IHRA: AMSOIL Nitro Funny Car championship to be decided in Michigan

The points battle in the IHRA Drag Racing Series tightened considerably in the AMSOIL Nitro Funny Car class following the Mopar Rocky Mountain Nationals at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, as the series completed the final half of its two-race Canadian swing.

While Jay Rupert dominated qualifying and eliminations, as he has most of the season, he came up short in the finals, allowing Shawn Bowen to get by at the finish line, and close up to Rupert in the points.

As the IHRA prepares to head to the final event of the 2016 points season, it's a full four-way battle that will be decided at the IHRA Northern Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorplex in Martin, Michigan, Aug. 12-13.

Rupert, the current champion in the Rupert & Littlefield Chevrolet Camaro, has 438 points, with Bowen and the Violator Dodge Challenger close behind with 420 points.

Third is the McAttack Camaro of Mike McIntyre with 410 points, and fourth is the Mr. Explosive Ford Mustang of Mark Sanders with 389 points. Close enough to play spoiler is Tim Boychuk and the Happy Hour entry, with 337 points.

Rupert has one win – San Antonio – while Bowen won in Orlando and Edmonton. Boychuk won in Maryland, and Sanders won in Grand Bend, Ontario. McIntyre has stayed in the hunt with consistency, but is waiting on his first win this season.