Drag race continued in safe hands

A team effort between the Terrace Bay and Schreiber volunteer fire departments ensured the safety of drag racers during the June Test and Tune event in Terrace Bay.
Organizers worried many of the volunteer firefighters and first responders, who were full-time workers at the shuttered Terrace Bay Mill, would not be available to help out at the Superior Classics Car Club Drag Race event this year due to relocation for jobs.
But the Test and Tune event proved that the community spirit was alive and well as the two communities stepped up to help out.
"They teamed up together to provide a crew," said Ray Gionet, the car club president and organizer of this year's planned 25th anniversary Drag Fest that is set for August.
"We used to have the Schreiber crew at the end of the track and Terrace Bay crew at the beginning. But for this event, they were all at the beginning as one crew, so were able to run the races according to required criteria."
More than 70 racers turned out for the Test and Tune event, which helped to boost the Terrace Bay economy with racers coming from across Northwestern Ontario.
Plans for the big event, the 25th annual Terrace Bay Drag Fest, continue for the Aug. 2-4 weekend. Organizers are still looking for non-food vendors for the Family Day market on Aug. 3 at the track.
"We've got seven food vendors this year with a different variety of foods and we usually have five," he said. "When we use the word 'vendors,' we have been getting a lot of people wanting to sell food and we already have our food vendors."
Gionet stressed they are looking for people who are crafters and artisans and want to sell their goods, or car part dealers who would like to sell parts.
"If you've got something to sell, come and sell it and you're going to have a good venue to do it at," he said, adding there is no fee to participate other than the small entrance fee to the event.
Work has not begun on the planned EDF Renewables development of a solar farm that is expected to be built on the former Terrace Bay airstrip, which the car club has redeveloped for the drag races. Those plans are still three to five years away.
The project could generate $200,000 annually for the community through leasing of the property while creating some jobs for the building of the infrastructure. As well, the revenue generated from the project will help recover some of the mill's taxation loss.
In the past 25 years, the Superior Classics Car Club has raised more than $500,000, which has been donated to hospitals, fire departments, schools, food banks, Christmas Cheer and many other charitable organizations, along with individuals in crisis.
A small portion of the money stays with the club for insurance, maintenance, materials, glue and event purposes.

Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal