Bison Dragways 1974 points winners (back row, left to right) Royce Hansen, Bob St. Onge, Tony Germano, Ed Letkeman, and Ken Miles (front row, left to right) Ken Murray, Ken MacKenzie, Reg Wood, Al Bodnarchuk, Pete Pedersen, John Sienkiewicz, and Ken Wiebe fashion plates, all

as this July 29, 1975 Winnipeg Free Press clipping shows, drag racing appeals to all ages it also proves which generation is wise enough to bring an umbrella with them on a sweltering hot summer's day

speaking of crowds, track announcer and sometimes photographer, Gary Grant, captured this one we'll leave it to the deep thinkers to ponder the significance of the abandoned step stool the full impact of this photo can be experienced here and yes, Virginia, those are real people lot's of them

Wayne Colton boiling the hides in another DragMart sponsored Super Stock photo courtesy of Gord Forman

Gerry Saunders' Camaro courtesy of Jim L'Esperance

deuce sedan defined the era it was built with wheel choice, accessories and roof insert the street crowd was welcomed at the track

unwritten rule suggested all early sedans have a cartoonish mural on the rear panel witness the Candy Apple Box, the Raspberry Racer, and here... the Grape Crate Bob Tindle, what hath thou wrought?

'60 Chev moredoor had all the earmarks of a serious Super Stock effort

George Penner tells us this was John Dubois wheelin' the Love Bros' Super Stocker
so, if you had a picture of a very clean 4 door '59 Chev Super Stocker just where would YOU put it?
thought so! Martin Bros. City Radiator car here, we believe

Gary Hultgren journeyed often from the wilds of Minnesota to compete

'68 Camaro was one of a variety of first rate cars

Pro Stock Vega was another photo taken at 1976 World of Wheels in Winnipeg

getting down to business at the track
it strikes us the above photo is an excellent graphic example of one of life's lessons that being:
there is usually one person with the wherewithal to actually accomplish something a couple of people will do all the work one guy will always be standing around with his hands in his pockets while the majority of folks will be perfectly content to simply watch it all happen
taking on the Lehn Bros' Vega

Norman Bruneau ran several versions of what was an original 396 Nova from stock ...

to modified production with an engine change and daylight under the front tire ...

to the bracket wars in SR/B photos contributed by Aubrey Bruneau

and another view from George Penner

Classic Cruising columnist, Larry D'Argis, ran his '71 Mach 1 street car in H/Stock Automatic

Al Smith's Super Stock Duster

Gord Oberlin and another Super Stock Mopar

Steve Lycar's El Camino running in Street Rod

Pete Petersen now in a bracket Super Bee

Bob Novakowski with his 1967 Plymouth GTX

Winnipeg had no shortage of Hemi powered B/Dragsters here the sun shines brightly on Don Sherwin's version

an intense looking Wally Dyck launching his

Wally poses with the spoils of victory courtesy of Wayne Wedge

Wally Dyck, again, and in living colour

Keith MacDonald's venerable "55 Chevy

old vs. new, sort of

ditto, the above

Hogsden and Wright's Li'l Slopoke Barracuda at rest

and, at play

your #1 team, Holiday Chev Olds' Jim Haddad and SS/HA '67 Camaro

Rick Haas' wagon and Jim Haddad's Nova

Gerry Demski and Bob Petruchak's SS/N Chevelle

times 2

Reg Wood and Al Bodnarchuk's record setting Chevelle Super Stocker

side by each with "the Riddler" out of Div. 6

no riddle here, Coletti's Duster was a player

keeping score got abacus?

Brian Wheatley again, and yes, you just saw this Camaro

Rene Saulnier with yet another Percolator stocker effort photo courtesy of Wayne Wedge

Larry D'Argis with SS 396 375hp 4 speed '70 Chevelle

this decal graced several local performance cars We'll let Mr. D'Argis explain
Mr Bill's Motor Sales first opened at the corner of Portage Ave. & Colony St. in Aug. of 1972. Bill Thornton, Bill Leskiw and Bill Kluczkowski teamed up to open Winnipeg's first high performance used car dealership. Moving in the Spring of 1973 they located to 3111 Portage Ave. and continued to have the city's best stock of factory muscle cars, sports cars, luxury cars and street machines. You may remember Greg Solarz drove the Mr. Bill's big-block Camaro at Bison. Painted red & white like the Canadian flag it was hard to miss! Pictures Please! Sadly, they closed in the fall of 1974, a victim of slow sales due to rising fuel prices, and a shift in consumer choice towards smaller fuel efficient cars. People who worked there included Orest Kluczkowski, Barry Steeves & Larry D'Argis. Our motto "We don't just talk performance... We prove it!"
So there
ask, and ye shall receive...
out of the blue, Greg Oakes kindly sent in this photo of his Father, Greg Solarz, wheeling the Camaro our thanks, Greg

