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Canadian All-Stars Review
Bruce Biegler - June 21, 2009
 Canadian drag racers participated within the recent much anticipated and very high profile 25th Anniversary Jegs All-Stars event held during NHRA’s UA Route 66 Nationals near Chicago. The annual event, which coagulates the top running drag racers from each of the seven NHRA Lucas Oil geographical divisions, is recognized as the most prestigious in the world for Sportsman competitors.
David Klomps, who along with his father Bill, won the NHRA Division 3 title with their topless Chevy Corvette, represented for the first time their division and Canada in Super Gas. Klomps won his first round match over Louisiana’s Butch Thibodaux but was run down in round two by eventual winner Mike Sawyer, 9.916 secs to 9.941 secs.
For Klomps’ the experience alone was a rewarding one.
“It’s a real honor to be part of this team and this event,” said Klomps, who is only 26 years old. “We had a great year in 2008 to win the championship and to get here.”
 Western Canada had two team representatives, with Norm LaPointe (Sherwood Park, AB) and Roger Bateman (Calgary, AB) both qualifying.
LaPointe too was making his first career Jegs All-Stars start after a strong 2nd place finish in final NHRA Division 6 LODRS Super Stock points last year.
“Don Thomas (also from Edmonton area) and I chased each other all season last year and at the end he did sneak by me to win the division,” LaPointe confirmed. “But when Don couldn’t make this race – I received the invite. I was very excited to participate with some of the best in the world.”
LaPointe gave it his best driving his slick GT/CA Chevy Colbalt, but a .004 red-light start ended his hopes in round one versus Michael Iacono.
Roger Bateman went the furthest of all Canadians in eliminations scoring an impressive runner-up in TAFC driving Brian Friesen’s potent Ford Mustang which is tuned by Canadian legend, Ken Murray.
 Bateman took the Winnipeg-based machine past Bobby Martin and Mark Billington in rounds one and two with back to back laps of 5.615 secs and 5.614 secs. However his otherwise very decent 5.636 secs at 252.77 mph proved to be no match in the final round versus New Jersey’s Frank Manzo. Manzo, who is seemingly unstoppable within the NHRA TAFC division, ripped a winning 5.556 secs at 260.41 mph.
“When I was racing with Bob Reynolds we did have a chance to come to this race in 1998 but we couldn’t at that time,” Bateman revealed. “It’s pretty neat that I got another shot at it. This team got this car running really well towards the end of ’08 and that resulted in a string of good events to win our division and get an All-Stars birth.”
Bateman’s group won three events on the LODRS divisional trail during 2008. That
success helped the team finish 4th in final national points standings.
(Bruce Biegler Photos)
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