Grand Bend Motorplex.com | Weekends are a Drag!

The tentative 2012 schedule is listed below. Based on the Financial results of the past two years and the current economic climate, we have tried to provide a workable schedule that requires less financial/time commitment (5 weekends) to pursue a Track Championship in the Thunder, Junior and Extreme 32 programs, plus still provide a number of great specialty event weekends (MNN, All Bike Wkd, ONDR, Stratford, Windsor) to compliment the points events.

We worked with the other tracks in our area to try and be complimentary/non-competitive with each other where possible, allowing racers/fans the opportunity to attend various facilities/events on different weekends hopefully resulting in increased attendance and profitable events for all tracks. (helping us all keep our doors open)

The GBM Season opener will be a Test & Tune Sat May 11th, with the opening of the various Points series the following weekend (May 24), the Points Championships will once again be on Labour Day weekend. The Thunder,Junior and Extreme 32 programs will each be 10 race series (we have rain dates June 23rd, July 14th and possibly Aug 18th if required). Stratford Weekend is not currently scheduled as a points weekend. The Divisional Summit Super Series Bracket Finals will be in Michigan at US 131 Sept 13-16th

Season Opening Test & Tune - Sat May 11th

RPM Magazine/LUCAS OIL present the Rudy Helds Performance Centre "Spring Blowout"  - May 18-20th - Featuring  Show Cars, Music, Camping, GBM Thunder, Junior and Extreme 32 race Programs. Plus the Wheelstanding Can Am Stock/Super Stock series.

All Points wkd -  June 1-3rd -  Featuring all GBM Thunder classes, Junior classes and Extreme 32 and Windsor Bracket series classes.

Canada's largest All Bike Race Weekend - June 15-17th - "Summer Sizzler All Makes" Saturday, "Harleys By the Beach" Sunday, the event featuring Nitro Harleys, the Kevin Blackmore memorial Q16 race, and race classes for every level of rider, and NEW this year the SOAR Motorcycle race series will be on the Road Course both Saturday and Sunday !

Bad Boys Race Wkd -  June 29th-July 1st - Featuring Show cars, GBM Thunder & Junior classes, Extreme 32, Bad Girls Trophy class, plus Heads Up race classes.

ONDR " Nostalgia Wkd" / Grand Bend Dragway ReUnion - July 7-9th - The Largest Ontario Nostalgia Drag Racers Event of the year, featuring the best Classic Drag racing vehicles from the Past, plus a Classic Car Show and a Celebration/ReUnion re the original Grand Bend Dragway in the 1960's.

13th Annual MOPAR NitroJam Nationals - July 20-22nd - Eastern Canada's Biggest Drag Racing Event! -  Featuring over 20 Nitro Burners - Top Fuel Dragsters, Nostalgia Nitro Funnies, Fuel Altereds, Nitro Harleys, Jet Truck, Wheelstander, a PMRA Pro Mod race,Top Dragster/Sportsman, $5000 to Win Bracket race, Fireworks, and alot More, see over 350 race teams battle it out to go to the IHRA World Finals in Memphis, Tennessee. FRIDAY NIGHT will feature both  TNT 10.90 series and CAN AM Stock/Super Stock series races.

Civic Holiday Wkd -  Aug 3-5th - Featuring GBM Thunder & Junior classes, Extreme 32, ONDR and Windsor Bracket Series classes. 

18th Annual NAPA/ Stratford Spectacular " Hot August Nights" event -Aug 10-12th -  One of Canada's Largest Community Sponsored Racing events featuring PMRA Pro Mods, Show Cars, Jets, The NAPA Q32 race series, and much more -  All for one unbelievable Carload Parking Fee ! 

TBA - Aug 18th & 19th

Teamsters Canada 879 "Thunder by the Beach" event - Aug 31st-Sept 2nd - Our 2nd Biggest race weekend of the year featuring the "Sat Night of NITRO" with Nitro cars, Jets, PMRA Pro Mods, NAPA Q32 vehicles, and more, all topped off with a great Fireworks show ! It is also the Championship wkd for the GBM Thunder, Junior and Extreme 32 race programs. (Monday raindate) 

13th Annual "Windsor Weekend" - Sept 7-9th - WW13 is a huge celebration of the Automobile and its relationship/history in Windsor - This is a unique event in that all competitors must be from the Windsor/Essex County area to compete(except Jr Dragsters). Each year Thousands of Essex County residents and Hundreds of great race Vehicles descend on GBM to battle it out for Cash and Bragging rights to claim the Windsor/Essex  "Heads Up" or "Class" Champion titles. The event also features Show Vehicles, Fireworks and more.

