OTTAWA — The Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada (OBAC) is returning to the Fergus Truck Show with a NASCAR simulator and proceeds will benefit a worthy cause.

Simulator rides will be available at the OBAC site Thursday through Sunday, with proceeds going to benefit Canada’s three Convoy for a Cure events.

Convoy for a Cure is an annual all-women truck convoy for breast cancer research and awareness. Following last year’s inaugural event in eastern Ontario, convoys are planned for four locations in Canada and the U.S. in 2009.

“We’re proud to support events that celebrate women in trucking,” says Joanne Ritchie, executive director of OBAC. “And what better cause for an all-woman convoy than a devastating disease that’s the most common cancer among Canadian women?”

In addition to simulator ride proceeds, OBAC will donate $5 to the Canadian convoys for each new member signed up during the truck show.

The retired NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racer — sponsored by U.S.-based Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association — is currently set up as a simulator/trainer. It features active full-motion suspension, as well as a 24-in. video screen and “surround-sound” in the cockpit so drivers can feel the thrill of a real NASCAR race – from engine’s roar to the bumps on the track.

“This may be as close as most folks ever get to driving a NASCAR racer,” says Ritchie. “And we’re hoping they’ll donate generously to help us support the convoys.”

OBAC also sees the convoys as an opportunity to focus attention on wellness issues that all truckers face out on the road, such as difficulties getting regular medical check-ups and tests, eating, sleeping, and exercising properly.

“The PM of their bodies is a huge challenge for truck drivers,” says Ritchie, “but no less important than maintenance of the trucks they drive.”

OBAC and the NASCAR simulator will be set up at space #L-41 at the Fergus Truck Show, which runs July 23-26, at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex in Fergus, Ont.

The convoys will be held during October, which is breast cancer awareness month.

Alberta Convoy: Oct. 3 at the Husky Car and Truck Stop in Acheson, Alta.
New Brunswick Convoy: Oct. 17 at the Salisbury Big Stop in Salisbury, N.B.
Ontario Convoy: Oct. 3 at the Fifth Wheel Truck Stop in Cornwall, Ont.
Texas Convoy: Oct. 24 at Willie’s Place in Carl’s Corner, Tex.