Racing Big Iron

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GRAND BEND, Ont. – The Second Annual Earl Hardy Big Rig Nationals presented by the Ontario Truck Driving School took over the Grand Bend Motorplex for a stellar day of Big Iron racing on Sept. 12

With over 1,000 participants and spectators, the 2004 race saw an 80 per cent increase in attendance over last year’s event.

“We couldn’t be happier with the growth of this event,” said Grand Bend Motorplex General Manager Ron Biekx.

“We believed, as did Earl Hardy and the Ontario Truck Driving School, that our commercial drivers would embrace this chance to have a day dedicated solely to them having fun and to celebrating the people who make the wheels of our economy go round. I think a real plus for us this year was the inclusion of Truck News as our official publication.

“Their involvement and support put us in front of our truck drivers far more than we could have done on our own.”

Although Biekx was happy with this year’s event, he doesn’t want to stop there.

He already has some ideas about how to make next year’s race even bigger and better.

“More show classes for one. We sent too many awesome trucks home empty handed. And I need to create an award just for the Kurtz trucking ’68 Kenworth.

“I think I’ll call it the Bad-Ass Truck Award. Man, what a monster!”

The event continues to be successful because of the sponsors, vendors and fans, said Biekx.

“On behalf of the Motorplex, I really need to thank our sponsors, vendors, fans and especially our truck drivers for supporting this event.

“I’m hoping that this year’s success will make some of our manufacturers and dealers take what we’re doing here seriously and support the truckers that keep their doors open all year long,” Biekx added.

The 2004 winners are as follows: Big Rig Winner: Stephen Carter, Runner-up: Ward Kratzer; Tuff Truck Winner: Greg Robinson, Runner-up: Dave Windsor; Race Truck Winner: Bob Woodley, Runner-up: Todd Lewis.

Next year’s event is slated for Sept. 10 and 11.

For more details, call Ron Biekx at (519) 238-7223.

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Truck News is Canada's leading trucking newspaper - news and information for trucking companies, owner/operators, truck drivers and logistics professionals working in the Canadian trucking industry.


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