A coast-to-coast guide to Canada’s many dragstrips

Think of Canada, and you probably think of hockey. Makes sense, given that it is the country’s national past time and official winter sport. But Canadians are no less wild about drag racing.

No, really. Doubt our word? Consider this: the Great White North boasts no fewer than 21 drag racing associations and 10 hot rod associations. Four year ago, John Scotti founded the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame, which already includes 100 inductees like racing legends Bernie Fedderly, Gary Beck, and Dale Armstrong, who won 12 International Hot Rod Association events and another dozen International Hot Rod Association events in the 1970s.

All those gearheads need somewhere to race, of course, and Canada has a whole lot of drag strips. There are 26 by our count, spanning the country from the coastal province of Newfoundland to the rugged lands of British Columbia and as far north as Fairview, Alberta.  Here’s our guide to the dragstrips of Canada, listed from east to west. Let us know if we missed any..

Newfoundland

Eastbound Dragway: Sanctioned by the IHRA, this quarter-mile strip is located farther east than any other. It hosts events from June through the first week of October.

Nova Scotia

Cape Breton Dragway: Opened in 2016, this cool old-school eighth-mile facility on Canada’s east coast is one of the country’s newest drag strips. It’s located near Sydney on Cape Breton Island.

Greenfield Dragway: Members of the Nova Scotia Drag Racers Association (NSDRA) host eighth-mile races at the Liverpool Airport from June through September for five classes of vehicles including Super Pro and Jr. Dragster.

New Brunswick

Miramichi Raceway Inc: This quarter-mile strip is located in Miramichi on Canada’s east coast. It open for the season in May with its popular High School Challenge event.

Québec

Napierville Dragway: Built in 1962, this NHRA quarter-mile track is one of Canada’s oldest. It’s also one of the country’s most popular, with many events including several for Pro Mods and imports. It’s located just south of Montreal, not far from the Vermont border.

Piste d’accélération Pont-Rouge: Also in Quebec, northeast of Montreal, this quarter-mile strip was built in 1966. It still has a cool retro vibe, and a full schedule is planned for 2019.

St-Elie Motorsports Complex: This old school eighth-mile facility is located east of Montreal and draws racers with muscle cars as well as imports and motorcycles. Admission is only $5.

Ontario

Elliot Lake Dragway: Every July for the last 20 years, this small eighth-mile strip in Elliot Lake, Ontario, hosts the North Shore Challenge, a grassroots drag race that draws cars from all over central Canada. Last year, a jet car showed up.

Grand Bend Motorplex: Located northeast of Detroit in Huron County, this quarter-mile IHRA sanctioned strip is one of Canada’s finest. Dozens of events are scheduled for 2019, including the Ontario Nostalgia Drag races for 1974-and-older race cars.

Luskville Dragway: Sanctioned by the NHRA, this Quebec strip outside Ottawa was built in 1969. It runs both eighth-mile and quarter-mile action. It has a full schedule planned for its 40th anniversary season, including big dollar bracket racing, funny cars at night, and Jr. Dragsters.

Northern Thunder Dragway: Operating for 20 years, this eight-mile strip near Kirkland Lake looks like a fun place; it even hosts snowmobile snow drags in March. The racer with the best reaction time at each Friday’s test and tune receives a $100 gift certificate.

St. Thomas Raceway Park: Billed as The Go Fast Capital of Canada, this quarter-mile strip is located about halfway between Detroit and Toronto. It’s a busy place, open every weekend from May through October.

Shannonville Motorsports Park: About 100 miles northeast of Toronto, this quarter-mile strip hosts a once-a-month race series. Season plans include test and tune on Fridays and competition each Saturday and Sunday.

Toronto Motorsports Park: Home of the Canadian Nitro Nationals and the Canadian Funny Car Championships, this NHRA-sanctioned facility is one of Canada’s largest and busiest dragstrips. It’s located about 70 miles south of Toronto.

Manitoba

Interlake Dragway: Located just north of Winnipeg in Gimli, this IHRA-sanctioned quarter-mile strip packs a full schedule from May through September, including test and tunes, brackets, and Jr. Dragsters.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan International Raceway: Located in the heart of Canada, this IHRA-sanctioned track has been a hotbed of drag racing for more than 45 years. Since 1986, it has been operated by members of the Saskatchewan Drag Racing Association, who continue to improve the facility.

Swift Current Airport: With the hustle and the passion of the Swift Current Drag Racing Association, this facility hosts several drag races on the airport’s runway each summer. The strip is located in southwest Saskatchewan. It’s grassroots drag racing at its best.

Alberta

Castrol Raceway: Sanctioned by the NHRA, this quarter-mile dragstrip is located in Edmonton. It seats about 8500 fans, and its tower features 22 Sky Suites. The raceway is home to the Rocky Mountain Nationals, touted as the largest drag racing event in Canada.

Central Alberta Raceways: Located in Rimbey, just south of Edmonton, this quarter-mile facility is set to host a number a major events this summer, including bracket racing, CDMRA, and a No Prep Shootout.

Pats Auto Supply Motorsports Park: Canadian eighth-mile drag racing is alive and well at this IHRA-sanctioned facility in Beaverlodge. The track also runs many quarter-mile events and is operated by the North Peace Bracket Racing Association (NPBRA).

Medicine Hat Dragstrip: Located about 180 miles southeast of Calgary, this NHRA-sanctioned facility runs a handful of quarter-mile events every season and hosts seven Friday Night test and tune sessions for street legal machines.

British Columbia

Mission Raceway: This impressive quarter-mile facility in Mission hosts many NHRA Drag Racing events from April through October, including Pro Mods, the NHRA Summit ET Racing Series, and Friday night test and tunes.

Nitro Motorsports Park: We love the low-key vibe of this quarter-mile strip located in Prince George, about 500 miles north of Vancouver. The strip features a 700-foot concrete launch pad.

Northern Lights Raceway: Farther north in Fort St. John is this IHRA quarter-mile strip, which opened in 1998. It runs a handful of events every summer, including Jr. Dragsters.

Port McNeill Airport: Located on Canada’s west coast, the airport will host Rumble on the Runway twice this summer. It’s old-school drag racing, and it’s the product of the men and woman of the North Island Timing Association.

Thunder Mountain Raceway: Located just 80 miles from the border with Washington State, this quarter-mile strip in Kelowna, hosts a number of events from June to September. It’s also home to the Kelowna Street Outlaws.