Blue Line Racing Association

Blue Line Racing Association is a nonprofit organization run by a volunteer group of police officers who are all members of the Edmonton Police Service. Blue Line Racing is operated like any other race team and relies on sponsorship funding from community partners. No tax dollars are used to build, maintain or race the cars

Racing in the streets of Canada’s urban centers is a real problem, one that at times claims innocent lives. As members of the Edmonton Police Service, we are concerned about this growing trend in our community. The Street Legal Program evolved as a result of that concern. This program allows our members to get into the community and talk to the racing community using police race-cars as a draw.?

History of Street Legal

In the early 1950s, NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) founder Wally Parks began working with law-enforcement agencies around the country to entice illegal street racers onto dry lakes and abandoned runways where more organized competition could be staged. Today, that basic initiative remains NHRA’s primary mission. Given the scope of today’s street racing epidemic, NHRA is even more committed to providing safer racing alternatives through thousands of legal, sanctioned events that take place on hundreds of drag strips across North America each weekend through its Street Legal program.

In 1994, at the urging of Southern California law-enforcement agencies, NHRA began a high-profile and closely scrutinized program of events for street-legal cars and motorcycles in Southern California.

In 1996 on the initiative of Mike Wynnyk, Terry Innes and Eleanor Innes they formed a charity known as Blue Line Racing. Blue Line Racing is responsible for the promotion of the Street Legal Program in Edmonton. Since its inception, Blue Line racing has grown to five members with the addition of Blair Dezwart and Keane Block. Blue Line Racing currently operates four race cars; a 1972 Plymouth Duster, a 2003 pre-production model Hyundai Tiburon, a 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8, and a Supercharged 2009 Ford Mustang GT.

Members of Blue Line Racing Association:

Sergeant Mike Wynnyk (Retired)

Mike Wynnyk is a retired Sergeant who served with the Edmonton Police Service for 27 years.  He is also a licensed mechanic and has had a passion for drag racing since his early teens and by age 17, had built his own car.  Mike’s early experiences with racing began like many kids – on the streets but a collision caused by street racing was the turning point in his life.  He took his race car to the drag strip and now wants to use the sport of drag racing to help prevent other kids from making a serious or fatal mistake.  He still works on the cars, pilots the Duster, and is active in the community with the program.

Staff Sergeant Terry Innes (Retired)

Terry spent 28 years as a Police Officer in Edmonton and was involved in cars and motorcycles at an early age.  He believes in the positive interaction the program has with the public showing that Police have a human side and enjoy the car passion like everyone else.  Terry has been a motorsports fan for years and sees Street Legal as an excellent opportunity to use a personal interest to make a difference.  He further enjoys the friends, acquaintances and supporters he has met as a result of being involved in the program.

Detective Blair Dezwart

Blair started his policing career in 1999 and has been a member of Blue Line Racing since 2003.  From a young age Blair has been a fan of drag racing and fast cars, and had built his first “fast:” car by age 19.  Blair still enjoys building, fixing, and restoring cars – especially mustangs.  In his years of working the streets of Edmonton, Blair has seen first hand the devastation caused by drag racing and the impact it has made on family’s.  His hopes are that through education, other young drivers can experience the thrill of drag racing in a safe and responsible way – at the track.

Chumpcar 1993 Ford Mustang LX “Police Interceptor”

Sergeant Keane Block

Keane has been a police officer since 2002. His love of cars and motorcycles were a direct influence of his father, a mechanic and weekend racer. Keane’s passion for cars not only includes racing, he also loves the challenge of building cars and motorcycles that are truly unique. Keane views the Street Legal program as a great opportunity for the public to have a positive interaction with police.

2003 Hyundai Tiburon

Constable James Kendrick

James has been a police officer since 2008. He has a passion for all forms of racing, inspired at a young age by iconic shows such as the Dukes of Hazzard, Bullit, Smokey and the Bandit and of course Herbie. James’s love of driving and racing drove him to build and race a classic muscle car at the age of 16 which propelled him into racing Late Model Stock Cars, Thunder Cars and Drag Racing. He is excited about working in the Edmonton community as the newest member of Blue Line Racing, promoting safe driving and inspiring new racers.

Blue Line Racing Association

Objectives and Mandate

Promote Traffic Safety and responsible Driving.
Strive to reduce street racing by providing heightened awareness and safe racing alternatives.
Cultivating positive relationships between young drivers and police.
Community Policing Partnership
We make several appearances throughout the community. This is where we speak with everyone from children to seniors. We display our cars in malls, car shows, and parades in order to expose the program and our sponsors to the public and deliver our message.
Crime Prevention
Although there is no way to measure the success of the program as related to decline or incline of street racing, We encourage all young persons to test their abilities at a safe sanctioned race track. Together with our local track, Castrol Raceway, we hold approximately 20-22 Street Legal race events each year. We have had a tremendous show of support from the young drivers in the community, averaging 175 participants and 1500 spectators at each event.
Education
Our program specifically targets young persons ages 14-25, while most other programs are geared for the elementary student. We talk about traffic safety and our theme is anti-street racing. We discuss their abilities to operate a vehicle in a safe and responsible manner. We use the race cars as a means to get the attention of the youth in our communities. We have made hundreds of appearances at schools, community events, and at the race track.

Edmonton Police

Contact Us

bluelineracing@live.ca