Thunder in the Valley (Drayton Valley)
ClosedClosed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there.
- A community fundraiser that cost more than $100,000 a year, all from donations
- Raced
- 2005-15
- Province
- Alberta
- What's left
- A good length of the old track surface is still there, in poor to good condition.
- Raced on
- An airport runway
- First race
- September long weekend, 2005
- Last race
- 2015
- Location
- Drayton Valley Municipal Airport
- People
- Rotary Club of Drayton Valley, sponsor (2005-2015)
- Elevation
- 2,766 ft (843 m)
- Coordinates
- 53.26599, -114.96172
This drag race at the Drayton Valley Municipal Airport raised money for community projects. The Rotary Club of Drayton Valley sponsored it every September long weekend starting in 2005. It cost more than $100,000 a year to stage, all of it donated by local sponsors, and organizers booked big-name racers and exhibition jet cars. An economic downturn ended it. In 2016 sponsorship chair Bob Deagle explained that local sponsors were suffering badly from the oil situation and many past backers couldn’t help, that 2016 would be worse, and that pressing them for money they didn’t have wasn’t how the club worked. The 11-year run ended in 2015.
Video
More in Alberta
- Active Still racing today. Area 53 Raceway (Forestburg) present
- Nothing left No longer racing, and nothing of the track remains. Calgary Highway Drag Racing 1958-60
- Closed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there. Canadian Forces Base Suffield 1973-74
- Active Still racing today. Central Alberta Raceways (Rimbey) present
- Closed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there. De Winton Airfield 1956
- Status unknown Closed, but nobody has checked how much of the site survives, or the exact spot was never found. Edmonton Highway Drag Racing 1958-62
- Closed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there. Fairview Municipal Airport ca. 2000-12
- Status unknown Closed, but nobody has checked how much of the site survives, or the exact spot was never found. Fort Macleod Airport 1968, 1998-99
- Nothing left No longer racing, and nothing of the track remains. Fort McMurray Highway Drag Racing 1977
- Status unknown Closed, but nobody has checked how much of the site survives, or the exact spot was never found. Grande Prairie Airport Drag Wars 2002-3, 2005, 2007, 2009
- Nothing left No longer racing, and nothing of the track remains. High Country Raceway (Lethbridge) 1985
- Nothing left No longer racing, and nothing of the track remains. Lincoln Park Airfield (Calgary) 1962