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EDMONTON — Top IHRA racers from western Canada and the United States were on hand for the Division 6 Summit Team Finals at Castrol Raceway Park in Edmonton, Alberta. Nathan Thornsley, a dragracer from Alaska Raceway Park, won the Summit Super Series Box Championship at the Border Bandits meet Aug. 16. He drives a Tom Yancer mono-shock dragster powered by an alcohol burning 620 cid big-block Chevy engine.
Thornsley defeated Interlake Dragway’s Ryan Jaenicki in the final. Jaenicki had a near perfect triple zero reaction time, but Thornsley put together a .023 reaction time and a 7.725 pass on a 7.72 dial-in at 170.81 mph.
Thornsley earned the right to compete in Edmonton by being the points leader in the Top Sportsman class at Alaska Raceway Park. In head-to-head competition each week during the 2013 racing season, he earned 697 points which is a 189 point lead over his nearest competitor.
Thornsley, of Palmer, won the right to compete at the IHRA World Finals to be held at Memphis International Raceway Oct. 11-12. There he will face the best 16 racers in Top ET (Box) class from across the U.S., Canada, Aruba and New Zealand. Up for grabs will be more than $240,000 in cash and prizes, including a new dragster and a trip to Aruba. He also received a plaque and $1,000 tow money to help pay for his trip to Memphis.
This will not be Thornsley’s first national competition. Several years ago he competed in the IHRA World Finals in Rockingham, N.C.
On Aug. 18, Thornsley capped off his competition at Edmonton by taking home the cash from the Top ET Gambler’s Bracket race by winning seven straight rounds. In the final round he posed a .019 reaction time and a 7.696 pass at 174.08 to defeat Kristin Bakewell (Castrol Team), who fouled at -.002. Then he and his father, Greg Thornsley, trailered up for the long haul back to Alaska where they will complete at Alaska Raceway Park over the Labor Day weekend.
Other local racers competing at the IHRA Divisional Finals included Greg Thornsley, Monte Soper and Kris Maier. Team Alaska won the Best Appearing Banner award.
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