Mid-Ohio Power Show roaring into Harvest Ridge

While the Fairgrounds at Harvest Ridge just experienced some fast-paced action at the grandstands during the Holmes County Fair, there is more action coming Saturday, Sept. 9.

Enter the Mid-Ohio Power Show, an event that features the roaring power of big trucks, ATVs and a whole lot more as they compete for cash prizes in some truck-pulling events.

The show will take place at Holmes County Fairgrounds at Harvest Ridge. Spectator admission is $15 while kids age 12 and under are free, and a packed lineup waits for those who love the power of big trucks and the thrill of big pulls.

“It’s a fantastic community event with plenty of excitement, and we are thrilled to be able to provide an outstanding day of action and power to fans,” said Christine Yoder, event manager.

The show will begin at 8 a.m. with the Show and Shine, which allows truck enthusiasts to see trucks at their shiniest and newest, and owners will be on hand to chat with spectators about their vehicles.

To showcase a truck in the Show and Shine event is $75 to set up outside and $100 in the expo center.

At 10 a.m. KOI Racing practice will start, and at noon the truck and ATV racing will kick off.

KOI Racing is an organization that brings dirt drag racing to life, featuring classes for everything from youth on ATVs and dirt bikes to adults on bigger bikes and trucks. As the saying goes, “If it has a motor and wheels, KOI has a class for it.”

These are single-lane runs with the best time winning, and some nice payouts accompany the class winners.

From 2-4 p.m. County Line Band will present a live performance, with the diesel truck pull beginning at 5 p.m.

Two tracks will be rolling in the grandstand arena, where these rigs will fire on all cylinders.

According to Yoder, the races take on a spectator-friendly appeal and present plenty of thrilling racing and big noise.

“You can practically feel the bleachers shaking,” Yoder said of the event. “And if time allows, we will have a semi division at the end.”

Yoder said registration for the pulls will be done the day of the event, and all of the entry fees will be poured right back into the payout to the winners.

“We feature a lot of different classes and keep the action rolling quickly, so there’s plenty of excitement to watch, and we will have a lot of winners to crown,” Yoder said. “The action never slows down.”

There will be some unique opportunities other than the racing.

The Dyno will run up until the truck pull begins, and for those unfamiliar, that is a piece of equipment that measures horsepower. For truck drivers the chance to capture bragging rights for the biggest hp are second to none, with a payout to the victor.

In addition, the Burn-out Pit will be open for business all day. This event will allow anyone to sign up and perform burnouts on the cement pad next to the grandstand arena. Yoder said many drivers love the idea of doing doughnuts and burnouts on screeching tires, and much of the day the pit is open and free. At a designated time during the day, anyone wishing to compete for the “King of the Burn-out Pit” can sign up for a $20 entry fee and compete for real in front of fans and a team of judges who will elect the top burnout winners.

The Mid-Ohio Benefit Truck Show has long been a staple of the truck community in Holmes County. After years of hosting successful benefit events, the previous organizers found themselves unable to keep up with the show’s growing attendance.

Wanting to keep the spirit of trucks, power and community alive, local business owners Mathias Raber and Blake Yoder teamed up to create a similar event. With encouragement from the prior management, they launched the new Mid-Ohio Power Show, an event designed to scale based on crowd size.

Truck registration for the Show and Shine can be done at www.midohiopowershow.com/pages/events. All other entry registrations can be done the day of the event.

While the event began as a fundraiser several years ago, Yoder said they wanted to keep the spirit of that alive, so they also will host a benefit gun raffle for Alex Nicholson, a 19-year-old man who was diagnosed in March with leoimyosarcoma, a very rare and aggressive cancer.

“An experimental treatment in Columbus is a good fit for him, but the steady travel expenses for the family are adding up and we are honored to be able to come alongside of them in this way,” Yoder said. “We are grateful to be a part of a community that does exceptionally well in caring for the ones in need around us and are thrilled to be able to keep this part of the show alive. Every raffle ticket purchase will directly aid the Nicholson family.”

The auction also will feature other donated items.

For more information visit Mid-Ohio Power Show on Facebook or online at www.midohiopowershow.com.