OLIVER-PAIPOONGE, Ont. – The province is injecting $200,000 into the Thunder City Speedway in Oliver Paipoonge.
The funding, provided through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), will help the Thunder Valley Development Corporation construct bleachers, lighting, fencing and gating, as well as install a new sound system for the two-year-old facility
These upgrades will allow the venue to host year-round racing events for Thunder Bay, including dirt track, snowmobile, go-cart, monster truck, canine and equestrian racing.
Thunder Bay–Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland announced the funding on Wednesday night, in his role as parliamentary assistant to Minister of Northern Development Greg Rickford.
“The investment of $200,000 will enhance the enjoyment and usability of this racing facility for both the drivers and the fans. The Thunder City Speedway has been a welcome addition to our area and the fan excitement has been building,” Holland stated.
In a release, the owners of the Speedway, Norman and Louis Nadin, said the funds will help the facility become a much safer and more inviting environment for fans, drivers and workers alike.
The speedway was a project of the Nadin family as well as Richard Schuttie, an accomplished driver who won many races and awards locally and throughout the United States.
Schuttie purchased the property on Highway 130, , which was already zoned for a race track, in 2011 and began the task of building a dirt track.
Schuttie passed away in August 2021 and the first race was held in September of that same year.
