This thing doesn't make money ... You have to do it 'cause you like it.
There are self-sufficient forms of motorsport. Where sponsorships come with many zeroes, and the world moves so racetracks can run their course.
Snowmobile grass drag racing is not one of those forms. An event doesn't generate enough momentum to justify the next – to keep the ball rolling. And every time it falls short, the burden of survival lands on passion. Are dragsters enthusiastic enough to race without prize money? Are event organizers willing to take a deficit?
The difference between self-sufficient motorsport and small-time racing is that simple. One fills deep pockets, the other empties shallow ones. The former gives employment contracts, the latter takes volunteer hours. It’s a difference measured in dollars and hours. And more intangibly – in the love of racing.
Snowmobile Grass Drag Racing in Canada
Of course, it wasn't always so costly for The Little Guy. In 1970s Canada, homegrown race events ran neck and neck with the big leagues. In those days, a friend group and a sizable lawn was enough to sustain something like the Harrowsmith Grass Drags.
In the late 70s, [my dad] and some of his buddies decided they were gonna race snowmobiles on grass. That’s basically what it came down to … when it started it was ... just a two-lane event. And it was two dollar admission for whether you were a racer or a spectator.
That’s when we had [real] winters and everyone had a snowmobile … So why not bring it into the summer? ... It was a natural thing … just a group of buddies having some fun.
Events like this were common in Ontario. But by the time Bill Day Sr. passed away, his backyard hosted the only surviving grass drag strip of its era.
This is the longest, oldest running grass drag track in Ontario … We always ran as the Harrowsmith Grass Drags … But after [my dad] passed I changed over the name to ... the Bill Day Memorial Grass Drags.
It definitely was tough [to keep the drags running]. And it is every year – there’s still that emotional attachment to it.
Bill Day's drag strip is one of the longest in Canada.
The Day farm has been in the family since 1853. Today, Bill owns over 200 acres of it.
The Bill Day Memorial Grass Drags lived through some major changes. In the early days, two friends on souped-up farm sleds would zip down the strip. Today, international race teams unleash their purpose-built machines four-wide.
It’s this new level. They call it the Outlaw class. And it’s basically “run what ya brung.” There are no rules. Some of these sleds have over 600 horsepower [and] we had a pass of 157 miles per hour over 500 feet … It’s crazy.
But while the Harrowsmith drags grew up, they also grew down.
We have a wide range of classes right from kids on 50cc ATVs and snowmobiles … [Those races] take a little while sometimes [laughs]. But we really like to see the kids come out because that’s tomorrow’s racers. And that’s a nice time to teach the proper safety rules and things like that.
In total, a few hundred racers will come out each year. And a similar number of spectators watch from their tailgates. Amateurs and professionals, children and seniors – it’s a big mix.
Sometimes with some of these race teams – because they only get to race a couple times a year – they’re serious about what they’re doing. They’ll come, they’ll have a trailer packed full of ten sleds, and they’re here to race … Now you go down a couple spots, and then there you go. There’s the RV, there’s mom getting some lunch ready for the kids … it’ll be full families set up.
It’s nice [to have the mix] … when you walk around you get to talk to everyone.
A race organizer for two days a year, Bill works as a machinist and CNC Programming instructor for the other 363.
The Problem with Snowmobile Grass Drag Racing
Everyone can appreciate small-time racing. So why is Bill’s event one of the sole survivors?
If we’re going to start pointing fingers, the government is a tempting place to start. In the generation between Bill Day Sr. and Jr., the legal landscape has changed. Bill faces significant trouble with noise complaints, municipal by-laws and township permits. Plus, our suing culture has jacked up insurance premiums for race organizers.
It takes a lot to get the event off the ground. Unfortunately we have those things like insurance … and it’s pretty scary what they charge for an event like this … People have to put up a few thousand in insurance money just for the weekend, and if it rains then you don’t get your money back. You can lose your shirt pretty fast.
They aren’t around as much – any of these small little events – because of the struggles and the hassles with townships and insurance.
Turning a profit was never in the grass drags’ DNA. But as the years go by, breaking even becomes more challenging. Bill tells me that “At the end of the day … I might have only lost a hundred bucks. That’s the best case scenario right there.”
Of course, a hundred bucks is a small donation compared to the countless volunteer hours. Bill’s buddies donate building materials and labour. His mother runs the gate and his girlfriend rolls the strip. Meanwhile, Bill is involved absolutely everywhere. Even during the race itself, he’ll sit in the shutdown on first-aid standby.
There’s always constant work … I have lots of help. If I didn't, it wouldn't be possible.
Bill and Ryan chat at the starting line. The bus - a relic from the early days - makes a useful backdrop and roost barrier.
While Bill grooms the drag strip every season, nature always finds a way to claw back.
So homegrown motorsport costs something. Nowadays, these events are money drains. They’re charity cases for the sled-crazy. Sacrifices to the god of speed.
If MotoGP consistently ran a deficit, it would fold. That’s what we expect from institutionalized motorsport. It’s just business.
So surely we should worry about the dwindling, small-time events. But after meeting Bill Day, I’m weirdly optimistic. His passion is unquenchable. The way Bill talks about nitrous, you’d think that it runs in his veins. And maybe it does.
It’s a cool thing … just to see where the technology is going to! Ten years ago I never would have thought of seeing stuff out there like [the Outlaw sleds]. But here we are now and it’s only going to get bigger and better!
Everyone has those things that are part of their life. I was born into [the grass drags]. I spent my whole life doing it. Ever since I can remember, the [grass drags] have been a part of my life … So I plan on keeping it going.
The grass drags might be financially impotent – but money was never the point! It has always been about the love of motorsport. And today, that's precisely what keeps this event running.
The Harrowsmith Snowmobile Grass Drags
The Bill Day Memorial Grass Drags run on Labour Day weekend. 2015 makes that September 5-6. For sledheads, we echo Bill in urging you to come out.
One of the big things I’d like to start seeing is more amateurs … Really, there’s not a lot of work to set your sled up [for racing]. You don’t have to go out and buy anything. There’s even a couple great YouTube videos that [show you how to do it].
At $20/day for amateurs, you’d be hard-pressed to find a cheaper thrill. And for a similarly small price, anyone can come watch.
There's no registration hassle and no booking ahead of time. Just show up with some cash and a smile. It’s a taste of 1970s simplicity – a charming form of racing that endures on the passion of its participants.
It’s just so fun. If you can make it down that weekend, you should.
***UPDATE*** The Harrowsmith Grass Drags appear to be cancelled for 2015. Fingers crossed for next year :)
Race Info and Announcements:
https://www.facebook.com/events/438620799494228/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/HarrowSmith-Grass-Drags-Support-Page/928387457212335