Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion
The roar of blown engines will be heard east of Kindersley on the weekend with the return of dirt racers and tractor pullers to the East 40 Motorplex.
The Kindersley Dirt Drags and Truck and Tractor Pulls take place on July 20-21 at the motorplex located five miles east of Kindersley on the north side of Highway 7. The event was first held in 2013 and it has been held four times over five years.
The action features competitors from the Canadian Mud Racing Organization (CMRO) and Alberta Tractor Pullers Association (ATPA). The gates open on July 20 at 4 p.m., and the races and pulls will start at 6 p.m. The gates open on July 21 at 1 p.m., and action is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
If the racing and pulling is not enough, the event also features cabarets on both nights, monster truck rides and inflatable jumpers for the children. There will be both food and drink sales for people in attendance.
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The cabaret on Friday night features Mitch Larock and the 4:54 Band and the cabaret on Saturday night features Dusty Mule. Organizers are also planning to set off fireworks on Saturday night as long as the weather permits it. There will be day and weekend passes available, along with a fee for public camping.
Shayne Neigum, a CMRO competitor and spokesperson for the event, said there is going to be a lot of horsepower on display this weekend. He said organizers have everything ready for the event, and they are thrilled to get going.
He noted that there will be blown alcohol dirt racers coming from as far away as northern Minnesota, upstate New York and Victoria, B.C. Fans returning from previous years will get to see racers that have not been there before with their powerful units, so he said he is “looking forward to these guys blasting down the track.”
There will also be 40 to 50 trucks and tractors making pulls at the event. Neigum said there were only about 30 trucks and tractors at the event in 2017, so the weekend is going to be packed with action between the CMRO and ATPA entries.
According to Neigum, the pullers are thrilled about returning to Kindersley after their first appearance in 2017. He said several pullers called him right after the event last year to compliment both organizers and spectators.
“They were quite thrilled with the venue, and especially the crowd,” the spokesperson said. “We’ve got the best crowd anywhere and it shows. It gets all the competitors that much more excited and fired up to come.”
He recognized that he does not know of another single event in Western Canada with as much horsepower gathered in one place as the event in Kindersley. He said it is something else to see dirt racers cover 200 feet in roughly two seconds and pullers with tractors that range from 5,000 to 8,000 horsepower.
Neigum said a full set of bleachers gives the organizers a real sense of accomplishment. A great deal of efforts goes into planning the event and the excellent crowds make it all worth the effort. He said a portion of the proceeds will go to support STARS Air Ambulance.
He noted that organizers have some set up to do at the venue, but the track is ready to go. As for Good to Go Racing, he said drivers have made test passes and the cars are also “ready to rock.” Changes have been made since last year.
Saskatchewan Rush cheerleaders are to make an appearance, and the Rush Monster Truck will give rides to spectators all weekend, he said. Neigum thanked sponsors because the event would not be possible without their support. He also wanted to thank volunteers and fellow organizers Darla Dorsett, Brittany Newmeyer and Bob Organ.
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