DUNNVILLE — Bracket racing doesn’t often reward second chances, but for Dennis Boyko, a twist at the finish line opened the door to a world finals debut.
Boyko had gone to Luskville, Quebec in September, aiming for a strong showing at the provincial drag racing ET Sportsman Finals.
Representing Toronto Motorsports Park (TMP), he and his teammates had already finished in the top five in their home track’s points series, earning them entry into the regional event.
LAS VEGAS—Competitors for Team Canada, (l-r) Cody Levasseur, Dennis Boyko, Mike Konopacki, and Mike Cukovani. —Submitted photo. 
LAS VEGAS—A shot of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the Summit ET World Finals took place. 
LAS VEGAS—Dennis Boyko raced for the Summit ET World Finals in Las Vegas thanks to a lucky break. 
LAS VEGAS— Dennis Boyko in his rented 2.3-litre turbo Ford Mustang during the Summit ET World Finals.
Once racing began, Boyko quickly realized he was having one of his best days on the track. “Drag racing is funny; you’re either on or you’re not,” he said. “You have a good day, or you have a bad day, and I had a really good day in Quebec.”
By the end of the day, Boyko had won six of seven races, pushing through the ladder until he reached the finals.
He raced a five-second Mustang on the eighth-mile track and finished second overall.
“I ended up second,” he said. “I was just ecstatic.”
The surprise came moments later. Boyko walked over to congratulate the winner and wish him luck at the Summit ET World Finals in Las Vegas. Instead, the racer offered Boyko his spot.
“He says, ‘Wish yourself luck. I can’t go. I’m a criminal,’” Boyko recalled. “He says, ‘You’re second place. Do you want to go?’”
Standing behind him was the NHRA representative, waiting for Boyko’s answer. Despite the cost of travelling to Las Vegas, Boyko knew immediately what he wanted to do.
“I didn’t care at that point,” he said. “I said, yeah, I’ll go.”
That decision sent him to the Summit ET World Finals from October 28 to November 1, 2025.
“There were five classes,” he said. “We made four, our teammate, four out of the five. I think we were the biggest group there.”
Joining Boyko was Cody Levasseur, Mike Konopacki and Mike Cukovani.
Getting there was a whirlwind.
“Everything happens so fast. I couldn’t get my car there,” Boyko said. He had only owned his 2010 Camaro SS, a 700-horsepower car, for seven months, but knew he could trust it.
“In hindsight, I should have taken it.”
Instead, he had to race a rental. Hoping for something similar to his Camaro, he ended up with a 2.3-litre turbo Ford Mustang.
“It’s okay,” Boyko said, but “It’s no race car.”
The challenges mounted. On Friday’s practice run, he broke the staging beam before the lights activated. “I didn’t get a result,” he said. “I got blanks.”
Saturday brought more issues. His first run ended when he accidentally hit the rev limiter, cutting the engine. The second run wasn’t usable either. On the third run, he finally got a clean time slip: 14.69 seconds.
“I went, oh my goodness,” he said.
That time went on his window for Sunday’s elimination round.
Boyko drew a 24-year-old local racer driving an 11-second Chevy pickup. As the slower car, Boyko launched three seconds earlier. For a moment, he thought he might hold the lead.
“I thought I had them,” he said. “And then I saw in my mirror, here he comes.”
The Mustang topped out at 91 miles per hour and had nothing left to give. The truck caught him before the finish line, pulled ahead, and then tapped the brakes to stay within its bracketed time. Despite the early lead, Boyko was out in the first round.
Still, he finished fifth in the world in the Sportsman Class – a result he remains proud of, especially given the circumstances.
It was also a milestone for Canadian racers.
“That’s the first time a Canadian team ever made it,” he said.
All three of Boyko’s teammates had mixed results at the World Finals: Lavsseur, a dragster racer from North Bay, went out in the first round; Cukcovani, the Caledonia Tire owner on a nine-second motorcycle, reached the semifinals before red-lighting; and Konopaki, a super-bike racer from Oakville, was also eliminated early.
Summit Racing provided each participant with between $400 USD and $500 USD in gear, and every racer received a $3,000 USD cheque to help with expenses.
More than any financial gains, “It was quite the experience,” Boyko said. “People , where the were so friendly there.”
Already, he’s preparing for 2025.
“I think next year I will ship down my race car,” Boyko said, noting that he’s already been researching options.
His goal is clear: qualify again, return to Las Vegas, and take a real run at the Wally trophy and the $6,000 USD winner’s cheque.
“I can hardly wait to try and make it again next year,” he said.
