Mission Raceway: For Those 12 Seconds or Less!
I am sure that there is no other form of auto sport that will provide the aroma of oil, gasoline, and rubber as drag racing. Then there is the sound! There is an adrenaline rush as the whine of superchargers, the whistle of turbochargers, and the ear drum crushing thump of massive V8 engines roar off the line. And you had better be ready at that line or your time will not be near 12 seconds (it was a test and tune night. I could have used Dom's 10 second line, but not that many cars were running 10's!) and your timesheet will reflect your poor reflexes. There would undoubtedly be a few comments when you returned to the paddock.
Carlos Joseph pulling his AES Automotive Nissan NX2000 up to the staging area at Mission Raceway Park. This drag strip has been in Mission for years. Last year the track was completely rebuilt, providing an awesome new surface. It's also only about 20 minutes north of Sumas, Washington. Very easy access and I'm sure many regulars from Washington.Mission Raceway Park is located in Mission, British Columbia which is about 20 minutes north of the US border town of Sumas, Washington. The track is 25' above sea level and is 4200 feet long, with 1320 feet of that concrete. I did not have the opportunity to check out the Road Race course, but it is 1.2 miles long with 9 corners – home to both auto and motorcycle races. Mission Raceway is also only about 10 minutes away from the city of Abbotsford, B.C., which is where my daughter, Alisha, her husband, Josh, and their son, Emmett – and my first grandchild – live. So you can see that the Pacific side of the country holds a massive pull on my heart strings. In the four years they have lived here, this is the first time I have made it to the track. We made it a family outing and had a great time. I also knew that AES Auto would be there will a couple of cars and I really wanted to see them. More on AES Auto on page four.
There really is nothing like the deep bass pulse of a large displacement V8. And watching classics like this Ford wheelie off the line, instantly pulling away from muscle cars recently off of the showroom floor, was simply fantastic.We arrived about two o'clock on this Friday test day at Mission. As my grandson was with us we only stayed for about an hour and then had to leave, coming back later in the evening to capture more of the action. My grandson is too little to focus his attention on the track, or anything else, for very long. The noise factor we had looked after with a great set of hearing protectors. Parents, invest in the $40-$60 that a set of hearing protectors will cost before taking your little ones to the track. You know that some of these cars – both import and domestic – can hurt your adult ears. Do not damage your little ones' hearing. We know they worked as he slept peacefully through a number of pulls and, when he was away from the track at the back of the paddock and the hearing protection removed, he was obviously startled when a car started with a rumble. That is a sound investment (pun intended).
Hearing protection is recommended for adults, but I personally think it should be mandatory for little ones. My grandson, Emmett, was quite comfortable wearing them and was obviously not affected by some of the 'harsh' sounds. He was quite comfortable in the arms of his Grandma (my wife Pam) with his mom (Alisha) close by. That is Carlos and his beautiful Nissan NX2000 in the AES Auto paddock just beyond my family. More on this car in another article – very soon.
Staging for the track is nicely set up. The flow worked well for the traffic that was present – a moderately full paddock. Mission Raceway Park is located on the bank of the Fraser River and just an hour from Vancouver, B.C. and 20 minutes from the border at Sumas, Washington. I saw vehicles from Washington, Alberta, and B.C. present at this Test and Tune evening.
