By Liam Rockliffe
The Annual 1/8th Mile drag race was held the weekend of July 16th and 17th by the Stettler “Magnetos” Car Club.
With the sound of the engines roaring and smell of burning rubber as the cars prepare to race, this event is one like none other which anyone can enjoy.
Racing started at 10 a.m. on both days due to rain delays, and racing ran until 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Each day had different sets of winners, and racing over the weekend was run via a time-based class system. The three different classes are ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ with ‘A’ being Super-pro, ‘B’ being Pro, and ‘C’ being Sportsman.
Even without having the fastest car on the strip, racers could still take home a win by attempting to get as close to a self-determined time as was written on the car’s windows.
The winners on Saturday for a super pro to sportsman respectively were: Shaun Schnurer, Norm Hamilton, and Paul Morellato.
Second place went to Mike Nichols, Rich Golby, and Rob Stevenson.
Sunday winners were, once again going from Super Pro to Sportsman, include: Shaun Schnurer, Glenn Rose, and Darren Sutton. Roger Young, Dylan Zimmer, and Derek Osguthorpe all took second.
Safety is of utmost importance, and each vehicle is thoroughly inspected before racing.
Safety protocols are in place during these high-speed races allowing the weekend to proceed safely and with minimal stress.
Safety doesn’t reduce style, however, and every car has its special flair and personality.
Muscle cars from Corvettes to Challengers performed well in their natural element on the drag strip, alongside other trucks and cars dating back to the 1960s or newer models seemingly fresh off the factory line.
Throughout each day, the stands were jam-packed with spectators from all over, each cheering for their choice of the head-to-head races throughout the day.
Spectators could be overheard taking mock-bets on which of the two cars would reach the end first as the day went on.
The ground-shaking power of some engines were a source of cheer for some spectators.