The latest update as of June 29, 2025

Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals - Norwalk, OH

NOON Update:

It's going to be an all-Canadian final round in Top Alcohol Dragster at Norwalk. While one of the finalists, McKenna Bold is driving an American (Randy Meyer Racing) car, she hails from Red Deer, Alberta. Facing her is the defending World Champion, Shawn Cowie, from Langley, British Columbia. While Bold has lane choice with a 5.284 - 273.61 that defeated Jamie Noonan in the semifinals, Cowie wasn't that much slower, with a 5.336 - 273.16 enroute to an easy win over a tire smoking Kirk Wolf.

In Top Alcohol Funny Car it looks like deja vu "all over again", as California neighbours and close friends, Shane Westerfield, and Sean Bellemeur, will face off in the final round at Norwalk. Both are multo-time World Champions, Westerfield twice and Bellemeur four times. Lane choice was decided definitively when Westerfield smoked the tires on his bye run in the semifinals, while Bellemeur ran another in a string of 5.50's, with a 5.516 - 263.51 coming up on the timers.

2:00 PM Update:

Let's start the final report from Norwalk with the Funny Cars. It was a close race with two evenly matched cars, but the winlight flashed in Sean Bellemeur's lane, as the "Killer B's" racked up their 45th national event win with Bellemeur at the tiller. The numbers were close, with Bellemeur's 5.544 - 261.93 edging out Westerfield's 5.575 - 262.33 effort. The reaction times favoured Westerfield by only .003, with both drivers carding very quick .033 to .036 clockings, making for a margin of half a car length at the finish line. With the win, Bellemeur took over the points lead, 42 markers ahead of Maddi Gordon, who lost in the second round of eliminations.

The final round in Top Alcohol Dragster wasn't quite as close as McKenna Bold steeamrolled her way to the winners circle, leaving first by half a tenth (.045 to .100), and running slightly quicker to the finish line, stopping the clocks with a time. Her opponent, Shawn Cowie trailed with a close (on paper) 5.321 - 273.39, but the reaction time difference told the tale. The win for Ms. Bold was her first national victory in TAD, in her first final round appearance in her rookie season. Quite a start for her behind the wheel of a Randy Meyer team car, and the points elevated her to the #7 spot in the national standings.

Cowie's runnerup finish allowed him to close the gap on the points leader, Matt Cummings, who's now just 62 points ahead of Cowie, while Shawn has run two fewer national events than Cummings. With the "Mundie's Towing" team now heading back to their homebase and not have to venture further afield than Woodburn, OR and Seattle, WA over the next six weeks, Cowie could take over the lead in the national standings with some good results at the two West Regionals (Woodburn and Seattle) and the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals at Seattle. Stay tuned for more reports on their progress.