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Northern Nationals Drag Race in Wawa
This summer "the mountains will shake" as drag racing returns to the Wawa Municipal Airport.
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45 Video
Northern Nationals Drag Race in Wawa
The second annual Northern Nationals Drag Race takes place Aug. 9-11, 2013, in Wawa.Wawa is known as a serene and picturesque town on the eastern shores of Lake Superior, the perfect stop while visiting nature’s treasures, like Lake Superior Provincial Park, or the fun and nostalgic Young’s General Store.
Now it’s also a destination for high-energy racing fans.
Earplugs and sunscreen will be standard equipment when Wawa Municipal Airport is transformed into a racetrack for one weekend in August to host the second annual Northern Nationals Drag Race.
Look for the same format as in 2012, when the event drew 126 drivers in six categories, according to Lori Johnson, race manager.
Last year 4,000 people attended the drag race during the weekend – a major gathering for this community of about 3,200 people.
“It is a boost to our local economy. It’s a boost to our community spirit,” Lori says, and it creates “a very positive vibe.”
Helping to stage the event are more than 120 volunteers.
Spectators should show up early to take in the thrills of time trials that go on all day long at the one-eighth-mile track. This kind of racing is not just about who gets to the finish line first; it’s about timing and who’s the most consistent.
If you’re wondering why earplugs are necessary, consider the dragster with a jet engine that sounds like a plane when it gets going. It produces big booms before taking off, and it takes just seconds for this “jet car” to reach the end of the track. “You can feel this thing,” Lori says of the car’s power.
As the inventive promotional description says, calling up the famed Wawa Goose and Lake Superior: “The mountains will shake, the Goose will rattle and the waves will roll as drivers start their engines.”
Drivers compete for $36,000 in total prize money ($10,000 for the Super Pro winner alone).
For spectators, it’s a lot of fun, even for the skeptics who give it a try, suggests Lori. “I was amazed by how many people came out and hadn’t seen drag racing before and didn’t think they would like it, and they had an amazing time.”
There’s off-track entertainment, too – a classic car show and an amusement area for kids, featuring inflatable slides and an obstacle course among its activities.
A word of advice if you plan to stay overnight: Wawa is on the Trans Canada Highway and gets plenty of tourists, besides racing fans coming to visit. It’s best to make lodging reservations at least two weeks in advance.
The 2nd annual Northern Nationals Drag Race, Aug. 9-11. Wawa Municipal Airport, Wawa, Ontario. 800-367-9292, ext. 240. www.wawadragway.com.