4/17/2024
Laird Raceway
"Start Your Engines!" - 2024 is the 25th Anniversary Season at Laird
How was your winter? Suffering from Stock Car Racing withdrawals? We have the cure! Over the winter months we have been planning the upcoming 25th Anniversary Season out at Laird Raceway. Can you believe it? Twenty-Five years have passed since promoter Donnie Varcoe opened the track in 1999. We’ve witnessed a lot of excitement over those 25 years, and it looks like the excitement will be continuing during the 2024 Season.
Our upcoming season schedule has been published on our www.lairdraceway.com website and our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lairdraceway. This season will feature 8 events: To start, a special annual AIM Recycling 100 lap Enduro Race, coupled with a “Show Your Stuff” car & vehicle show. Then we have 5 regular “Thursday Night Thunder” full shows through the summer; then our season will be completed in late August with a two day “Mike Parsons Memorial Weekend”. When looking at our schedule you’ll also see a couple dates labeled as “To Be Determined”, these are potential dates will be for rescheduling of earlier rainouts or cancellations.
Let’s talk about the season opening event - The 3rd Annual Enduro Race. Pre pandemic we started this division at Laird to allow people to have some fun and provide an “introduction” to racing. The division has proven to be a hit with many younger drivers – high school students and of course older people too. It is very inexpensive to get a car prepared for the event and there is lots of action during the race. Originally thought of as a “once a season” event, the popularity has moved it into a new division at Laird, with an Enduro race at the end of each of our regular season events. Many of the drivers and teams from the Enduro division have found that they are having so much fun that they have “graduated” into the other divisions at Laird – Factory Four, Factory Stock and Modified divisions – with some even eyeballing the premiere Super Late Model division in their future. Who knew that the Enduro division would serve to bring a new vigor to the track? Bringing in some younger people, and growth! It’s been fantastic to witness this.
Over the past couple of seasons, we’ve also witnessed a revitalization of the fan base at Laird, with packed grandstands during each show. We look forward to the same this year. Thank You fans for your patronage!
3rd Annual Enduro Race
Back to the Enduro event… it has been scheduled this season for Saturday June 22, with a rain date of Sunday – June 23. During the Enduro event we’ll also be having a “Show Your Stuff Car Show”
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The Enduro event this year offers a prize of $3,000 to win, $2,000 for 2nd, and $1,000 for third! Team entrance fee is $200. If you want to register your team for the event we have an online registration form; or for those that want to print and return a paper version the registration form is on the www.lairdraceway website under the 'driver info - rules' menu item Register early, don’t wait until last minute.
The Enduro race format this year is the same as 2023; 100 laps, broken into four segments. Teams will be allowed to refuel, change tires, and do other minor repairs between segments. Driver changes are also allowed. Get a car and team together and come out and have some fun on the track!
If you need a car for the Enduro race, or want some information on how to prepare a car for the race contact Rita at Lakeway Industries on Great Northern Road. She has a few available, and more coming in. The “Enduro Rules” document also will tell you what is required for car preparation. Rules are also on the www.lairdraceway website under the 'driver info - rules' menu item. Rules for this season’s event are the same as 2023, with the exception that this season we will allow small pick-up trucks (still no full sized pickups).
“Show Your Stuff” Car Show
On the same day as the Enduro Race we will be holding a “Show Your Stuff” Car show. Actually, more than just a car show… We’re looking for people to bring their antiques, hot rods, motorcycles, race cars, farm tractors, unique vehicles… really anything with wheels that you’d like to show off. Entrance to the car show is by registration, with no entrance fee. The registration form is available to be completed online or if you prefer to print and submit a paper version go to the www.lairdraceway.com website under the menu item “Driver Info – Rules”. The first 50 vehicles registered will be entered into an Early Bird Prize draw. Registrants that attend will also be provided with free admittance to the grounds for the day (car and driver/owner). There will be a “grand door prize” to be drawn post event for those that attend. There may be more too, we are still in the planning stages for the show. Stay tuned to the Laird Raceway facebook page at www.facebook.com/lairdraceway for updates.
We are looking for a volunteer to help with the planning and implementation of the car show too. Are you or someone you know interested in helping out? Maybe a student that might want to get their feet wet with event planning? We might also be able to arrange to make this a “paid” position for a summer student that would extend for the events through the season. The event coordinator helps with the planning and special events/giveaways/activities during each race night. Give Rita a call at Lakeway during business hours M-F 8am to 5pm to discuss the possibilities 705-759-5149.
That’s it for now. Come back to this website for more “news” items as the season approaches, and for post race recaps. Visit and like the Lairdraceway facebook page for ongoing updates and information relating to events, drivers, “swag” and more!
See you soon at the track! Come on out and watch your favourite seasoned drivers, and many ‘rookies’ when our season begins at the end of June. Be there or be square!
Article Credit: Tom Stephenson
Submitted By: Tom Stephenson
