Motion Performance Raceway
ActiveActive Still racing today.
Also known as Motion Performance Raceway (Gimli); Interlake Dragway
The former Interlake Dragway at Gimli was taken over by Sheldon Root as Motion Performance Raceway, with a reopening announced for 2026.
- A Boeing 767 out of fuel made an emergency landing during a race on July 23, 1983
- Raced
- 1978-present
- Province
- Manitoba
- Raced on
- A military airfield
- First race
- 1978
- Sanction
- NHRA Division 5
- Track
- 1/4 mile
- Address
- 51 N Lake St
Gimli, MB R0C1B0 - Elevation
- 738 ft (225 m)
- Coordinates
- 50.62850, -97.03539
- Contact
- (204) 792-0457
The track is at the Gimli Industrial Park Airport, an RCAF training field in World War II that closed in 1971. Road racing started there in 1972, and drag racing followed in 1978 on a strip inside the 1.3-mile road course. During a race on July 23, 1983, a Boeing 767 that had run out of fuel made an emergency landing there. On September 4, 1994, Rodney Douglas Petreman, 30, of Winnipeg, was killed when his parachute didn’t open properly and he lost control of his dragster after a 170 mph run. It was Viking International Dragway through at least 1994 and has had several names. As Interlake Dragway it ran under IHRA sanction. Today (2026) it’s called Motion Performance Raceway.
Background
Gimli Industrial Park Airport is still a working civilian field two nautical miles west of town. One of its original parallel runways was decommissioned and now makes up a big part of Gimli Motorsports Park, while the rest of the airport handles water bombers, air cadet flying, charter work and skydiving.
Video
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