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Kerunsky Rides Consistency to Victory at Mission
Gerry Frechette - July 5, 2007
 It was the first race of the year for Calgary's Glen Kerunsky, and the first time out with his new BAE/Spiering motor combination, but he showed that he hadn't forgotten how to win by taking the Eaton-sponsored “Fast and Furious on the Fraser” Pro Mod event at Mission Raceway Park near Vancouver on July 1.
Kerunsky has stepped back from full-time competition this year, but his plan for victory was the same as ever – stay consistent and get down the track. With three 6.15s and a 6.14 between 229 and 232 mph on Sunday, you could say that he was a bracket racer at Mission.
 Following on the success of last year's event at Mission that saw then-record times, and this being the first 16-car field for the Pro Mods here, hopes were high that with 19 confirmed entries and 10 probables (according to the organizers), somewhere around 20 cars would attempt to qualify, but only 14 “real” Pro Mods showed up, and one of those, the Buick of Kip Dupuis, had an expired NHRA certification and wasn't allowed to run.
So as to fill the field, three more local cars were found to run, including Glen May's familiar Ford Ranger which isn't 2007-legal in the gearing, Rash Dhaliwal's supercharged Mustang (both of which ran first round but could not advance even if they won) and Howie Stephens driving Craig Donaldson's NHRA-legal Pro Stock Pontiac, considered Pro Mod legal and which they hope to run at Seattle in a few weeks.
 Conditions were great all weekend – 20, sunny, near-sea level air – especially for qualifying on Saturday, and Kerunsky was quickest with a first-session 6.09. Danny Rowe and Carl Spiering ran 6.11s, but the latter's first run of the season was tossed out due to timing out on the tree, and he had to settle for his second-best 6.41. Of note, local favourite Trevor Lowe found everything he had been looking for on the Camaro, all at once, running his personal best 6.13 / 233 to slot in 4th.
The first round went according to form, with all the top-qualified cars advancing. Highlights included personal bests by Lowe (6.12) and Joe Delehay (6.19), Spiering running 6.06 for Low ET to go with his earlier Top Speed of 237.21 mph, and the first run in Pro Mod competition by Calgary's Gary Mason. Driving the former Mitch Stott “first in the fives” Corvette, tuned by both Les Davenport and Quain Stott, Mason ran a nice 6.26 / 230 in his first full pass in the car.
 Mason was in tough with Kerunsky in Round 2, and fouled away a 6.59 at 235(!). Lowe fell off slightly to 6.21, but it was more than enough to beat a shaking Delehay. Danny Rowe singled with his second-straight shaking shut-off run when Spiering couldn't make the call, citing oil pressure issues, and in the best race, Kirk Kuhns' Willys ran 6.27 to beat the 6.36 of the late-leaving Tim Vogt from Regina, in his new American-owned nitrous Corvette.
The semis opened with the best race of the day. Lowe gated Kerunsky with a great .008 light, but fell off a little more to 6.24, and the yellow Bel Air drove around him with a 6.14 / 231. Kuhns got a single when Rowe deposited fluid on the track during his burnout.
The final was a little disappointing, with Kuhns having broken, so it was left to Kerunsky to single to the $5,000 victory. He was full value though, running through to a 6.15, culminating a great weekend of seven runs between 6.09 and 6.15. If any of the hitters falter at Edmonton this weekend, as they did at Mission, look for Glen Kerunsky to be right there.
(Photos by Gerry Frechette)
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