Ed Evans

The Daily News

The 11^th annual Houston Drags ran last weekend, but not without it’s own problems.

Originally an 1/8 mile race, it was changed a few years ago to run as a ¼ mile race. Lower car counts caused the organizers to buy new computer components and new 1/8 mile beams, this year, so they could run Junior dragsters and run a fast class (Pro Outlaw) for the fast cars in the 1/8 mile and all others in the ¼ mile.

All of the components arrived in time for the race, but after setup Friday it was discovered that a wire was accidentally grounded and shorted out, leaving the organizers with no timing system. Fortunately the race was canceled Friday due to rain. This left time to fix it for Saturday.

Scrambling to find a replacement system as racers pulled in Friday night, Terrace was contacted to borrow their computer box, as it was made by the same company. After calling the Port-a-tree manufacturer they were told that it was not compatable. The only option was to run the race with the hand held practice system. This is the same style of system that the Prince Rupert Auto Club used in years past to run their 1/8 mile single run test and tunes. It is very labour intensive.

With Friday’s rain-out , Saturday was hot and sticky. Drag racing began before noon and a full slate of racing was run. Paul Amado from Kitimat ran through the rounds and took home “Pro Outlaw”, ending his own personal drought.

Other winners on Saturday include Clinton Dalavecchia in “Gamblers” and Rick Lundrigan in “King of the Hill”, all other winners were unavailable at press time.

Saturday night the racers and families were treated to supper provided by the race organizers. This was followed by a spectacular display of fireworks, as $6000 worth were set off.

Sunday racing continued until the rain stopped the show again, as most of the semi-finals were set to run. After a long wait the race was called. The “Junior Dragster” and the “Pro Outlaw” classes will finish their races next weekend in Terrace.

After months of planning the volunteers must be a little disappointed that the race didn’t get finished, but their hard work was appreciated by the racers and fans. Hat’s off to the organizers and all of the volunteers for working through all of the problems and giving us a great show.

Next up: The final race of the Northwest Drag racing season in Terrace at the airport Saturday Sept 1^st and Sunday 2^nd

Photo: Paul Amado’s burnout on his way to a first place finish in “Pro Outlaw” in Houston last weekend.

Photo: Ed Evans

Ed Evans

The Daily News
Drag racing continues this weekend on two fronts for local racers.

Kham Shantz and Terry Frizzell are on a long road trip to “Drag Wars” in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Billed as the largest racing event in the Peace country, this event brings out up to 5000 fans to watch the drag racing, the large daily car show and to browse the large selection of displays and vendors. Shantz and Frizzell are looking to take a run at the “Quick 32” main event. First Prize is $5000 and Second prize is $2000.

Closer to home this weekend, is the 11th Annual Houston Drags. Running at the quiet rural Houston Airport, this ¼ mile race always features fast cars and great times. Last year was the first year for the Saturday night fireworks and this year promises to be even better. Drag racing begins Friday night at 6pm and Saturday and Sunday at 9am. Camping is available, for a fee, on site. See you at the Houston Drags.

For more information, or to see photo’s, check out the websites www.princerupertautoclub.com or www.dragwars.ca
Photo:

Houston’s own, Monty Delsham and his blown altered tear up the track at the Houston Drags last year.

Ed Evans photo

Ed Evans
The Daily News

There were hot times at the Terrace track last weekend as the third annual Hot August Nights was run off.

The Hugh Ridley Racing team was predicting to take down the track record that Ridley had set himself last year. Ridley’s new driver, Gary Ormsby Jr., was surprised at the traction after the first run on Sunday and said to crank up the clutch on the next run. The existing record was run down with a blistering 4.16 and followed later in the day with the new track record of 4.08 seconds. Ormsby suggested that he was shooting for a three second pass on Sunday, but the car didn’t run quite as fast the next day.

With hot weather and a sticky track, the racing all weekend was great. A new feature on this weekend was the “Quick 8”. with the fastest 8 cars running off against each other.
Ryan Macdonald was the #1 qualifier as he met his friend, Bruce Daum from Kitimat, in the finals. Friendship may be one thing, but racing is another, Daum beat Macdonald and took home a $1350 Prize for his trouble.

Bruce’s son,Tanner, did one better than dad. On Sunday he took home a second in “Junior dragster” and a First in “King Junior” on Monday.
Running his first passes in his new ride an Alcohol , Big Block 1963 Corvette, Lee Thompson ran right to and then past the elapsed time (E.T.) cap on Sunday. The cap is for cars that are not Certified or the drivers are not licensed. Lee’s car had just passed certification but the driver licensing takes a little more time.
On Monday, while working on the car, excess fuel in a valve cover exploded, hitting his mechanic, Paul Soares, in the face. Paul was taken to the hospital but he was alright and was back later.

Street Series
Sheldon Wiebe
Quick 8 Bruce Daum  Sunday finals Junior  1st-Shawn Parker  2nd-Tanner Daum  3rd-Brianna Ray   Snow/bike Jim Braid  Leland Hovland  Peter Gunanoot   Pro Class Clinton Dalavecchia  Tyler Latimer  Sheldon Wiebe   Super Pro Harley Bell  Russ Gutnecht  Tony deMelo   Monday  King of the YXT  Randy Baker  Junior King Tanner Daum  Gamblers Sheldon Wiebe For more information or to check out the photo’s go to www.terracedrags.ca or www.princerupertautoclub.com

Airport Photo:  Lee Thompson’s new 1963 Corvette picking up a tire at the Hot August Nights  

PatrickWitwicki

The Daily News

If Gary Ormsby Jr. had his way, he would be at the Hot August Nights in Terrace every year.

