Big rigs coming to race in Onaway this weekend
by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor
All roads lead to the Onaway Speedway for fast lane fun during the upcoming holiday weekend.
The Big Rig Challenge ushered in summer three months ago and now the Over-the-Top Diesel Showdown will close it in grand style with three days of racing and black smoke on the uphill drag strip, live music and pickup sled pulling on the infield of the oval track.
This is the sixth-year speedway owner Mike Sturgill has put on this event during the Labor Day weekend.
“It’s the same thing as the spring with the big rigs coming in from all over,” said Sturgill. “Like the Big Rig Challenge, they will be coming from all over the U.S., not as many from Canada, because there is an event up there this weekend that we compete with.” There will still be trucks coming from Quebec and Ontario.
“We have trucks coming from Texas, Colorado, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Indiana and Michigan,” he said. There should be 50 big rig participants.
Friday there will be pickup and semi-truck drag racing practice from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, the
“Where the trucks and pickups pull sleds on the clay dirt track,” said Sturgill.
Sunday at noon the sounds from the drag strip rev up again with double-elimination brackets going until all the racing is complete. An awards’ ceremony will follow.
Friday night, Todd Michael and the Ghost Town Marshall’s Band perform from 8 p.m. until midnight and then Remedy provides live entertainment from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. Saturday.
“We also will have the kids’ zone with the bounce houses,” said Sturgill.
Tickets and camping sites can be purchased in advance at Onawayspeedway.com.
