Event: Audi Club Eastern Canada Niagara Run 2024

Words: Alex Repetski with Gordon Varney, photos:

When you think of Audi Sport heritage, of course, rally is likely the first thing to pop into your head. Drag racing maybe third or fourth, or not at all.

I attended the Audi Club Eastern Canada’s Niagara Run last year, their ninth^, it was excellent and maybe their best yet. This year, the run included a destination stop at the Niagara regional airport. Why an airport? Well for drag racing! What a scene it was, a Canadian federally regulated airport totally shut down for an hour, with over a mile long runway and about forty Audi automobiles ripping down the runway.

As much as Audi Club is all about the brand and its owner enthusiasts, it’s really about the people. Being around like-minded enthusiasts with a true ‘makers’ attitude is inspirational to me. Over the last 30 years I’ve spent in the car enthusiast world I’ve met many friends and acquired colleagues, with fellow Audi Club members being among the best of the best. 

Automotive, engineering, brand passion, and desire to support and learn bring people together in peculiar and wonderful ways. I’ve been a member of the club for about a year now and I can firmly say that I’ve established relationships with many members that are both enjoyable as friendships and invaluable in terms of sharing Audi knowledge. I am a leader of Audi True North, a social-media-based Audi enthusiast club in the Toronto Ontario area – likely the largest in Canada. I am so pleased to be an Audi Club member and collaborate. I come from a world of VAG, beginning with a Volkswagen Scirocco, and am pleased to now own multiple Audi models, be an active member, and truly strive to build some cool cars.

The Niagara Run is multifaceted. This one day event begins at several Audi dealer locations across Southern Ontario as a meet and greet with dealer staff and customers participating on the run. The cruise makes its way to a meeting place, driving up, down and around the Niagara Escarpment to Niagara Falls. There, participants relax and dine at a local winery.

New this year was the aforementioned rental of the Niagara airport for speed runs. Airport staff were very helpful, curious, and interested. Participants experienced a scheduled number of runs, with things going so well that it seemed everyone enjoyed twice the number of runs scheduled.

Expect the Niagara Run to happen again next year, on that same third weekend in August! Club members outside southwest Ontario, nearby chapter leaders and members, Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche or whatever brands are welcome. It makes for a great day, memories, friends, and you might even learn a thing or two.

Audi Canada have supported the Niagara Run for several years and had our most successful turnout yet.

Shoutouts to this year’s run director Cristina Battick, Audi KW, London, Niagara, Mississauga, Midtown, Unitronic, Michelin Canada, Milwaukee, Liqui Moli, and RossTech to name just a few.