2016 IHRA Grand Bend Final Qualifying Results

GRAND BEND, Ontario, Canada (June 25, 2016) – During a cool, crisp Canadian Friday evening, drivers in the professional classes made the most of the fast, early-weekend conditions and posted strong qualifying numbers at this weekend’s International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Williams Racing at Grand Bend Motorplex. In Saturday’s warmer conditions, all of the Friday-night numbers held up, and each of the Friday-night leaders, Cary Goforth (Pro Stock), Jason Rupert (AMSOIL Nitro Funny Car), Bob Malloy (Nitro Motorcycle) and Bruce Boland (Pro Mod), will start eliminations atop their respective classes.

Goforth, who took the Pro Stock points lead after winning last weekend’s President’s Cup Nationals in Mechanicsville, Md., posted a 6.284-second pass at 220.80 mph Friday night; that number held up through Saturday’s qualifying rounds in far warmer conditions. Goforth races John DeFlorian, Jr. in tonight’s opening round of eliminations.

Rupert, the two-time, defending AMSOIL Nitro Funny Car Champion, posted a 5.602-second pass at 255.82 mph to take top qualifying honors in Nitro Funny Car; it was his second No. 1 qualifier in as many races. His elapsed time was just seven-thousandths of a second off the quarter-mile national elapsed time record. Rupert races No. 8 qualifier Steve Nichols in the first round of eliminations. Points leader Mike McIntire qualified fifth and races Paul Romine.

Malloy, last week’s Nitro Motorcycle winner, followed the same path to the No. 1 qualifier as Goforth posting a brilliant run Friday night, a 6.373-second effort at 207.66 mph. Malloy has a first-round bye tonight but will race either Tracy Kile or Frank Capone in Sunday’s semifinals. Points leader Jay Turner qualified second and races Mark Conner.

In Pro Mod, Bruce Boland made a 5.984-second pass 240.57 mph Friday night and is the No. 1 qualifier for his class. He races Jacinto Santos in the open round of eliminations later tonight. Points leader Billy Harper qualified second and races Melanie Salemi.

Top Fuel returned to IHRA Drag Racing this weekend in a three-day exhibition. Four Top Fuel dragsters are making quarter-mile passes in a round-robin format. Todd Paton made the quickest Top Fuel pass of the weekend Friday night when he needed just 4.852 seconds to reach the finish line at 278.20 mph. The Top Fuel cars make another pass tonight and two more on Sunday.

Racing action continues tonight with additional sportsman action and the first round of IHRA Drag Racing Series professional eliminations. Racing resumes Sunday with IHRA Drag Racing Series professional semifinals and finals as well as additional Sportsman action.

Friday Round One Qualifying Results:
Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada. – – Round one qualifying results from the IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Williams Racing:

Pro Stock: 1. Cary Goforth, 6.284 secs., 220.80 mph; 2. Trevor Eman, 6.345 secs., 220.80 mph; 3. Dean Goforth, 6.363 secs., 220.37 mph; 4. J.R. Carr, 6.375 secs., 219.78 mph; 5. John Konigshofer, 6.383 secs., 221.29 mph; 6. Larry O’Brien, 6.398 secs., 221.29 mph; 7. John DeFlorian, Jr., 7.211 secs., 172.08 mph; 8. Matt Bertsch, 10.877 secs., 90.20 mph.

Nitro Motorcycle: 1. Bob Malloy, 6.373 secs., 207.66 mph; 2. Jay Turner, 6.596 secs., 190.19 mph; 3. Jake Stordeur, 6.600 secs., 203.48 mph; 4. Frank Capone, 7.439 secs., 163.90 mph; 5. Rob Brown, 8.625 secs., 158.67 mph; 6. Tracy Kile, 10.940 secs., 80.02 mph; 7. Mark Conner, 11.170 secs., 79.51 mph.

Pro Modified: 1. Bruce Boland, 5.984 secs., 240.57 mph; 2. Sam Andreacchi, 6.070 secs., 238.79 mph; 3. Paolo Giust, 6.092 secs., 233.22 mph; 4. Billy Harper, 6.334 secs., 153.97 mph; 5. Melanie Salemi, 8.005 secs., 120.69 mph; 6. Jacinto Santos, 11.563 secs., 72.83 mph.

AMSOIL Nitro Funny Car: 1.Jason Rupert, 5.602 secs., 255.82 mph; 2. Mark Sanders, 5.725 secs., 250.13 mph; 3. Paul Romine, 5.744 secs., 249.79 mph; 4. Mike McIntire, 5.745 secs., 250.41 mph; 5. Shawn Bowen, 5.774 secs., 247.11 mph; 6. Tim Boychuk, 5.838 secs., 228.60 mph; 7. Greg Jacobsmeyer, 5.986 secs., 233.82 mph; 8. Steve Nichols, 8.737 secs., 119.44 mph.

