The Justinsane Barbie Car Rally, held for 9 years now in commemoration of Justin Kowalski, is reutrning on Saturday, May 17th at 9 a.m. in Ardill, just outside Mossbank, and organizer Kari Wolitski said it will the beloved event continues to grow.
“It all started when my nephew was killed, Justin Kowalski, on Highway #2,” Wolitski explained. “We didn’t want anybody to forget him, and he loved kids, absolutely adored kids and had a blast playing with them, and he used to fix up and race old cars that were just beat up, and he’d go and crash them and wreck and just do crazy things. When he died, we decided, ‘Let’s start raising money for our town, for kid’s recreation, in his name.’
“It’s now the 9th annual Barbie Car Classic, we call it, we’ve got lots of interest already, we have some big sponsors this year, and hopefully we’re going to be bigger and better than last year.”
Organizers are excited to welcome Steffes Auctioneers, who will bring live auction action to the Calcutta event; Big Beaver Brewing, whose founder is from Mossbank and was a friend of Justin, who are brewing and canning a custom beer for the event; and returning sponsor, there from the beginning, Dale & Lisa’s Farm & Auto.
“We couldn’t do it without them,” Wolitski said. “And then we have lots of little sponsors and prizes. There’s a costume prize for someone that dresses up their car and themselves — we had Oscar the Ground one year. We have a Biggest Loser prize, and that actually went to a gentleman last year who was brand-new — he didn’t win a single race, but he had a blast and says he’s coming back.”
Another sponsor is McIvor Towing, which runs a ‘full mechanical shop’ at the top of the hill. Each participant is guaranteed at least two races, but the vehicles are not exactly sturdy. So, McIvor does his best to reattach wheels, duct-tape doors and panels, and sent them down the steep hill at least one more time.
The event has an all-day Beer Garden (featuring that first-ever custom brew from Big Beaver), two food trucks on site, salon seating for spectators, and anywhere from 22 to 38 competitors depending on the year and the crop situation.
Anyone over 13 can enter the competition: They must bring their own vehicle, without motors or gears, their own full-face helmet (no borrowing), and the $20 entry fee.
The day begins with breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. Registration starts at 10 a.m., and the races kick off at noon. To date, more than $43,000 has been raised and donated to improving and maintaining recreation opportunities in and around Mossbank.
“The club itself started out of family and friends, but we’ve gotten bigger,” Wolitski added. “It’s become more of a membership club. We all pay $20 every single year, and our administration costs are strictly from sponsors. We don’t keep any of our funds that we raise — absolutely every penny goes to the town.
“We’ve had some fun over the years. These full-grown adults sitting in those little Barbie cars is funny in itself, and the fan base that we’ve grown over the years is huge. We have tons of fans that come from all over just to watch.”
Learn more and ask questions through the event page at AllEvents, and through the Justinsane Barbie Car Club Facebook page.