(Editors note: The following was sent to us by Mike Ferstl, noted Western Canadian Super Street (10.90) racer, and the current President of the Calgary Bracket
Racing Association. It reflects perfectly the numerous e-mails sent to Dragracecanada regarding the recent very positive drag racing developments in the province
of Alberta....Ed)
I was ecstatic to learn of the recent developments regarding drag racing in our neck of the woods. A NHRA divisional at Race City Motorsports Park and an IHRA sanction in Edmonton at Budweiser Motorsports Park means one thing. Things are looking up in Alberta!
As you recall when I moved from Southern Ontario in the fall of '97, drag racing was on an up-swing in Ontario however I had very mixed thoughts on drag racing in Alberta. Being a western "newbie" and not understanding the history of drag racing in Alberta, I soon learned, no matter where you live in the "Great White North" drag racers are very similar from coast to coast. In February '99,I took on the role as the President of the Calgary Drag Racing Association and received an earful from racers of all categories. A history lesson was in the making! Stories of poor payouts; shoddy track preparations and track owners who were........, well,lets just say not drag racer friendly!
I felt I was in a time warp and reliving my experiences in Southern Ontario all over again. However, after several different experiences I was not totally convinced until a most unfortunate incident at a track in 2000 which I will not reveal, but say did not happen in Calgary. That is all water under the bridge now but again leaves one with the feeling when will track operators ever become "customer friendly"! I can think of one facility that has just that in mind and its name is spelled N-O-R-W-A-L-K!
Racing in Alberta left one with the feeling of no future on the horizon! Let me explain. In Calgary and Edmonton, the quarter mile only operates every other week because of other venues. This cuts into total available race cars in existence, never mind the fact weekly payouts are minimal at best. New racecar blood is non-existent as I could count on my left hand the number of new entries built over the past 3 years! In my opinion, when new cars are not being built, that spells trouble for the sport. The import scene is flourishing like it is in the rest of North America but is one to two years away from taking off. The International Blown Alcohol Association headed up by Darrell Webb and Jay Mageau is doing some wonderful things as is the new Northern Alberta Super Street Association directed by fellow racer, Gerry Brown. But it still does not hold a candle to the racing scene on the "left" coast nor the vibrant Southern Ontario scene!
Sponsorship is minimal at best and new corporate partners on the horizon is suspect at best. All of this in the land of "milk and honey" and easily one of the most cash rich provinces in all of Canada! The racetracks are somewhat resistant to embracing new ideas other than those tried and true winners which have worked for the past 5-10 years. New creative programs with series partnerships; entries like the Pro Mods and alcohol cars booked in and marketed well in advance of the venue along with the meat and potato racer being treated "fairly" and made to feel like a paying customer would be easy programs to administer. Calgary has the successful Father's Day Funny Car Classic and Edmonton has the very popular "Hot August nights" ( a program run mid-week and extremely successful) and could be considered "home runs" but other programs must be considered to drive new blood. Pro Mod entries are very popular as they are in other parts of the country but are used only sparingly. When you have hitters like Glen Kerunsky and Tom Meheden in your own back yard and the likes of Trevor Lowe and Glen Mayberry sitting on the coast, much more fan appeal could be capitalized by marketing these local heroes. What better way to generate new legions of fans than by promoting the local hometown hero and placing butts in the stands! Speaking of local heroes, one cannot forget the local legends of Bateman and Reynold's and their well prepared Alcohol Funny Car team who are very much a part of the Alberta scene.
At the risk of being negative, I must mention Race City Motorsports Park has a most unique appeal. Where else in the country do you know of a racetrack placed strategically in the neck of the city and only minutes away from home? It is absolutely wonderful to tow only 10 minutes from home and arrive at the race track for the weekend's race. If this was Southern Ontario and Race City were located in Mississauga or Toronto the place would be a total mad house with fans!
What does an NHRA Divisional race in Calgary and an IHRA sanction do for Budweiser Motorsports Park? It gives both facilities respect amongst it's peers; generates enthusiasm amongst the local racer and generates the thoughts of new rides to be constructed. Only time will tell but for now I can say I am very much looking forward to both facilities doing well with their new found notoriety. I know because I will be one of the racers taking advantage of each facilities new ventures!
Regards,
Mike Ferstl
S/ST 6091
