Bonnyville, start your engines and get ready to race.
After months of planning, the Bonnyville Gear Grabbers announced last week that they’ll be bringing a drag racing event to the area.
Slotted for summer 2019, the race will feature a an eighth of a mile track.
While they’re still in the process of organizing exactly what they want to do, director Shon Gamache noted Gear Grabbers is taking their time mapping it out.
“We just want to have a fun, smooth-running event to start for... probably three years. Just to get our feet wet, learn how to make it a fun, smooth running event and take it from there. This isn’t going to be some big, extravagant ordeal. We’re just trying to do a fun, grassroots-type drag racing. Where anybody can bring out their hot rod, street car, race car, or whatever, to just have fun and enjoy it in a laid back...way,” Gamache detailed.
After they acquired timing equipment from Kambusters Drag Racing Association last summer, the club started the planning process, which included getting the go-ahead from the Town and MD of Bonnyville, the Airport Authority, and the Bonnyville Flying Club.
Their plan is to host the race at the airport, which is one of the reasons why they needed permission from so many groups.
“It’s been a four or five-month project, and that’s just the start. Now that we have all the approvals in place, the real work actually begins,” expressed Gamache.
While they haven’t decided on dates just yet, they hope to have an announcement in January, when they will host an information session for people interested in getting involved.
Gear Grabbers director Nathan Warkentin explained they’re waiting to hear the dates of Vegreville’s Speedway Races, so there won’t be a conflict with their events.
“Hopefully, they can support us and we can support them. Once we get that figured out, and check the availability with the airport, we’ll set our dates and present them to the public,” he explained.
As the Lakeland has a large number of car enthusiasts, the suggestion of organizing a drag race has been a topic of discussion since the Gear Grabbers were established.
Gamache noted one of the main reasons the interest is there because the closest track, Castrol Raceway, located just outside of Edmonton, costs a lot of time and money to get to.
“This area is full of enthusiasts that are into drag racing that have fast cars, and they want to utilize them in a home town, affordable setting where you’re going to get more than one opportunity to race your car,” he detailed.
While Gear Grabbers is excited for the event, their main concern is offering a safe and fun environment for residents to enjoy the sport.
“This has been a conversation since the club started, and even before that. The clubs been hounded for years and years to try and do something like this, and it’s finally a reality. It’s really exciting for us, but more so for the Town of Bonnyville and the surrounding area. I think that’s the number one thing, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s for,” Gamache expressed.
For more information, and to be kept up to date on the planning process, visit the Bonnyville Gear Grabbers on social media.