also Mr. Bill's related Barry Steeves' Vette traded original big block for a screaming 302 with a clutch-turbo trans and steep gears stranger things have happened car's raunchy behavior was known to have a certain individual banned from cruising local A&W's don't ask Larry D how he knows this

displaying no brand loyalty whatsoever, Larry D'Argis launches his 440 + 6 'Cuda Bob Jordan image courtesy of Larry D'Argis

a pair of Nova's go for a Sunday drive ...     Rudy Braun in near lane Bob Jordan image courtesy of Larry D'Argis

Greg Black poses with his 440 6 pack 4 speed '64 Dodge Hugh Hanson photo

Mike Lycar, from Rennie, Manitoba, briefly owned the former Pacemaker fuel funnycar

his ramp truck was exhibit A in getting to the races being more dangerous than being there story has it the sleeper was occupied at the time of the incident scary, indeed, but we believe all involved emerged relatively unscathed

Gord Forman, soon after, converted the race car into this DragMart alcohol version photo courtesy of Gord Forman

the DragMart funnycar prepped and ready

suited up in his office, Gord Forman awaits the call to commence proceedings photo courtesy of Gord Forman

the proceedings have commenced photo courtesy of Gord Forman

a mainstay at the track from beginning to end was Winnipeg's own Ken Murray with a variety of partners over the years, notably Al Tucker on this Hemi dragster, Ken was one of the more successful racers, both locally and on a national level

George Penner's photo offerings show the preliminaries to the time honored push start

dragster was locally built with a Bob Forzley chassis, Bob Buccini tin work and a Don Sherwin massaged Clutchflite transmission Ken built and maintained the stroked Hemi himself

and, of course, drove

1976 NHRA West Central Division Winston brochure featured Terry Capp's fuel car on the cover and a familiar looking dragster on the inside

Ken was NHRA's Division 5 champion in Competition Eliminator 2 years running

text of brochure tells the tale

Bison Dragways got a good mention

it's official another points meet right here in River City

with the advent of Pro Comp eliminator, Ken made the switch to nitromethane an excellent racer and an excellent photo not a bad combination

still with big block power, Rene Saulnier's Hopeful Wagon photo courtesy of Wayne Wedge

Miss Mighty Mopar, Judy Lilly, posing with NHRA Div. 5 Director, Darrel Zimmerman

ok class, time for a quiz the Wood / Bodnarchuk Super Stock Chevelle utilized what body style?
convertible 2 door hardtop 4 door sedan all of the above
and the answer is...

all of the above

Ken MacKenzie teaching his new Camaro old tricks

and having fun in this candid shot from Norm Shaw
however, as this July 21, 1978 Winnipeg Tribune listing, under autos for sale, shows
the fun was soon to be over clipping courtesy of Wayne Wedge

Don Sherwin added to the heritage of Sodbuster race cars with this rather pretty example Dennis Hassan handled the driving chores note bleachers on pit side

George Kastellano putting down a nice footprint with his J/Stock 283 4 speed

whoa big fella

Gary Beck, now running under the Thrush banner, chats with Bob Struksnes

courtesy of Bill Balicky

Judy, Judy, Judy

Colorado's Judy Lilly about to beat up on Reg Wood in his and Al Bodnarchuk's Chevelle for those of you scoring at home, this was the 3rd round of Super Stock @ 1976 WCS meet

Bill Spevacek, near lane, taking on Art Ward

Wayne McMurtry's dragster was typical of the calibre of cars a divisional points meet attracted

as was the innovative Norwin Palmer Corvette with Art Carlton driving car ran a Ford Cleveland motor in Competition Eliminator and won more often than not

over the course of it's existence the dragstrip played host to some of the best the sport had to offer
including the likes of
1976 Indianapolis winner, Gary Burgin
and the legendary Assassination of Colorado's Guzman and Ward



but, sadly enough ...
stop, it did a Gary Grant photo

Time ran out on Keystone / Bison Dragways a natural gas pipeline, which ran perpendicular to, and under, the track, was to be upgraded and the construction process would have severely disrupted the 1977 season continuous, unimpeded access to the land, both during and after the construction period was demanded by the pipeline company insurance issues, among others, were raised
negotiations ensued, but ultimately, under duress, the dragstrip was sold effectively closing the book on an important part of the history of motorsports in Manitoba

and, so it went

The End