Long lasting Canadian prairies track hosts amazing summer feature race!….
SIR Shines with Flamen “Southwinds Showdown”
Following the completion of a ton of recent renovations, Saskatoon area’s Saskatchewan International Raceway was a flurry last weekend, hosting its largest event in recent seasons.
August 16th saw the facility bustling with 29 feature cars and 140 sportsman entries on hand. With the grandstands equally packed (drawing in 2,500+ fans) everyone in attendance was treated to an expertly prepared new track surface which provided racers with the chance to achieve personal bests and even break track records – and they did accomodate.
The race date celebrated the results of some extensive fundraising that had taken place — raising over $500K to do all the recent renovations.
That list included Total Venue Concepts track flattening, a new Accutime timing system, new win scoreboards, concrete barriers, new shop for tractors, washrooms, concession, souvenir shop, grandstands, equipment upgrades, and live stream capabilities.
“While some tracks are closing, we continue to invest for the future,” stated Braydon Heroux from SIR. “While we still consider ourselves the “little track on the prairies” — we now have a big time feel!”
Feature car and exhibition run highlights were plentiful — expertly showcased in the photos below provided by “ace area” shooter Blair Alderton.
Saskatoon’s Southwinds Showdown event included some spectacular area Pro Mod cars including Cal Tebb’s stunning ’33 Willys (top) and Sander Spelt’s supercharged ’57 Chevy. But it was Saskatoon’s own Mike Gondziola who stole the show — resetting both ends of the Pro Mod track record to : 1/8 mile (3.84 secs), 1/4 mile (5.87 secs) and top speed to 233.00 mph.
Top Dragster competitors Scott Murray and Lance White attended and took advantage of the excellent new SIR surface. Murray, who is son to legendary tuner/racer Ken Murray (from Manitoba) recorded an impressive lap of 6.22 secs at 227 while Lance White (from Beaumont, AB), ran his new Top Dragster to a best time of 6.28 seconds at 220 mph.
Willie Forrest traveled in from Estevan, Saskatchewan, with his nostalgia front-engine dragster. After generating plenty of smoke — he achieved his fastest lap at 7.14 seconds, reaching 183 mph.
Special guests at the race included SIR historian Murray McDonald & Brenda Rupert (Harold Howards daughter and mother of NHRA FC driver Jason Rupert).
Some fan favorite Jet Cars made lots of noise and fast laps including Pyromaniac (above) at 6.15 secs -261 mph and Tomahawk 6.31 secs – 234 mph.
Edmonton’s Andy Beauchemin returned to SIR with the Nitro Joker Harley-Davidson. He posted a best 6.77 secs at 202 mph.
Russ Flaman, from Regina, Saskatchewan, played an intricate part in the event — including piloting his truly amazing “street-driven” Twin turbo GTO to a clean 6.92 at 205 mph!
Steve Harris’ “Wild Thing” Dodge Charger was just one of a number of cool alcohol-burning Funny Cars attending.
The race weekend also included stout competition from within Western Canada’s ET Bracket Racing contingent.
Friday’s winners included Bob Fiesel (Super Pro) Janssen Aten (Pro), Chris Langdon (Sportsman), Matt Hendry (Street Legal), Mya Jaques (Jr Street Legal) & Lucas Gyman (Junior Dragster).
Sunday’s ET champions were Tysen Derenoski (Super Pro), Brayden Heroux (Pro), Michael Schab Sr. (Sportsman), Sara Stinson (Street Legal), Marlee Breeze (Jr. Street Legal), and Ella Jennings (Jr. Dragster).
Brayden Heroux – racing this classic Oldsmobile — was one of the ET Bracket event champions.
SIR will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2026 — and the event is set to be a grand occasion. With a rich history and a vibrant community, the anniversary show promises to be a significant celebration, featuring exciting activities, memorable moments, and a gathering of enthusiasts from all around. More information on that race and date will be forthcoming.
Visit SIR official: HERE
Posted by Bruce Biegler
Photos by Blair Alderton
