THUNDER BAY – It’s a decision that no one with the Thunder Bay Autosport Club wanted to make.
Officials examined the ice levels on Mission Bay and decided it was still below acceptable safety standards for competitors, and therefore they scrapped the remainder of the 2024 racing season.
“It's very disappointing to have the series cancelled,” said Gary Adomko, club president.
“There’s a lot of time and planning that goes into the ice racing program, which begins in August. I know some people think once the cold weather arrives in January we are up and running, and that’s simply not true.
“The spectators enjoy the show. We have a great group of people who support the series and make sure we're up and running for every weekend. We’re disappointed but we’ll be back for next year.”
The club needs the ice to be between 16 and 18 inches, which has been a challenge with this year’s El Niño winter.
“We are not comfortable putting our plow trucks on the ice. If we're not going to do that, then we certainly won’t entertain having a concentration of cars competing under those conditions,” Adomko said.
The season hasn’t been cancelled in Thunder Bay due to thin ice since the El Niño winter in the late 80s.
Adomko mentioned that some of the ice racing people will now focus on the autocross series in the summer.
With files from Justin Hardy
