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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGrand Bend Holiday, 1964-07-31, Page 11Dragway! What's That? What started out as a joke has grown into the newest and wildest spectator sport to hit this area. Grand Bend Dragway Ltd, located on the site of the old airport is at- tracting fans from all over Western Ontario and some parts of the United States. E a g l e son Construction, Grand Bend, purchased the abandoned airport in the spring of this year. The new owners had no use for the vast area of asphalt in their possession. Peter Warner, a mechanic at Thompson's garage in Grand Bend, sug- gested that a dragstrip would succeed on the premises. Even though it was said in jest, the idea had been con- ceived. One month later, a group of young drag enthu- siasts between the ages of 21 and 24 opened the strip amid the cheers of 3,500 interested fans. Dr a g g i n g, acceleration against time, is a relatively new sport in Canada. There are only three drag tracks in Ontario at the present time. Grand Bend Dragway fea- tures a paved track 3,500' long with a marked 1/4 mile acceleration strip, paved re- turn route and p i t s, and world-famous Chrondek clocks are accurate to one one-thousandenth of a sec- ond. Grand stands have been erected for the comfort of the fans. Boats Collide Two boats collided in the harbour on Thursday, July 23, according to Corporal R. Fulton of the OPP de- tachment here. A 16 foot 40 -hp operated by J. E. McDonnell, Jr. and a 14 foot fibreglas operated by John Blonde, both were travelling west in the river. As they passed the end of the pier, both turned right, and their bows collided, $35 da- mage to the Blonde boat. Every precaution is taken to assure maximum safety for the participants and spectators. Dragsters go through a rigid safety check by an experienced classifi- cation crew before each race. The big cars must be equipped with parachutes. The St. John's Ambulance Crew is on deck each week to provide professional care if needed. Safety fences and safety ditches are there to protect fans if a dragster should jump the track. A full-time track man in the person of Ken Horde, Ilderton, is on hand to keep things running smoothly. Ken, a University of Wes- tern Ontario student during the winter months, is the only member of the Club who is not otherwise engaged in full-time employment. Other members are Peter Warner, Grand Bend; Fred Harris, London; Ron Latta, Sarnia (formerly of Grand Bend); Noel Douglas, Ilder- ton; Roger Griffin, London; Peter Pollock, London; Bob Hutchison, Sarnia and Carl Annette, London. In addition, there are several people who help out on Sundays when the races are held. Drag racing provides an outlet for people who want to see how fast their cars will travel", says Peter Warner, president. Classes are set up each week for local dragsters and three- quarters of the competitors come right off the street. Top professional drivers are on hand with their drag- sters each week to thrill the crowds. The $1,500 prize money offered weekly, draws cars from Ontario and Michigan. Well known names in racing circles such as Bob Ford, Detroit; Farndom, Arnold and Oksa, Toronto; Butch Bryan, Flint; White Lightning, London and Gold- en C om m ando s,McCulla- Ricci, Detroit are regular competitors. "It is a good show," says Ken Horde. "Speed is some- thing people like to see. Some have never seen so much smoke from one set of tires," Powder -puff races are in the planning stages. These races are designed for the ladies who are some of the most avid dragsters. A few of the girls can turn time as fast or faster than their male counterparts, says Ken. Trophies will be presented in the near future to the grand champions of the drag races. Several track records have been established and broken to date and the action should be keen for the rest of the season. "There has been a good response spectator -wise and competition -w i s e," says Ken. "There is a top show every week." GRAND BEND DRAGWAY FORD vs DODGE The FIRST Ford Thunderbolt The FIRST Hemi -Ram Dodge SUNDAY 1 P.M. In a best -of -three match, the ''Flying Farmer", Ed Leedy from Delta Ford, Bay City, Michigan, driving his 427 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt, versus Paul Rossi, driving the Westborn Raider? A/Factory experimental Hemi- Ram Dodge. DON'T YOU DARE MISS IT! Welcome to Grand Bend "Grand Bend Dragway" We are pleased to have supplied material for grandstands, refreshment booths and judges" tower GRAND BEND YARD) Cor. of Highway 21 and 83 Phone 238-2314 A SALUTE TO THE FOUNDERS OF We believe the Dragway will make Grand Bend proud and be a credit to our community. Wel- come. THE GRAND BEND DRAGWAY Best Wishes From: Bank of Montreal Begley's Fish and Chips Bluewater Motel Bonnie Doon Manor Brenner's Red Gable Hotel Lakeview Casino Mel & Olive's Variety Dairy Dip and Pizza Patio Jim Dalton Real Estate Dawn Restaurant and Tavern Grand Bend Holiday Hamilton Dairy Monetta Menard Tavern Oakland House Prout and Lamont Roy and Shirl's BA Service Sun Shop Surf Shop Len Trott Groceries Village Shop Stewart Webb, landscaping Grand Bend Holiday, July 31, 1964 Page 11