The Fraser Valley Drag Boat Association (FVDBA) is getting back to its roots with a return to Mission in July.
It will be the first time drag boat races were hosted in Mission since 1996.
The spring opener event at Mission Raceway Park was postponed from its original May 28 date due to government flood warnings and safety concerns.
FVDBA director Daryl Wear helped organize the return to the shores of Mission Raceway.
“I remember as a kid coming watching events in Mission in the old days back in the ’80s,” Wear said. “I always liked the sport and it just seems to be fading around here.”
According to the FVDBA website, drag boat racing started in B.C. on Hatzic Lake with a variety of hot lake boats prowling the waters looking to pair up and see who was fastest. From 1980 to 2002, the FVDBA staged races all over British Columbia and Washington State.
However, the association shut down in 2002 until a spark of interest in 2018 brought it back with an event on the Harrison River in 2019.
Wear says he ran into some people involved with drag boat racing earlier in 2023 and they began work to restart events.
“We thought it would be good because of the location with Mission Raceway and the nostalgia of being back on the Fraser,” he said. “I’d just like to see the sport going again before it dies completely off.”
He says there are challenges trying to get enough support, spectators and sponsors. Finding suitable locations to race was always a problem because of issues with either fisheries or logistics.
Wear says he’s not setting any expectations for the race but hopes enough people show interest in the sport for events to continue.
“If it turns out the way we’re hoping, Mission Raceway is more than eager to work with us and give us more of a full-time home, which would be great for everybody in the area,” he said.
Wear hopes that weather will cooperate on race day.
“It should be an awesome day,” he said. “We’re trying to put on the best show we can.”
Races are also scheduled for Oct. 7 and 8 at Mission Raceway Park.
@dillon_white
dillon.white@missioncityrecord.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.