There are different classes of car that take to the track at the Medicine Hat Speedway. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

By Adrian St.Onge

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The Medicine Hat Raceway is gearing up for its 40th anniversary on Saturday.

Racer Kent Riehl said that the adrenaline rush is unlike anything else, but that the people involved makes the sport what it is.

“You just learn as you go,” Riehl said.

Kent Riehl speaks to CHAT News. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

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“It’s a great group of people. On the track, it looks like we’re all racing hard and banging each other, and we are, but what a lot of people don’t see is we all pull into the pits and we’re all working on each others cars to make sure we’re all taken care of and safety,” he added.

“The quality of the individual is really what drives this sport and to get into it is actually pretty easy. You gotta want to do it, you can’t be scared and if you want to do it, there’s a lot of helping hands to make it happen.”

Track lengths are 3/8 of a mile long and average lap times are between 17 and 21 seconds, depending on car class and driver skill.

Club president Curtis Bigelow said COVID-19 and rising inflation the club is losing momentum and has been experiencing a decline in popularity, including having to cancel their truck class.

Club president Curtis Bigelow says COVID-19 and the economy impacted membership. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

Bigelow said that the group has worked on improving fan experience, including installing a park, but that younger generations needs to be ready to take up the mantle, because once it’s gone, it’s gone.

“The community has to support the drag strip, the dirt bike track, us the circle track, the shooting range, we’re all in the same thing, the RC track. The people got to support it to keep it here,” Bigelow said.

“Even if they don’t at this time, but their kids do or they’re grandkids down the road,” he said.

Bigelow says that there will be eight separate scored championship series and it will all come to a head at the end of August for the Border Battle Series.

Gates open Saturday at 4 p.m.and will include face-painting for children and cupcakes for the first 350 fans.