By Scott Roblin

Medicine Hat Drag Racing Association ready for green light on 2018 season

May 21, 2018 | 3:56 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It’s been a long winter for drag racers in Medicine Hat, but on Friday racers will finally get the chance to put rubber to pavement for the first time this spring.

The 2018 Medicine Hat Drag Racing Association season gets going on Friday night, with races planned throughout their opening weekend.

Association president Dave Toth said they’ve had to scramble over the last few weeks to get the track in racing condition.

“With the late spring coming here, we’ve been behind a little bit,” said Toth. “So, we’ve been working our butts off out here, we’ve done a lot of clean up, improvements, painting. But, I think we’re ready to go and kick off Friday night Street Legals.”

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Drivers of any calibre can bring their cars, trucks, or bikes out beginning Friday night for the ‘Street Legal’ races at the drag strip.

Toth said they’re hoping to reinvigorate the program with new talent, while keeping the races as safe as possible.

“We’re trying to get more kids out from the high schools and so forth,” said Toth. “It’s a tough program, I don’t know if the kids would rather just race on the streets or what. But, we really want to get them out here, it’s a lot safer environment, they can really grudge race their friends out here. It’s all about safety.”

Saturday’s races will see the Gamblers take to the track such as electronics, juniors and motorbikes, while the first points races of the year will go Sunday across all classes.

Yearly favourites such as the Jet Dragsters, NHRA National Open, and Alberta’s Fastest Car Shootout will all return.

The biggest draw of the year in the Mud Bog is also on the table, set to come back to Medicine Hat on August 11.

Toth added they’ve revamped a number of areas around the track, including a large sponsor wall visible from the stands that was destroyed during a wind storm last September.

“We got a big 350-foot wall over here with sponsor signs on, we just worked our butts off to get that going,” said Toth. “Lots of painting, we’re going to look at some improvements for some more pit road work out here, that’s always an ongoing improvement.”

Anyone interested in racing or becoming involved with drag racing is encouraged to visit the track on race days or phone 403-548-7061.