Top Fuel Exhibition: 1. Todd Paton, 4.852 secs., 278.20 mph; 2. Smax Smith, 4.914 secs., 271.98 mph.

Saturday Round Two Qualifying Results:
Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada. – – Round two qualifying results from the IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Williams Racing:
Pro Stock: 1. Cary Goforth, 6.284 secs., 220.80 mph; 2. Trevor Eman, 6.345 secs., 220.80 mph; 3. Dean Goforth, 6.363 secs., 220.37 mph; 4. J.R. Carr, 6.375 secs., 219.78 mph; 5. John Konigshofer, 6.383 secs., 221.29 mph; 6. Larry O’Brien, 6.398 secs., 221.29 mph; 7. John DeFlorian, Jr., 6.419 secs., 219.78 mph; 8. Matt Bertsch, 6.422 secs., 219.40 mph; 9. Tony Pontieri, 9.979 secs., 93.34 mph.
Nitro Motorcycle: 1. Bob Malloy, 6.373 secs., 207.66 mph; 2. Jay Turner, 6.596 secs., 190.19 mph; 3. Jake Stordeur, 6.600 secs., 203.48 mph; 4. Frank Capone, 7.289 secs., 180.50 mph; 5. Rob Brown, 8.348 secs., 170.42 mph; 6. Mark Conner, 10.015 secs., 88.39 mph. 7. Tracy Kile, 10.940 secs., 80.02 mph.

Pro Modified: 1. Bruce Boland, 5.984 secs., 240.57 mph; 2. Billy Harper, 6.040 secs., 238.41 mph; 3. Sam Andreacchi, 6.070 secs., 238.79 mph; 4. Paolo Giust, 6.092 secs., 233.22 mph; 5. Jacinto Santos, 7.152 secs., 144.34 mph. 6. Melanie Salemi, 8.005 secs., 120.69 mph.

AMSOIL Nitro Funny Car: This class only makes two qualifying attempts; it did not run this session.

Saturday Round Three Qualifying Results:
Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada. – – Round three qualifying results from the IHRA Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Williams Racing:
Pro Stock: 1. Cary Goforth, 6.284 secs., 220.80 mph; 2. Trevor Eman, 6.345 secs., 220.80 mph; 3. Dean Goforth, 6.363 secs., 220.37 mph; 4. J.R. Carr, 6.375 secs., 219.78 mph; 5. John Konigshofer, 6.383 secs., 221.29 mph; 6. Larry O’Brien, 6.398 secs., 221.29 mph; 7. Matt Bertsch, 6.415 secs., 219.40 mph; 8. John DeFlorian, Jr., 6.419 secs., 219.78 mph; Did not Qualify: Tony Pontieri, 9.979 secs., 93.34 mph.

Nitro Motorcycle: 1. Bob Malloy, 6.373 secs., 207.66 mph; 2. Jay Turner, 6.496 secs., 219.08 mph; 3. Jake Stordeur, 6.600 secs., 203.48 mph; 4. Tracy Kile, 6.864 secs., 213.62 mph.
5. Frank Capone, 7.148 secs., 191.36 mph; 5. Rob Brown, 8.223 secs., 180.28 mph; 6. Mark Conner, 9.010 secs., 113.42 mph.

Pro Modified: 1. Bruce Boland, 5.984 secs., 240.57 mph; 2. Billy Harper, 6.002 secs., 239.68 mph; 3. Sam Andreacchi, 6.070 secs., 238.79 mph; 4. Paolo Giust, 6.092 secs., 233.22 mph;, 5. Melanie Salemi, 6.176 secs., 217.28 mph. 6. Jacinto Santos, 7.152 secs., 144.34 mph.

AMSOIL Nitro Funny Car: 1. Jason Rupert, 5.602 secs., 255.82 mph; 2. Mark Sanders, 5.725 secs., 250.13 mph; 3. Shawn Bowen, 5.734 secs., 248.96 mph; 4. Paul Romine, 5.744 secs., 249.79 mph; 5. Mike McIntire, 5.745 secs., 250.41 mph; 6. Tim Boychuk, 5.830 secs., 248.20 mph; 7. Greg Jacobsmeyer, 5.986 secs., 233.82 mph; 8. Steve Nichols, 8.653 secs., 123.94 mph.

Top Fuel Exhibition: 1. Todd Paton, 4.852 secs., 278.20 mph; 2. Smax Smith, 4.914 secs., 271.98 mph; 3. Bruce Litton, 5.027 secs., 250.62 mph; 4. Ike Maier, 5.863 secs., 135.21 mph.