Western Fair Raceway Launches Season with Opening Night and Debut of Locally-Built Starter Car

Posted: October 3, 2025

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Western Fair Raceway Launches Season with Opening Night and Debut of Locally-Built Starter Car

London, ON – September 30, 2025 — When the gates open at Western Fair Raceway on October 3, fans will witness more than the start of a new harness racing season—they’ll see the unveiling of a one-of-a-kind innovation built right here in London.

With an aging starter car, The WFA was on the search for a new specialized vehicle critical to the start of every harness race. With new starter cars difficult to source, WFA asked a simple question: Could local engineering students help build a new one?

That question sparked a partnership with Western University’s Faculty of Engineering, where a professor and his students took on the challenge as a real-world project. Two years later, the team helped to deliver a starter car that combines engineering ingenuity with deep respect for horse racing tradition.

This unique collaboration spanned two years. The professor and his students researched harness racing, worked closely with Raceway experts at Western Fair District, and designed a prototype concept from the ground up. To bring that design to life, Dave Woods of Essex, Ontario, who had previously built the new Leamington Raceway starting gate, was engaged to construct the car, ensuring it would meet the performance and safety standards of the sport.

On Opening Night, the new starter car will roll out for its first official test in front of racing fans, drivers, and the very students who helped bring it to life.

“This project is the perfect example of community collaboration,” said Greg Blanchard, Director of Equine Programming at The Raceway at Western Fair District. “Western students embraced the challenge of designing a better starter car, and with Dave Woods’ expertise, their vision became reality.”

Professor John Makaran of Western Engineering agrees: “We were privileged to have been engaged by Western Fair during the design process for the new starter gate. Our student team provided valuable work on the analysis and documentation of the proposed solution and is an excellent example of the capabilities of the team and of our students in general. This project illustrates our efforts to engage our community partners to provide a value-add that reinforces the material that students are taught in their program.”

Ontario Racing was also a major partner in the project, providing funding through their annual Capital Fund program which supports major capital projects at racetracks throughout the province.

The opening Night will feature a full card of live racing presented by Gateway Casinos London, alongside fan contests, dining specials, and now, the added excitement of seeing the new “dream car” in action. Media are invited for interviews, photos, and a behind-the-scenes look at the collaboration that turned a classroom idea into a racetrack reality.

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