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Sports: Auto Racing

Background | Equipment | Where ]

Background

The speed and daring of auto racers is a vicarious thrill for most of us (unless you've earned a speeding ticket). Millions of motorsport fans love the noisy power of souped-up cars making it a universal spectator sport around the world. Its a lot safer than driving fast on our city street.

Equipment

For auto racing you need a car. If you are racing at the local speedway on "amateur day", any car will do, but the professional racers depend on a fast car for their living. A good racing car can cost as much several million dollars, and as much again to maintain each year. When racing, you also need to wear a helmet and a flame-resistant suit.

If you are considering buying a race car, you can find new and used auto racers in the Bargain Finder, through Race City Speedway Motorsport Park, or on the Web.

Where

Vancouver is home each summer to the Vancouver Indy, with the course near the Science World sphere on False Creek.

You can watch auto racing throughout the summer at Mission Raceway Park (on Scenic ighway 7, P.O. Box 3421, Mission, V2V 4J5, or phone 604-826-6315). Mission has the fastest and best drag race strip in all of western Canada, with drag racing every second weekend in the summer, often with 400 cars and 18000 spectators attending. The low elevation (24' above sea level) boosts horsepower and the Mission Raceway has won the Track of the Year award in the National Hot Rod Association's Division Six three years in a row. There is also a 1.2 mile Road Course, and a 1 mile Motocross Track. Mud-splattering motocross races are held at Mission Raceway Park every Tuesday evening from mid April to end August. A junior dragster program puts the kids behind the wheel, and a high school program introduces teens to the sport.