St. Thomas Raceway Park facts for kids
 Events = NHRA North Central Division Drag racing |
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| Location | Sparta, Ontario, Canada |
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| Coordinates | 42°42′06.08″N 81°06′00.93″W / 42.7016889°N 81.1002583°W |
| Broke ground | 1962 (as St. Thomas Dragway) |
| Opened | 1962 (closed in 2009 and reopened in 2010) |
| Length | 0.402 km (0.250 mi) |
| Turns | 0 |
| Race lap record | 296.57 miles per hour (477.28 km/h) (Jim Epler, Jim Epler, 2018) |
The St. Thomas Raceway Park is a special place in Sparta, Ontario, Canada. It's a track where cars race in a straight line, which is called drag racing. Both professional racers from the NHRA North Central Division and local amateur drivers come here to compete. The track is about 0.402 kilometers (or 0.250 miles) long.
About St. Thomas Raceway Park
What Happens There?
You can find many exciting racing events at the park. These events usually happen from early April to mid-November. Races often take place on Friday nights, Saturday afternoons, or Sunday afternoons. The raceway is located near Sparta in Elgin County, Ontario. It's also a short drive from the bigger town of St. Thomas.
During the racing season, you might see races happening both during the day and at night. Most events last about six hours. Time trials, where drivers practice and get their best times, usually start 30 to 60 minutes after the gates open. Many racers who come here live within 100 miles (about 160 kilometers) of the track. They come from nearby cities like Tillsonburg, London, St. Thomas, Woodstock, and Windsor. Jay and Michelle Morse are the owners of St. Thomas Raceway Park.
Rules for Racers
Safety is very important at the raceway. All cars must pass a safety check by special inspectors before they can race. If a car doesn't pass, it can't race that day. The raceway is private property, so everyone must follow the rules. If someone acts out of line, they might be asked to leave.
Drivers need to wear special helmets that are approved for safety. Also, before a race, everything must be taken out of the car's trunk. The staff at the raceway make all the final decisions about car inspections, which racing group a car belongs to, and who qualifies to race. They have the final say to keep things fair and safe. Drivers are only allowed to do "burnouts" (spinning tires to heat them up) in a special area called the "burnout box."
Amazing Speed Records
The St. Thomas Raceway Park has seen some incredible speeds! The fastest speed ever recorded here was by Jim Epler. On July 2, 2000, he drove a special car called a Nitro Funny Car. He reached an amazing speed of 296.57 miles per hour (about 477.28 kilometers per hour).
Another very fast record was set by Lou Perriera. On August 28, 2004, he drove a jet dragster and reached 292.19 miles per hour (about 470.23 kilometers per hour). These speeds show how exciting and fast drag racing can be at this park!
