialty race’s only three-second pass on a 130F+ degree track at 4,700 feet of altitude! Pedregon recorded the top speed.
Heading into final eliminations, Hyde was #3 behind Paul Lee and Austin Prock. World Champion Shawn Cowie remained #1 in Alcohol Dragster while Aaron Steinkey was also #1 in Top Sportsman and #4 in Top Dragster.
The powerful KB Titan team held down the top five positions in Pro Stock led by World Champion Greg Anderson. The team also qualified eight of its factory hot rods comprising half of the final elimination field.
Both Matt and Eric Latino made it to Sunday’s competition. Of note, six-time World Champion Erica Enders did not make the field.
Of the almost 500 NHRA competitors in action at Las Vegas, a record 31 were from Canada!
From a Canadian Connection perspective, this Las Vegas race was one of the most astounding ever!
In Pro Stock, the KB Titan operation – led by team principals Eric Latino and his business associate and former NHRA champion Jim Whitley – not only found their drivers family and crews making up the entire quad of final eliminations, but with their teammates, also represented eight of the final elimination field of 16!
Drivers Dallas Glenn, Matt Hartford, Greg Anderson and Matt Latino recorded ETS of 6.49, 6.39, 6.77, and 6.99 seconds, respectively. Anderson set the event’s low ET at 6.612 seconds. Glenn posted the top speed at 206.83 mph.
Leaving Las Vegas, their Camaros represent the top-five in NHRA Pro Stock points with Eric (8th) and Matt Latino (10th) inside the top ten. New team member Cody Coughlin sits 15th.
Reigning 2024 NHRA Top Alcohol World Champion Shawn Cowie once again captured an event title, this time at the 4-wide in Las Vegas! He also set low ET and top speed at 5.233 seconds and 276.97 mph (450 km/h). Other western Canadian drivers McKenna Bold and Mike Quay of Red Deer, Alberta, also made the ultra-competitive and extensive final elimination field.
In Competition Eliminator, Taylor Chomiski – the son of recent Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame inductee Gary Chomiski – captured the title when his final round opponent (and another father-son duo) Jeff Lane was unable to make the call in a most competitive “no breakout” category.
Ken Mostowich won Super Gas after seven gruelling rounds of what could be drag racing’s most difficult “no break out category.” Running off a 10.05 second index, he recorded a 10.06 second ET at 155+ mph in 85-degree temperature, 10 percent humidity, 29.78 barometer, and 4,338 ft. corrected altitude, driving his 2015 Corvette roadster.
In Top Fuel Dragster, the Jasmine Salinas piloted Top Fuel Scrappers Racing dragster tuned by Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame member Rob Flynn sits fifth in the NHRA points on the strength of several very consistent performances. Other Canadian points challengers include Spencer Hyde (15th in Funny Car) and Quebec’s Dan Mercier (15th in Top Fuel).
As mentioned earlier, the Vegas weekend featured 31 Canucks in action. Rick McKinney, Grant Singer, Charlene Gullett, Sheldon Erfle, Don Thomas, Daryl Hoffos, Aaron Steinkey, Tom Patterson, Will Yakimetz, Joe Mellof, Mike Lucas, Bob Gullett (#1 Stock qualifier), Grant Durie, Donna Patterson, Jenna Michaud, Casey Plaizier, Dustin Ward and all of the other previously mentioned Canadian racers were there to do us proud!
