Rent a wreck: Doug Ribero’s dragster met an unfortunate end during the Kitimat Hill Climb held during Canada Day Weekend

Ed Evans Photo

By Ed Evans

Daily News

Hard working crews and the search for traction was the call on the weekend, as the 2^nd Annual Kitimat Hill Climb was run. In cold overcast weather, sixty plus cars lined up for the run up Haisla hill last Saturday.

The cold weather did cause traction problems for some of the cars. Doug Ribero lost control of his yellow Chevy II just coming off of the sticky track-bite at the 60 foot beams. As his car started to head across the centre-line, Ribero took his foot out of it and cranked the wheel over to the left, to avoid going into the other lane as he was headed for Paul Soares. This unloaded his chassis and the combination made the car turn left and run head on into the logs lining the track. Major damage was done to the front end of the car, but all of the safety equipment worked and Ribero only suffered a bruised ego. “ I dreamed this was going to happen” Ribero quipped, “but why don’t any of my other dreams come true?” Ribero commented that he now has three years to re-build the Chevy II for his son, who is now running a Jr Dragster. Ribero said that he will now get building the altered project that he has been working on.

Racing continued almost through the second round of time trials, but rain ended the day before the ‘A’ Class could get a second run. It was decided, after a drivers meeting and a vote, to start again the next morning.

Sunday the skies were blue as the cars made the ride up the hill to the pits. The weather stayed hot and clear as the time trials continued and a full race was run.

Hometown boy Pierre Amado, was the car to beat, racing up that short 400 feet. Saturday, his orange Challenger beat his brother’s Demon on a time trial run. This seemed to fire up Pierre on Sunday. With hard launches and great shifting, he mowed down the opposition heading for the finals.

Prince Rupert’s Terry Frizzell in his 1966 front engined rail, had a similar day taking out Snuffy and his blown small block pickup and Kitimat’s Harley Bell in his Valiant in the Semi Finals.

Meeting Amado in the “Bracket A” finals, Frizzell red lit. Amado had a perfect light though (.500 second reaction time is a perfect light, any faster is a red-light and an automatic disqualification) on his way to winning “A” class.

The “King of the Hill” is the race between “Bracket A” winner, “Bracket B” winner and winner of “Bikes & Sleds”. “King of the Hill” winners get their name on the trophy, a plaque and $200.00. Amado then took out “Bracket B” winner Greg Adams and “Bikes & Sleds” winner Shawn Enmark to win his first ever “King of the Hill”

A hand must go out to race organizers and volunteers who put up and tore down the race twice in two days. A great event was held thanks to all of their hard work.

Winners

Bikes & Sleds:
1st: Shawn Enmark
2nd: John Symes
3rd: Lanny Cartie

Bracket A:
1st: Pierre Amado
2nd: Terry Frizzell
3rd: Harley Bell

Bracket B:
1st: Greg Adams
2nd: Ed Hall
3rd: John Stelmacker

Juniors:
1st: Lou Ribeiro
2nd: Chris Cook
3rd: Delaney Ribeiro

King of the Hill: Pierre Amado

Perfect Reaction Time: Pierre Amado

This will be my final column, as you know the Daily News will be printing it’s final edition soon. I would like to thank all the readers who followed my ramblings throughout the years. All of your comments were and still are greatly appreciated. You can still read my new columns and photo’s on the website: www.prautoclub.com.

Don’t forget there are still races and car shows going on in the Northwest. So if you love cars please support the events.

Next Up:

• The First Ever 1/8 mile race at the Vanderhoof Airport July 16, 17 & 18^th with a dance at the arena to follow Saturdays racing.
• The ever popular “Hot August Nights race”, part of The Terrace Riverboat Days celebration, will run Sunday and Monday August 1^st and 2^nd.
• The Terrace Riverboat Days Car show At the Terrace arena Saturday July 31^st
• The 14^th Annual Houston Drags will be running, with both 1/8 and ¼ mile racing, August 20^th, 21^st and 22^nd . Feature vehicle is the 12 second Kenworth, “Smokin’ Gun”.
• Wrapping up the season in Terrace will be August 28^th and 29^th , with “Bike Wars”
• September 4^th and 5^th has been set aside in Terrace for “rain out days”.

For more information check out the websites:

www.prautoclub.com, www.terracedrags.ca, www.houstondrags.ca, www.skeenavalleycruizers.com

Ed Evans Photo

Straight Up The Hill: Terry Frizzell and his 1966 dragster and Pierre Amado race up the hill in the finals in “A” class, but Amado had a perfect light in his win over Frizzell

Photo Ed Evans