Next year’s Thunder in the Valley might be roaring into a new location if current negotiations go well, Alberni Valley Drag Racing Association president Bill Surry said.
“There’s one being discussed. We’re working on a new venue. It’s close to Port Alberni.”
He doesn’t expect negotiations to move overly fast but hopes to have more details ready for release later this summer.
For now, Surry is busy with preparations for this year’s Thunder in the Valley. Scheduled for Aug. 8-9 at the Alberni Valley Regional Airport, the event has a couple of new things in store.
“We’re hoping to have a motorcycle that is about 250 miles an hour,” Surry said but added that they don’t have him locked down for sure.
“If he comes it’ll be quite a show.”
Surry also hopes that this year spectators won’t have to wait to find out the results till they’re announced.
“We are going to have reader boards,” Surry said. The approximately $23,000 boards should be here a few weeks before the event.
That’s not the only tech-related upgrade.
“We’ve purchased a new computer system for our timing system so now we’re into the 20th century. We’re running on Windows now.”
With rumours that the event might not go ahead swirling, Surry said that racer registration hasn’t been as fast as before.
“We have approximately 220 at this point. That’s down from previous years.”
He’s hoping with word of the go-ahead spreading that more drivers will come out of the woodwork.
“Some people thought we weren’t running this year but now we’re getting more and more every day.”
Space-permitting, drivers can register right up to the day of the event by visiting www.albernidragracing.com.
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