Ready, set, race

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Published on Monday, July 24, 2017

Photos by The Neepawa banner archives
Vehicles from last years races ready to start there engines and hit the race track at last year’s Yellowhead Roadrunners Runway Drags.

By Kira McCormick-Adema
The Neepawa Banner
The Yellowhead Roadrunners are always looking for new members with an interest in vehicles of all types. This year, at the club’s 17th annual Runway Drag Races, they are again giving novice racers a chance to test their skills on the track. While there will be some fast cars, the races are open to anyone, all drivers need to do is bring a vehicle, a helmet and be in time for the pre race orientation. Drivers don’t have to be pre-registered; they can register when they get there. The race is coming up on Saturday, July 29 2017 at the Neepawa airport.

Bert de Koning, club president, says the races aren’t about who has the fastest car, but who has the most consistent time. How this works is the cars will race earlier that day and get a time for the distance that the drivers are comfortable with. Then, that time gets put in the window of their car and when they race in the afternoon, the drivers have to get as close to that time as possible. There will be no knockouts. The most consistent driver, regardless of speed, will win. The racers for this event are not just local, there are people that come from all over the province and even from Saskatchewan.     
For spectators coming to watch the races, there will be food and drinks available, as well as stands for the spectators to watch the races. There will be an announcer to help the audience follow along with the action on the track.
Races will depend on the weather and the rain day is Sunday, July 30. On race day, registration will start at 8:00 am and the races will start between 10:00 and 11:00 am and go until 5:00 pm. An exciting change for this year is there will be no featured cars; de Koning explains that between the members and other racers, there are already lots of fast cars on the track for spectators to enjoy.
The Yellowhead Classic auto show, another event put on by the club, will be on Friday, July 28. The Roadrunners will also be hosting a charity barbecue at the car show. The barbecue and car show will run from 4:00 pm until 9:00 pm at the Neepawa Co-op Grocery Store parking lot, on Highway 16 in Neepawa.