On a weekend where he said he had too much fun, Ormsby broke the Terrace Drags track record Sunday afternoon with a time of 4.08 seconds in the 1/8 mile at the Terrace/Kitimat airport.

Even more fitting was the fact he broke the record with Hugh Ridley Racing, as Ridley himself had established a new track record at the 2006 Hot August Nights. Ridley however is injured, so they signed on the California-based (Granite Bay, near Sacramento) drag racer for the season, and so far, he hasn’t disappointed. Ormsby drove in a Top Alcohol Rail, with a Dodge B1 engine.

I figured we could come up here and lower it, said Ormsby. Hugh had a different car last year, but this actually has a bit more power than the car he had he’s got some different components on it to make it faster.

Every year, the Terrace Drag Racing Association (TDRA) brings up at least one marquee dragster for the fans. While every run by Ormsby was practically a blur as he flew down the track, the crowd certainly got its money worth, and in turn, the Ridley Racing team also had a good time.

I’ve known Hugh for probably 10 years, said Ormsby. He called me up in May and said hey, I’ve got a hernia and I can’t drive but I want to earn my race card this year, so you want to come up here and drive, and I said, sure. I love it up here.

I just love Canada. There are a lot of good people up here.

In addition, Northwest drag racing fans quite possibly were watching a future National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) star, as there are ongoing talks down in the U.S. to snag Ormsby as their man.

Nothing is set in stone, however, although Ormsby has some meetings set up in Seattle later this week.

It’s going to take a couple hundred thousand dollars to run the tour the way we want to, he said. We’re going to be making some contacts there (in Seattle) with some big companies, and see if we can get them interested in our program.

So hopefully something will come together.

If he does take the next step into the NHRA, it’s a perfect fit. After all, Ormsby’s father, who enjoyed a successful drag racing career, was NHRA champion in 1989, and took Ormsby Jr. for his first ride in a dragster when he was only seven days old.

The younger Ormsby’s career hasn’t been too bad either, including 2002 where he recorded, at the time, the quickest lap in Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD) history. That was in a different type of dragster.

I love driving the blown (alcohol) cars, said Ormsby. There are two different types of cars that run in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series Top Alcohol Dragster category and the blown alcohol … I’ve driven both.

But these cars (like Ridley’s) are just a whole lot more fun to drive.

But Ormsby has spent the past three years getting his business in California going, and considering what might transpire next year, he knows he has a busy winter ahead.

The 2007 racing season is almost over for the Ridley Racing team, but Ormsby said they still have one more event Aug. 25-26 before packing it up for the winter.

I really need to stick my head into my business this winter, he said.

Drag racing has become quite popular in the Northwest, as the TDRA hosts three events per season, and next up is the Houston Drags Aug. 17-19. But Ormsby also had some interesting advice for young people who are thinking about getting into the sport, including the already-established junior dragsters that competed this weekend.

Never give up on that dream, he said. Get to know people, offer to help, let them know your ambition … when people know what you want to do, eventually, something will happen.

The junior program is a pretty good program. I wouldn’t knock it, it’s a great way to start, but if I ever have any kids, I’m going to start them off in Go Karts, because I learned a lot about racing through racing the Go Karts. You learn to drive by the seat of your pants.

That said, the Hot August Nights event is one that Ormsby will remember for a long time. He’s not sure where he might be next season, or if the NHRA opportunity will pan out as immediate as 2008, but he wouldn’t mind returning to Terrace for next year’s race.

We came up here to put a show on for the fans, said Ormsby. And I’ve got to tell you, I really enjoyed being here the people are awesome.

You find that in smaller towns … the people are more genuine, they’re happy you’re here, and I’m happy to be here, and it’s just a fun environment.

It wouldn’t even be a question, I would be up here in a heartbeat.

Watch for full results from the Terrace Drags this Friday in the Daily News.

By Ed Evans

The Daily News

Racing fans all over the Northwest call it the hottest weekend of the year. And they’re not talking about the weather either. It’s the third annual “Hot August Nights” and the Big guns are coming back to Terrace this weekend, hunting track records. Hugh Riley and his Top Alcohol rail will return to the scene of his record setting run last year, with hopes of breaking the Terrace track record again.

At last years event, Riley figured out how to plant traction down at the top third of the Terrace 1/8 mile track, where many fast cars had spun their tires.

Obliterating the existing track record of 4.90 seconds, set by Paul Soares in Monty Delsham’s Altered in 2004. Riley ripped off a 4.35 at 160 miles per hour (mph) as he set two new track records, “Fastest Run” and “The Longest Run”, as he had to run the full 6000 feet of the runway to stop.

Riley’s crew had predicted they would break the record again Monday, but the rain-out the following day left that prediction hanging in the air until this weekend.

So this year, Riley will bring a new car with him and a new driver – Gary Ormsby Jr, who’s father was the 1989 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Top Fuel Champion.

Ormsby Jr is following in his fathers footstep’s. According to the NHRA rumour mill, John Force is working on a Top Fuel deal that could put Ormsby behind the wheel of a Top Fuel dragster. We could see him in a Castrol fueler like his late father as early as 2008.

For more information or to check out photo’s go to www.terracedrags.ca or www.princerupertautoclub.com

Photo: Smokin’ Hot: Hugh Riley’s Top Alcohol dragster demolished the track record at the “Hot August Nights” last year with a blistering 4.35 at 160 mph

Ed Evans Photo