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Funny Car Showdown @ Mission This Weekend!
Gerry Frechette - July 9, 2007
Nitro Funny Cars Highlight NHRA National Open at Mission
It’s become a mid-summer tradition at Mission Raceway Park, and the NHRA National Open Presented by Lucas Oil Products of Canada this weekend will have something for every taste in drag racing.
 Heading up the program is the first appearance at Mission, and in Canada, of the Nostalgia Funny Car Association from California competing in the “Nitro Funny Car Showdown,” presented by VP Racing Fuels and RJ Enterprises. In the 1970s, there were hundreds of flip-top nitro-fueled Funny Cars (versus today's few dozen) barnstorming their way across North America, running what were then called Match Races. The spirit of those free-wheeling days continues at Mission this weekend, as a large group of these period-authentic ground-pounders attempt to qualify for an eight-car field.
Among the many entries are crowd favourite Bucky Austin from Tacoma, and Canadian legend Terry Capp driving the famous “Bubble-Up” Firebird from Edmonton. If you are old enough to remember those days, or would just like to see what Nitro Funny Cars were like in their heyday, this is a show not to be missed.
Also snorting nitro fuel are the fastest motorcycles in the world, and ten Nitro Harleys will be on hand to scorch the Mission quarter-mile at 200 mph in six seconds, if you can imagine that level of daring.
Coming from Alberta are eight of the wildly popular nostalgia Funny Cars of the International Blown Alcohol Association, laying down crowd-pleasing smoky side-by-side burnouts and seven-second runs.
Western Canada is a hotbed for the modern alcohol-fueled dragsters and funny cars, and many of B.C. and Alberta’s fastest cars will be on hand in a unique racing format that will see the quickest of each type of car face off for all the prize money and a coveted NHRA “Wally” trophy on Sunday afternoon.
Those wanting a sneak preview of the action can come down to the Boston Pizza at the Mission Junction Shopping Centre this Friday July 13, where one of the Nitro Funny Cars will be on display and fired up at 7:00 pm, just to give you a little dose of nitro thunder. This is free to all.
It’ll be an action-packed weekend, with something for every racing fan. Gates open Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 am. The Nitro Harleys and the alcohol-fueled cars will qualify at 5:00 and 8:00 pm Saturday, while the Nostalgia Nitro Funny Cars have two qualifying sessions Saturday – at 6:00 and 9:00 pm - and continue with eliminations at noon Sunday followed by all the other classes. Note that the racing program extends into the evening Saturday, so that fans can watch the nitro-powered Funny Cars after dusk, when the flames can be seen shooting out of their exhausts.
Admission on either Saturday or Sunday is $20.00, plus $5.00 for pit pass. Children under 12 are free with an adult.
Mission Raceway Park is located on Highway 11 between the Mission Bridge and the Lougheed Highway.
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