Cars line up for the First annual “Dave Saunders Memorial Hill Climb” last year

Ed Evans Photo

By Ed Evans

The Daily News

In years past, July 1^st was a great time for car enthusiasts. In the late 70′s, again in the late 80′s through the 90′s, July 1^st meant it was time to make a trip to Kitimat. We would take in the Car Show in the Tamitik arena and watch, sitting on the grassy embankment, the only Drag Race in the Northwest, the “Kitimat Hill Climb”.Even to this day when talking with racers in Ashcroft, Prince George or even Grande Prairie Alberta and when you mention where you are from, they still ask about the “Kitimat Hill Climb”.

Last year, the 3^rd resurrection of the race up Haisla Hill was unveiled, the “Dave Saunders Memorial Hill Climb” is a 400 foot run up the hill.

Originally a ¼ mile race in the 70′s, then reduced to a 1/8

mile in the 80′s, the resurrected race is now 400 foot dash. This is due to the increasing speeds of the cars. In the 70′s the fastest cars were 13 to 14 seconds in the quarter mile. Back then, Prince Rupert’s Hans Andreeson, in his Hemi powered Pinto, the “Rupert Elephant”, set the ¼ mile bar at a seemingly unreachable 12 flat….uphill!

Street cars now regularly run in the 12 and 13 second range, drag cars run in the 9 and 10 second range and fast race cars can run between 6 to 8 seconds in the ¼ mile. The hill was not made for these speeds and was always a slippery surface.

Last year 80 plus racers and 2000 plus fans descended on the Haisla hill to be the first winner of the new race. A great time was had and this year organizers hope to break those numbers.

July 1^st will start off with a Parade and the Kitimat Car show, which will be from 1pm to 4pm, in the Tamitik Arena. Racing will be on Saturday July 3^rd, with a rain-out day scheduled for Sunday July 4th. Time trials are at 10 am with eliminations at 1pm. The Tech inspection will be at the Mountainview square, which is located just past the DQ, between 8 am and 9:30 am. New rules for this year include :

There will be no quads allowed. Drag bikes, street bikes, sled’s and dirt bike will be allowed, but dirt bike’s must have a street tire on the rear… NO NOBBIES ALLOWED!!

The price to sit in the grass and watch, the street race that started it all, is…..Nothing, it’s Free! So don’t miss out on this annual race, come and see who will be this years “ King Of Haisla Hill”. See you there.

For more information or to see photo’s of the last or even past years Kitimat Hill Climb, Check out the Website www.prautoclub.com .

Tearing up the Track:

Bruce Daum in his corvette, races Wade Barnett in his Altered, up Haisla Hill in 2009

Ed Evans Photo

Poppin a Wheelie: Chris Barnett in his Altered was yanking his tires trying out some new fuel on the weekend at the Terrace Drags.

Ed Evans Photo

By Ed Evans

Prince Rupert Daily News

With drag races Saturday and Sunday and a Fathers Day Show and Shine on Sunday, Terrace was the place to be last weekend. There was even a Car Show at the Drag race Sunday.

Drag racing had a perfect weekend, with hot weather and no sign of precipitation. Saturday 53 cars, bikes and sleds ran off for the ‘King of the YXT’, with Shawn Enmark and his sled outrunning the rest of the pack, to take home first Place.

Bruce Daum and his Corvette took home ‘Gamblers’ and Lou Ribeiro was the ‘Junior King of the YXT’.

Sunday’s action was hot and heavy with 60 plus cars in the running.

‘Super Pro’ winner was Paul Amado, in his Demon, running down Chris Barnett and his Altered for First place.

In ‘Pro’ Harley Bell took out Chris Bie in the finals. Bie, was running two classes in two different cars. Bie in his Chevelle ‘Rumble Bee’, was eliminated in ‘Super pro’ earlier,but he held on until the finals in ‘Pro’ in his Acadian.

Dwayne Adams, in his new Chevelle, took home third place in ‘Pro’. Adams was running his first race in several years, after his previous car was crushed, when the roof to his shop collapsed due to heavy snow.

In ‘Junior’ Tanner Daum took out the other Ribeiro in the Junior dragster class, Delaney Ribeiro, for his first place win.

In Sled/Bike It was an Enmark class as Kevin was took home first and Shawn took home second in the all sled final.

Just before the finals were run on Sunday, the track was visited by 50 cars from the Skeena Valley Cruizers Car Show . Parading down the track and return road, they lined up on the grass for a show. ‘Best of Show’ was Bernie Duarte and his 50′s pickup.

In the show was a 40′s Ford custom. Fresh from the Barrett-Jackson auction was Alice Coopers car ‘Billion Dollar Baby’. The swoopy custom was painted in Metallic Green paint and sported burning dollar flames.

Saturday’s Results

King of the YXT – Shawn Enmark

Junior King of the YXT – Lou Ribeiro

Gambler Race – Bruce Daum

Sunday Results

Dave Kester Memorial for Perfect Light – Mike Weinhardt

Pro

1st – Harley Bell

2nd – Chris Bie

3rd – Dwayne Adams

Super Pro

1st – Paul Amado

2nd – Chris Barnett

3rd – Clint Dalla Vecchia

Junior

1st – Tanner Daum

2nd – Delaney Ribeiro

3rd – Chris Cook

Sled/Bike

1st – Kevin Enmark

2nd – Shawn Enmark

3rd – John Symes

Skeena Valley Cruizers Car Show Parade

Best of Show – Bernie Duarte

Next up:

Kitimat takes the stage Thursday July 1^st with the annual Car Show in the Tamitik Arena.

