BONNYVILLE – The Bonnyville Gear Grabber have been steadily growing their race weekend event into becoming the largest airport drag race in Canada, and they are excited to share their new offerings for the event this year with the community.
Shon Gamache, one of the event organizers, said they have been planning for the event all year, and explained that it is volunteer run.
“It started with a small group of guys in a garage. We started in 2011 with car shows, which became really big in the area. In 2019 we were able to get the drag races going, we just couldn't ignore the demand for it from the community, and we’ve been rocking since...We get a lot of great feedback, and we have people that come to the event from all over Alberta. It’s become the biggest airport race in Canada,” said Gamache.
Gamache said the event will kick off on July 4 with a free show and shine followed by races the next day which will feature the unique vehicles of Twisted Motor Sports including their blown alcohol nostalgia funny car and dragster.
“Over 200 cars usually show up for the show and shine . . . We’re going to have some cool cars on the track, and the guys from Twisted Motor Sports are bringing a full-blown rail car that people 18 and over can buy a ride in. It’s wild stuff,” said Gamache.
Gamache said there will be vendors, food trucks, free bouncy castles, and their new apprentice competition called Wrench Warriors, where competitors under the age of 25 will compete in mechanical challenges for the opportunity to get an apprenticeship position, tool packages, scholarships, and prizes.
Wrench Warriors is a collaboration between Overdrive Heavy Duty Services Ltd., Brown’s Industrial, CAREERS Next Generation, and the Bonnyville Gear Grabbers, and aims to provide opportunities for the next generation of mechanics.
“Brown’s Industrial and Overdrive [Heavy Duty Services] have really done the work putting that together, and we’re just giving them the grounds to run it, so a ton of credit to those guys...It’s a really cool event that encourages young people to come and compete for the apprenticeship jobs and really helps them move forward in their careers,” said Gamache.
Gamache spoke to the countless volunteer hours put into making this event happen, the amazing feedback they get from attendees, and the support they get from the community including the sponsorship from the MD of Bonnyville and the Town of Bonnyville.
“I cannot express enough how much we appreciate our volunteers and sponsors. None of this happens without them. We have an amazing crew of organizers who put this on, and it’s an insane amount of work for such a huge event,” said Gamache.
