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Injected Frontrunners!
Bruce Biegler - April 4, 2008
 While not gathering the headlines normally associated with major league NHRA or IHRA circuit racing, Alberta’s Claude Lavoie has still managed to carve himself some significant notoriety in drag racing. Lavoie, who is from Sherwood Park, has over the past few seasons risen to become a very formidable force within drag racing’s popular nostalgia drag racing circuit.
Racing a pair of very high tech and very fast front-motored injected nitro dragsters, Lavoie and his wife Lisa, are poised to do some serious damage during the 2008 season campaigning within NHRA’s newly formed Hot Rod Heritage Series. Together they will be vying for that series’ coveted A/Fuel Dragster championship title, racing in conjunction with Lisa’s brother Kin Bates, yet another top ranked A/FD class driver.
 Lavoie’s drag racing history has some very deep roots within Western Canada. After first experiencing drag racing at Saskatoon International back in 1976, the present day owner of TBM Transportation has always keep the sport of drag racing within his gun sights.
“After my business was well established I really began to take my drag racing seriously during the later 1990’s,” said Lavoie, who was originally from Moose Jaw, SK. “I ran a tube-chassied ’55 Chevy Pro Street car and then a supercharged front-motored dragster.
While racing that car during 2003 I met my wife Lisa at the March Meet in Bakersfield and because of her and her brother (Kin) the evolution to A/FD racing was on.”
 Since then Lavoie’s A/FD class racing career has been an impressive one for sure. In 2005 he was the VRA (Vintage Racing Association) A/Fuel Dragster points champion. During that season he ran the all time quickest and fastest run in the category at 6.17 secs and 226 mph. During 2006, he placed 2nd in VRA points to his brother-in-law Kin. Last year using a new configuration 392 CID Hemi engine program (Indy Injected) and the talents of his reputed crew chief John Russell, he sped to an astounding 6.14 secs at 235 mph.
Claude and Lisa are currently the only husband and wife team competing in the A/FD category.
“That’s a lot of fun and it gets lots of attention,” they both confirmed. “But it’s more then just that for us. Our focus is on winning the A/FD Heritage Series championship.”
Lavoie also revealed some additional interesting future plans for his team. He will be relocating his racing operation to Northern California for a better fit into the new NHRA circuit schedule. For Canada’s all time quickest front-motored dragster driver, there is also an apparent Nostalgia Funny Car in the cards.
 “We now have a purpose built McKinney chassis for the class and will be putting a Plymouth Satellite body on it,” Claude revealed. “We will run a 392 Hemi with a 6-71 blower and shotgun injector. I hope to debut the car in mid summer and will probably run full time Nostalgia Funny Car class racing in 2009.”
With that NHRA’s aspiring new Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series is assured to include some major Canadian content.
(Bruce Biegler Photos)
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