The winners of the premier categories at 2012 March Meet were from the unlikely cities of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and Salem, Wisconsin. Tim Boychuk drove his Canadian based 1977 Pontiac Firebird to the 2012 March Meet Funny Car Winners’ Circle and Wisconsin’s Jim Young piloted his front engine Top Fuel car to the trophy in that category at the 2012 March Meet. The newly designed four day format was a huge success with racers and fans alike who got to see and experience more racing than ever before in the 54 year history of the event. This is one of the few events that can accurately be described as “epic” while not misusing that word one bit.

Boychuck, who has nitro legend Roland Leong turning the screws on his hard running Pontiac, worked his way through one of the deepest fields in the history of Nostalgia Funny Car racing. He met Chad Head in the final round and despite a starting line disadvantage, powered to the event win. He felled Dan Horan Jr and Brad Thompson before slaying Head in the final at Famoso 5.80/243 to Head’s 6.00/248 effort that was tailing off at the top end. Boychuck is one of the premier runners in the category and has been for several years. He will be a tough customer through the entire 2012 season.

In the Top Fuel category, Jim Young’s march to victory led him to beat Ernie McClain in the first round and to down unlikely second round opponent John Rasmussen who defeated four time March Meet champion Jim Murphy in the first round. Murphy was on a quest to match Don Garlits with five event wins at Famoso. After defeating those two foes, Wisconsinite Young met up with number three qualifier Rick White. Young was qualified in the four spot so this was a very even match up. Young dropped the hammer on White at the starting line and drove away from him down the track. Young stopped the clocks with a 5.68/248mph run while White’s losing effort was a 5.69/258mph lap.

Sportsman winners:

A/Fuel –         Les Davenport – Dewinton, Alberta, Canada – 2010 Sarmento

7.0 Pro –          Jesse Adams  – Yuba City, California – 1971 Mustang

Junior Fuel – JD Zink             – Chico, California            – 2004 Uyehara

A/Gas-      Rafael Quiroga      – Santa Ynez, California – 1957 Chevy

B/Gas-        Roy Castagmetto – Elk, Grove, California – 1968 Chevelle

C/Gas-       Justin Shears      – Costa Mesa, California –   1967 Nova

D/Gas –      Don Fournier        – Sunnyvale, California – 1948 Anglia

NE1-            Steve Schoenfeld – Murray, Utah        – 1923 Ford

NE2-            Bob Johnson –  Visilia, California         –  2009 S&W Dragster

NE3 –           Lindsey Lister – San Pedro, California – 1972 Shoemaker

Hot Rod  — Chris Pedersen – Ventura, California – 1963 Ford