Kawartha Downs Continues Revving Its 50th Anniversary With Tractor Pull and Demolition Derby

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The festivities continue for Kawartha Downs’s 50th anniversary with a tractor pull and demolition during the Aug. 5/6 weekend.

Fair atop his “Executioner” to be one of the many tractors featured at the pulls. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The tractor pull is held on Aug. 5 that boasts a new asphalt track, new bleachers — with a seating capacity of around 2,500 people — and pullers hailing from all over the province and Quebec.

"We've got the best clay track in Ontario," said Dan Fair, Executioner Sled Team operator, "This track is every bit as anything that they run.”

The garden tractor pull starts at 4 p.m. and the truck and tractor pull at 7 p.m. Several antique tractors will be on display throughout the day.

Other attractions include a lamb and rabbit show, live music from a cover band to be announced, vendors and food trucks from Sammy’s Roadhouse & Grill from Cavan-Monaghan. Spectators can access the pit area and get autographs signed from the drivers.

Drivers John Louws (left) and Barb Cochrane (right) are two featured drivers for the Aug. 5/6 weekend. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Aug. 6 features a demolition derby on an asphalt track instead of a traditional mud track. The former allows for a faster-paced derby according to Jim Grant of Ontario Demolition Derby Limited.

“The cars cannot get stuck,” he said. “The cars can tear out a rear axle and still keep on going. They do not get bogged down in the mud, they slip and slide around, they can have four flat tires and keep going so they're always in the action until the car dies.”

Grant believes that Kawartha Downs is the perfect venue to host the event considering the success of past demolition derbies in Peterborough.

"Peterborough used to do 4,000 people for theirs,” said Grant. "We would fill the grandstands at Lakefield and Port Hope had a crazy amount of people. People love demo derby so to come and see it on pavement is awesome.”

There is a total of $10,000 in prize money for the demolition drivers for each respective derby. Categories include figure-8, mini, midsize, junk run, full-sized cards and full-sized trucks.

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