Iconic Canadian drag racing team owner Ron Hodgson has delivered another monumental moment for Canadian drag racing.

During the 2017 season finale for NHRA’s Hot Rod Hertiage Drag Racing Series, held at fabled Auto Club Famoso Raceway just north of Bakersfield California, Hodgson’s Edmonton-based team produced a title clinching performance.

Racing their extremely formidable 1969 Camaro built by Victory Race Cars, and with his son and class sopohmore season driver Ryan Hodgson at the controls, the Hodgson/Papirnick “Pacemaker” team became the very first Canadian car to prevail for the overall World Championship in the marquee Nostalgia Funny Car (AA/FC) division within that immensily popular NHRA co-production series.

(Hodgson/Papirnick Pacemaker Racing – 2017 World Champions!)

Although Ryan Hodgson did not actually win the event — his semi-final round finish combined with an improbable DNQ by his closest points rival (Jason Rupert) resulted in the most deserving overall championship title. Ryan’s team, which had also won this year’s opening race (also at Bakersfield) last March, had entered the season concluding event as the points leader.

At the 26th annual NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion event, the team mixed it up within a highly competitive group of machines which saw 30 different drivers attempt to qualify and who produced a record quick bump spot of 5.839 secs.

Ryan qualified #4 on that list with a 5.688 secs and he beat Jon Capps and Brad Thompson to advance to the event’s “final four”. But in that match up versus Bobby Cottrell his machine did fall off pace slightly and his 5.882 secs was not a match for Cottrell’s 5.695 secs in the other lane. Cottrell, racing a similar Camaro owned by wily Bucky Austin, went on to win the event defeating Matt Bynam in the final round.

For the race team’s founder and patriarch Ron Hodgson, this NHRA title was for sure a major moment within his long and legendary voyage within drag racing.

Ron, who amongst many other successful business ventures, is owner of some highly reputed GM dealership franchises in Edmonton, has already been inducted into both the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame and Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

(Ron Hodgson)

“I been involved in Funny Cars as far back as 1967,” Ron reflected with satisfaction. “I started racing with Bob (Papirnick) with an injected Chevy II and then we had ran the Gordie Bonin Pacemaker cars from 1972 into the 1980’s. We evolved further forward with Terry Capp and Tim Boychuk – but didn’t put Ryan into a (nitro) car until last season. I’m very proud of my son who has come a very long way driving in this class in such a short period of time,”

”We have assembled an incredibly talented team around him and this championship is a reflection of them all doing their job,” Ron continued. “We came close to winning the series title before (finished #2 in 2016 points) so I think things were overdue and we earned a little final justice.”

The title was also a tribute to the team’s impressive list of marketing partners, which includes, in addition to Ron Hodgson Chevrolet – Buick – GMC, highly valued associates: Oceanus Resources, Castrol Canada, Ace Manufacturing, Yeti Snow MX, DJ Safety and Napa Auto parts.

(A deserving post season toast to the talented team!)

One of those partners, David Duncan (the VP for Exploration Oceanus Resources) was on hand for the title clinching race at Bakersfield and his post race comments reflected a repeating sponsorship sentiment.

“It’s been a really marvelous year and for our company to be involved in all of this is amazing,” David said. “This is a fanastic ending to what we were all hoping for.”

(Our newest Canadian citizen!)

Post and photos by Bruce Biegler

To view additional images from the 2017 CHRR event – visit our co-production all media gallery site:  HERE