OBAC Brings NASCAR Simulator to Fergus Truck Show

OTTAWA, Ont. (July 15, 2008) – The Owner-Operator's Business Association of Canada (OBAC) is bringing the thrill of NASCAR wide-oval racing to the Fergus Truck Show.

The retired NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car, sponsored by the Grain Valley, MO-based Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), is currently set up as a simulator/trainer. Equipped with a 24-in. video screen in the cockpit so drivers can get into the spirit of the race, the simulator features active full-motion suspension and surround-sound that provides a realistic racing experience – from the roar of the engine to the feel of bumps in the track and the impact of hitting other cars as you wind your way forward from the back of the pack.

"It's almost everyone's dream to drive a NASCAR racer, but this may be as close as most folks ever get," says OBAC's executive director, Joanne Ritchie. "We'll be offering free rides to new OBAC members who sign up at the show, and collecting donations for Trucking for Wishes from others. That way, we'll share in helping children's dreams come true as well."

The Fergus Family Fun Zone, sponsored by NAL Insurance, will offer amusement rides, family games, crafts, and play areas at the truck show to raise funds for Trucking for Wishes. The mission of Trucking for Wishes, working through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, is to fulfill the dreams of children with life threatening illnesses.

OBAC and the NASCAR simulator will be set up at space # L-54 at the Fergus Truck Show, which runs July 25-27, at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex in Fergus, Ont.

OOIDA member Ron Mermis, who travels with the simulator to truck stops and truck shows all over the U.S., is looking forward to bringing the simulator to Canada for the first time. "Drivers on both sides of the border need to work together and speak with a united voice," says Mermis. "And there's nothing wrong with having some fun together too."

"Come out and try your luck on the wide oval," says Ritchie. "It's safer than a trip down Highway 401 these days and nearly as exciting. And just to confirm, the simulator's speed-limiter has not been activated."