Lee Thompson packs the tires in his beautiful Corvette at the Terrace Drags last year

Ed Evans Photo

Ed Evans

The Northern View

May 25 2011

The event that racers and fans have been waiting patiently for through the winter is here this weekend. The 2011 North West Drag racing season kicks off, Saturday May 28 and Sunday May 29th at the Terrace Regional Airport.

Terrace has several new announcements for 2011. The first of which is the introduction of a new class, a ‘Sportsman’ class has been added to split up the huge ‘Pro’ class. There were 68 cars in ‘Pro’ class last year and this will allow cars to run racers with similar times. Classes will be broken up by their times. Here is the break down:

Class change for 2011 / time splits:
Super Pro: 7.57 – quicker – Box Optional
Pro: 7.58 – 8.83 – NO BOX
Sportsman: 8.84 – slower – NO BOX

The box is a computer system that allows the cars to program in their time for a run and then program in the opponents time in to the computer. Their car will then launch and run the time they programmed in. So if you want to run a box you can only run it in ‘Super Pro’. All of the other classes will run with No boxes.

Racing will start at 10 am. With eliminations both days starting after the lunch break.

The Terrace Drag Racing Association (TDRA) has also announced that there will be one and possibly two Jet cars featured at the ‘Hot August Nites’ race on the B.C Day long weekend in August.

It looks like lots of action this year at the Terrace Drags. Don’t miss out! Drop on out to the Terrace Airport this weekend.

For more information or to check out the photo’s, check out the websites: www.terracedrags.com or www.prautoclub.com

Crowds cheer as the tire smoke billows out at last years Burnout Contest

Photo: Ed Evans

Ed Evans

The Northern View

Planning is underway for the Prince Rupert Auto Club’s 2011 Seafest Saturday.

The ‘Napa Seafest Show and Shine’ will still be the main focal point of the Saturday June 11^th Seafest events. There are many classes: ‘Best Truck’, ‘Best Bike’, ‘Best Original’, ‘Best Of Competition’, ‘Long Distance’, ‘Peoples Choice’, ‘Best Of Show’, ‘ Presidents Choice’, ‘Best Body and Paint’, ‘Best Engine’, ‘Best Import’ and ‘ Best Ongoing project ‘. So bring out your pride and joy. Remember it’s not a Car Show, it’s a Show & Shine.

Last year’s most popular event was the Burnout Contest. We will, once again, have tire smoke billowing out of our second ave location. A new feature this year, will be a concrete Burnout Box. This will make sure there is no pavement damage as the cars and trucks burn their tires to the ground at the new ‘West Frasier Burnout Box’.

So polish up your ride and make sure your tires are ready! Seafest 2011 is just around the corner. Rain or Shine we will …. See you at Seafest!

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Norm Schwengler was yanking the tires four feet plus at times at “Hot August Nights” last year at the Terrace/Kitimat regional Airport.

Ed Evans

The Northern View

Spring is in the air as 2011drag racing schedule has been released. The season will kick off with 1/8 mile drag racing Saturday and Sunday, May 28^th and 29^th at the Terrace/Kitimat regional Airport. Terrace is up next again with a June 18^th and 19^th race.

The next race on the 2011 Drag racing schedule is the Kitimat Hill Climb. The 2011, 400 foot race up Haisla hill is scheduled for Saturday July 2^nd.

The second annual Vanderhoof Drags will kick off at the Vanderhoof Airport July 8^th, 9^th and 10^th.

The ever popular Hot August nights drag race, part of the Terrace Riverboat days celebration, will run Sunday and Monday, July 31^st and Aug 1^st. This race will have a “Feature Vehicle” that will be announced at a later date.

The Houston Drags will run August 19^th, 20^th and 21^st At the Houston Airport with 1/8 mile and ¼ mile racing fun for all.

The fourth race at the Terrace /Kitimat airport is the “Bike wars” feature race Aug 27^th and 28^th. This race will have bike racing as the Feature event.

A rain-out weekend has been set aside for Sept 3^rd and 4^th if needed at the Terrace races.

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

Some of you may have noticed a Red altered drag car on the back of a trailer headed for Prince Rupert last week. This was Ketchikan’s Gene Owens bringing his small block altered back, after trying it out on a few drag strips in the “Lower 48”. Gene managed to pull out a fast run 10:14 seconds at a ¼ mile track. Way to go Gene! We hope to see a few of you guys at one of the Terrace races this year.

Merry Christmas to all of our friends  -  Have a great holiday!

Photo copyright Ed Evans

By Ed Evans

The Drag racing map in Western Canada is changing. The former NHRA strips in Ashcroft and Prince George have signed letters of agreement to run with the IHRA in 2011.

Prince George hasn’t been a major track for a few years with Friday night street drags being the only races running. After an ownership change last year, major renovations were made but the upgraded track wasn’t ready for a major race for most of the summer. The first big race was P.G. All Out – August 6-8 2010. There were a few teething problems but overall the racers gave it a thumbs up.

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Photo copyright Ed Evans

The Ashcroft track, after nearly folding in 2005, has been looking for a new partner and last year was going to run under the AHRA banner. The idea did not pan out with the AHRA and this year Ashcroft became the newest IHRA track.

“It is great to see that in these tough times, tracks are re-focusing on sportsman racers and programs to provide unprecedented opportunity,” said Skooter Peaco, IHRA VP of Race Operations. “IHRA has and will remain focused on creating value for sportsman racers on all levels and we look forward to these tracks joining our family and bringing their racers the programs only IHRA can offer.”

