By Dominic Abassi

Lofstrom claims Bathtub Title amid Protest Controversy

Jul 24, 2016 | 3:56 PM

Controversy at the finish line of the 50th World Championship Bathtub Race in Nanaimo Sunday.

34 year old Justin Lofstrom, who was born and raised in Nanaimo, is the unofficial winner, coming in with a record time of 1:07:30.

However, the second place finisher, Chris Glenn out of Port Coquitlam, has filed an official protest, asking for an inspection of the modifications to Lofstrom’s engine.

For Lofstrom, who was racing in his ninth event and has been tubbing off and on for 12 years, says it feels great to get his first career win. He finished second last year, winning a famous foot race up the ramp to claim runner-up behind Nathan Barlow.

He says he has had another second place finish in his history, and a few top five placings. A late move is getting the credit for the win.

time served

Nanaimo man caught with over 30g of illicit drugs avoids additional jail time

8h ago

big return

Senior women's box lacrosse returns to Nanaimo after 10+ year absence

8h ago

environmental impacts

Accidental pump activation causes minor oil slick in Nanaimo marina

10h ago

“I chased him (Glenn) the whole way, I got him at the last checkpoint. Passed him about 300 yards past checkpoint and I didn’t let off. Just got an edge on him, he was going a little slower through some of the waves and I wasn’t letting off, just pinned the whole way,” said Lofstrom, still a bit jelly-legged at the finish line.

“That thing didn’t see nothing but full-throttle the whole way from start to finish.”

Most racers said the conditions were as good as they have been in years, saying wind and waves weren’t really a major factor. With that said, you take a pounding the whole way, said Lofstrom.

The controversy came shortly after the top finishers were weighed, as some of the slower tubs continued to hit the beach at Maffeo Sutton Park and ring the bell.

Chris Glenn, who was taking part in his 36th race, says he really wanted to win and then retire from tubbing.

“I wanted to win AND break my record,” said a dejected looking Glenn after the race.

He says there’s no hard feelings surrounding the protest he filed.

“We just wanted to check, you know, I mean I wanted to win and pack it in. It’s just something we wanted to check. We wanted to check the carburetor and the jets.”

Glenn says there’s no specific reason for the call for the inspection of Lofstrom’s engine.

“He ran very well and he’s a good driver too, no hard feelings, I just, if there’s that chance of me getting the win, I’ll take it.”

Lofstrom seemed anything but concerned about the protest, laughing it off as he prepared to leave the beach.

“Oh, I think it’s pretty funny, but whatever. If he wants to throw his $200 away, he can throw his $200 away. I’m not worried about it. He wants the carburetor checked out and the ignition timing, the fly wheel key.”

There’s nothing to the challenge, he says.

“Nothing, I got nothing to worry about.” He did concede it makes for an interesting storyline for the 50thrunning of the race, joking that he was in the media last year for the foot race and now he’s in the media again for possibly cheating.

Race officials say results of the inspection on the winning motor aren’t expected until at least Monday evening. Although unclear, officials figure this is the first protest of this kind in the last 6 to 10 years.

34 of the 42 tubbers that started the race finished. Jeff Saunders, who is from Nanaimo but was racing out of Prince Rupert, was the first stock tub to hit the beach, with a time of 1:30:14. Surrey’s Dave McHardy won the modified class with an unoffical time of 1:22:53.

Back-to-back defending champion Nathan Barlow, from Nanaimo, finished third at 1:08:34, unofficially.

Lofstrom says no matter the results of the inspection, he is ecstatic to ring the bell first in the 50th race in his hometown and he’ll be back next year.