Saturday July 3^rd the second annual Kitimat Memorial Hill Climb will run up the Haisla Hill . Look in Wednesday’s Daily News for a preview.

Nice Ride: Fresh from the Barrett-Jackson auction, this sleek custom was built for Alice Cooper

Ed Evans photo

Published in  The Prince Rupert Daily News June 18/ 10

Hundreds of fans swarmed the cars, trucks and bikes lined up along third avenue

Ed Evans Photo

By Ed Evans

Prince Rupert Daily News

Seafest 2010 was a mixed bag, with a torrential down pore during the parade. Rupert stood up proud though, with not a bad word uttered as everybody wore a big smile.

As the parade ended and the Auto club set up for the Show & Shine, the sucker holes opened up and the day turned sunny. A great show was held, with over thirty entries.

Hundreds of fans swarmed the cars, trucks and bikes lined up along third avenue. The weather did effect the out of town car count, as most looked at the weather and took a pass on coming down. Rick De Medeiros from Terrace said that the weather was so bad he almost turned back on the way down. Good thing he stuck it out, as his Mitsubishi Eclipse was the most popular entry in ‘Peoples Choice’.

Former Prince Rupert resident Rik Stephens made even a longer trip as he rode his 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan in all the way from Peachland. Riding in through the down pore he was soaking wet. Rik was smiling as he took home the ‘Long Distance Award’.

Other Show & Shine Winners:

Best Truck – Erik Van Tankeren

Best Of Competition – Kham Shantz

Long Distance – Rik Stephens (Peachland)

Peoples Choice – Rick De Medeiros

Best Of Show – Ron Miller

Presidents Choice – Ryan Stace-Smith

Best Body and paint – Bev Boutilier

Best Original – Erwin Porcher

Best Engine – Jeff Desautels

Best Import – Javy Toor

Best Bike – Robert Selig

Best Ongoing project – Charles Skinner

The other parts of The Prince Rupert Auto Club’s ‘Seafest Saturday were a mixed bag. The much anticipated ‘Judged Sound-off’ was canceled due to a lack of contestants.

The ‘Burnout Contest’ however, was a huge success with entrants doing burnouts before a large crowd in the amphitheater like site on second avenue.

Burnout Champion – Jake Stava

2^nd Place Burnout – Tommaso Ponzini

3^rd Place Burnout – Jeff Desautels

Next Up:

There are two big events in Terrace this weekend, with the Annual Skeena Valley Cruizers ‘Fathers day Show & Shine’ on Sunday at the Terrace Canadian Tire.

There is also Drag racing at the Terrace Regional Airport Saturday and Sunday. Gates will open at 8am and time trials begin at 9am daily.

For more information check out the websites www.prautoclub.com, www.terracedrags.ca or www.skeenavalleycruizers.com

Jake Stava lights up the tires on his way to becoming ‘Burnout Champion for 2010

Ed Evans Photo

2010 Seafest Saturday winners

Best Truck – Erik Van Tankeren

Best Of Competition – Kham Shantz

Long Distance – Rik Stephens (Peachland)

Peoples Choice – Rick De Medeiros

Best Of Show – Ron Miller

Presidents Choice – Ryan Stace-Smith

Best Body and paint – Bev Boutilier

Best Original – Erwin Porcher

Best Engine – Jeff Desautels

Best Import – Javy Toor

Best Bike – Robert Selig

Best Ongoing project – Charles Skinner

Burnout Champion – Jake Stava

2^nd Place Burnout – Tommaso Ponzini

3^rd Place Burnout – Jeff Desautels

Race Weekend Setup

Best Original

Best Engine

Best Body and Paint

All Photo’s Copyright Ed Evans

More photo’s: http://prautoclub.com/gallery2/v/Seafest+2010/

By Ed Evans

Prince Rupert Daily News

It’s here, Seafest weekend is set to roll off this weekend. This year Seafest promises many new events and the Prince Rupert Auto Club will unveil two of them Saturday.

Billed as Seafest Saturday, there will be a “Judged Sound-off” a “Burnout Contest” and the annual “Show & Shine”

The “Show and Shine” will start 1pm and run until 4pm. So polish up those cars, trucks , bikes and classics and bring them down beside City Tel after the parade. There will be various classes and winners will take home Swag donated by local merchants.

During the “Show & Shine”, the new sound-off will have two local judges using equipment donated for the weekend by Sight and Sound of Terrace. Trophy’s for several category’s will be up for grabs.

The other new event this year is the “Burnout Contest”. Contestants will line their car or truck up and have one minute to burn off their tires. Judges will pick the winners who will be declared “ Burnout Champions for 2010”.

The contest will run from 4pm to 6pm in the parking lot behind Northern Savings Credit Union. The best spots to watch will be across from Safeway on Second Ave. Be forewarned, if you stand in the smoke you will smell like the smoke.

A word of warning if you are entering the “Burnout Contest”. The contest is in the parking lot, not on the streets. Any hi-jinks, before or during the event, will cause a disqualification.

Come on down Saturday and enjoy Seafest and all of the events. These events will run rain or shine so…. See you Saturday!

For more information check out the website www.prautoclub.com .

Photo:

Crowds are always big at the Seafest Show & Shine.

Photo: Ed Evans