Big guns firing on all cylinders for Terrace
August 3rd, 2007 at 22:26
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.
Biding his time wringing out Riley’s new Rail, Ormsby had a great outing in the NHRA’s Federal Mogol series in Kent Washington recently.
Reaching the semis, he ran a fast time of 5.78 in the ¼ mile. Ormsby’s ride uses the Dodge B1 engine for power.
It’s a blown alcohol combo and a bit different than most of the other rides in the series.
The Hot August Nights race is part of the Terrace Riverboat Days and lot of events are taking place on the weekend including a Car Show in the Terrace arena after the Parade Saturday.
Saturday August 4th
**Note to the Street series racers, the Street Series Shootout has been moved to Saturday night at 6pm .
Sunday August 5th
-Gates open at 8am
-Racing starts at 10am
Time trial’s 10am-1pm
Lunch 1pm-1:30pm
Bracket racing & point’s series / Combined & Jr’s at 2-5pm
Feature vehicle will make 3 passes throughout the day.
Monday August 6th
Gates open at 8am
Racing starts at 10am
Time trials 10am-1pm
Lunch 1pm-1:30pm
King of the YXT 2pm-5pm
Gambler 2pm-5pm
Quick 8 special event 2pm-5pm.
Feature vehicle will make 3 passes
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