Additional Friday Test & Tune Nights - June 22nd, July 13th, Aug 17th & Aug 24th.

After a very Successful event in 2011, the popular TNT Super Series will return to the IHRA Mopar Nitro Jam event in 2012, and this year they will be joined by the CanAm Stock Super Stock series. So on Friday evening July 20th we will see a complete TNTSS 10.90 event plus a CanAm S/SS race -  both programs will consist of 2 rounds of Qualifying followed by Eliminations. This will be a great kickoff to a largest race weekend in Eastern Canada. All these competitors will be making it a double race weekend as they will join the rest of the NITROJAM competitors on Sat & Sun in their respective IHRA classes, all vying for a trip to the $200,000 IHRA World Finals in Memphis in October. 

For more information go to www.tntsuperseries.com and www.smithperformance.com  

The Extreme 32 series  was a well received and successful addition to the GBM schedule in 2011. The 2012 program Thanks to our sponsors (Amherst Quarries and Armando's Pizza) will be even more successful as we have made some changes to attract additional competitors and make the program more interesting for all.

The basic format will remain the same  - 32 car field  Open to Door cars, Dragsters, Altereds, Bikes, etc. - 9.50 Bump (non qualifiers go in at the bottom of the ladder if the field is not full). $150 Entry per race , Payout is based on $120 per entry broken down 40%win-20%r/up -10% semi-5% quarters. Quaranteed Win money is $1200. Year end program pays the Top 5 - $1500, $750,$500,$250,$125 points membership is $75

Here are the changes/adjustments re 2012

1. The series is now 10 races

2. Same qualifying program as 2011 re points but the ladders will alternate - Saturday -Sportsman Ladder,Sunday -Pro Ladder.

3. DOOR CARS WILL RUN EACH OTHER UNTIL ONE IS LEFT and then that car will be put back into the Dragster side (assuming more Dragsters than Door cars). So from the qualifying sheet we will be doing 2 ladders - a dragster and door (bike competitors/members will have the opportunity to decide at the start of the season which side they want to run on) and depending on the day the ladder will be either Sportsman or Pro.

4. No double bye runs in 1st rd - For example say we have 26 cars total for a race  - 19 Dragsters, 7 Door cars -  then the singles from each side will run each other in 1st rd. If only one side has an odd number then that car gets a 1st round bye.

5. On Championship weekend (Labour day) to protect those who are running for a Championship or Top 5 position all Extreme 32 points members cannot be bumped from the program -  they are guaranteed to be in the field regardless if they are not in the top 32. So in efffect if we have 20 points members running on Labour day only 12 spots are open for non members. 

Local racer and insurance broker, Michael Campolucci, has developed a specialized insurance program for your race car while the engine is not running, for your trailer, tools and spare parts called Championsedge.ca - Race  Car Insurance.

Read more: Champions Edge joins the Motorplex family

For 2012 GBM will once again offer ANNUAL PIT PARKING spots where trailers can be parked on the site for the season (other than being moved for the Mopar NitroJam Nationals). GBM will also offer a new ANNUAL STORAGE program - where you can leave your trailer at GBM for the season, in the Campground area (during the week) move it into the Pit area for the race weekend when you arrive and then back into the Campground at the end of the race weekend. (the trailers may need to to be moved out for the Mopar NitroJam Nationals depending on whether you are attending or not)

The major change for 2012 is the ANNUAL PIT PARKING spots will be limited to approx 60-70 spots. These are spots 1-49 (as per last years layout) plus some additional spots we can add in areas adjacent to these existing spots. The cost for an ANNUAL PIT spot will be the same as last year - $300 plus HST.

The ANNUAL STORAGE program will cost $100 plus HST, and it will not include assigned spots, the only assigned pit spots will be the ones listed above. The balance of the pit area will be an open program, since every major pit road is now paved there are no bad pit spots - people will park in any open location and once the race weekend is done this entire area will be vacated (no trailers will be left on any site). We need this entire area to be clear for us to be able to run our various road course configurations in a safe manner (Our Facility insurer and roadcourse Sanctioning body ASN require this -  we were allowed to run last year with the trailers there - do to the late start and limited use - not this year)

Since we had approx 100 ANNUAL PIT SPOT renters last year, and taking into consideration the new lower cost STORAGE program may appeal to some of those who had Annual spots last year, we need to get an idea of how many want an ANNUAL PIT SPOT in 2012. Based on that information we will be able to decide how we go forward in allocating those ANNUAL PIT spots.

Please contact Deb at the track by Feb 17th (either by email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or call 519 238 7223 ext 25 and let her know if you are interested in an ANNUAL PIT SPOT for 2012.