ST. MARYS — The highly anticipated drag races will return to St. Marys Municipal Airport this summer after a problem with liability insurance canceled last year’s event.
Bill Laird, Airport Authority chairman, explained that the price tag for a $3 million insurance policy was too high even if they could have found a company who would issue it. This year, by changing insurance brokers, they were able to obtain the $1 million liability needed for the event.
“The good news is that the drag races as our main fundraiser… are back in 2024. We are going to run three of them, the first of which will be on Father’s Day, June 16. The second one will be July 28, and the third one will be Sept. 28. This event for the last 12 years has gotten bigger each year, unless the weather is bad…These cars are getting faster, and drivers aren’t going to come out if it looks like rain… So that’s the sole determining factor of how much income we’ll realize from the drag races,” Laird said.
He added that the Aviation Festival will be held at the airport on Aug. 17. The purpose is to bring the community to the airport to see what’s available. There will be some World War II era planes available to tour, including one that flew in the Normandy invasion, as well as Life Flight helicopters and the National Guard from Johnstown will be bringing a Black Hawk utility transport helicopter for display. There will be food and craft vendors, a car show, a bounce house and other activities for children, a bagpipe band, and a rock band performing throughout the day. It begins at 7:30 a.m. with a fly-in, drive-in breakfast at the restaurant.