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Congratulations to Prince George and Ashcroft, we look forward to 2011 and the excitement that the IHRA will bring to your track.

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Ed Evans

The 2010 Northwest drag racing is all done and the regional Show & Shine’s are wrapped up for another year. The rides have been put away for the winter, if not they soon will be.

None of these events could happen without the hundreds of volunteers it takes to pull them off. The work on next years event  starts soon after this years event happens. Sponsors and dates for next year are lined up by the Executive of all the clubs involved. These people work literally continuously towards the day they can pull off the event and the pressure is then relieved for a little while. These hard working people then must line up more volunteers to spend the day at the event working as all of us race.

There are lots of places that will need to have volunteers working so we can race safely. Some of them don’t even get to watch a run.

My Thanks goes out to all of the Volunteers that work so we can play. Here are some pictures of a few of them.

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Courtesy Lacy Barkman

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Courtesy Lacy Barkman

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Courtesy Ketchikan Kruzers.com

By Ed Evans

Ketchikan, Alaska is accessible by ferry only, so bringing your favorite ride and trailer on a round trip will cost you slightly under a Grand in U.S dollars. Like our racing friends on Haida Gwaii, this makes racing anywhere a huge expense.

A few years ago, Metlaktla, Alaska offered the local Ketchikan car club the Metlakatla airport. This runway was built in WWII by the military and is hardly used. The group has held several meets over there and it involves a short Ferry trip from Ketchikan. There is no tree or timing system, but racing down the 150 foot wide by 2 mile runway has been fun. The big race is the Metlakatla, Alaska Founders Day races and the whole village comes out to watch. This weekend is the same weekend as Hot August Nites in Terrace.

Photo Courtesy Ketchikan Kruzers.com

Photo Courtesy Ketchikan Kruzers.com

Photo Courtesy Ketchikan Kruzers.com

Photo Courtesy Ketchikan Kruzers.com

Photo Courtesy Ketchikan Kruzers.com

Photo Courtesy Ketchikan Kruzers.com

Following the “If you build it, they will come” theory, if you run a race, cars will be bought and built. We saw this last year as Ketchikan’s Gene Owens came through with an altered he went and bought after reading Terry Frizzell’s Quick-Times.

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Courtesy Ketchikan Kruzers.com

Owens called me a few weeks ago and said “A friend is coming through with a Top Alcohol Rail that he bought, and would you like to see it? I told him that I thought I could squeeze it in between channel surfing.

Steve Phillips called me later in the day to show me his latest purchase. The former Top Alcohol Rail was a Spritzer chassis and had no engine, but still had a huge set of slicks and everything else still needed to go fast. Phillips explained that himself, Owens and another friend, had gone together to purchase the rail. They had plans to put a mild Big Block, but the plan was not to go past the point where it needs certification or licensing.

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

“5500 miles in 5 days” Phillips quipped, as he told me about his trip to Tuscon, Arizona and back. Going down he was stopped a roadside inspection stop and was told that he couldn’t run his trailer like that and he had to get the trailer fixed before he could come back through Canada. On the way back he went through Banff and Jasper. Tired, he stopped and slept in the car trailer halfway though the park. It became freezing cold during the night and he couldn’t sleep, so he climbed out of the trailer…….. to 4 inches of snow! “Then I remembered that I was on top of a mountain” laughed Phillips.

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

It sounds like racing is going to get faster in Ketchikan and it is hoped that we will see a few Ketchikan racing fans, or maybe even a car or two at the Terrace track next year.

Photo copyright Ed Evans

By Ed Evans

The final Northwest Drag race of 2010 played out at the Terrace regional airport last weekend. The final points were given out for the year long series for each class and first place for most of the classes could not be attained by the runners up.

Photo copyright Ed Evans

“Super Pro”, the points leader, Kris Barnett, went down in the first round. His yellow Altered was taken out by Andrew Calkins, who ran his Orange Camero like he stole it.

Photo copyright Ed Evans

This set up a great run for the man on a mission – Harold Daumont. “Hard Luck Harry” outran his buddy, Tony Demilo and then took down Bruce Daum in the Finals. Daumont also came in Third in “King of the YXT” Sunday, loosing out to Kham Shantz with a big Red-light in a rerun. Shantz and his Tangerine Roadster met Dallas Wiebe in the finals. Shantz couldn’t catch Wiebe’s turbocharged four cylinder Ford Splash pickup in the close “King of the YXT” finals on Sunday.

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Even with Barnett’s first round loss, there was no way Duam could catch up with him to take over First place in the “Points Series”.

Here’s how the “2010 Points Series” finished for “Super Pro” :

1. Kris Barnett – 232 points

2. Bruce Daum – 189 points

3. Harold Daumont – 188 points

Photo copyright Ed Evans

“Pro” was another class where the “Points Series” winner was determined before the race began. Chris Bie took home First place in the race and First place on the year. Taking Second place in the Saturday race was Dana Amado and her Slant Six Dart. Getting stronger each race, Dana finished in fourth place in the Points series with 196 points.

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Here’s how the “2010 Points Series” ended the year for “Pro”:

1. Chris Bie – 348 points

2. Harley Bell – 228 points

3. Doug McPhadden – 207 points

Photo copyright Ed Evans

“Sled / Bike” class was the only class that First place was up for grabs with points leader Shawn Enmark electing to go to Fort St. John to get his speed license. Now you would think with “Bike Wars” running on Sunday, that a bike would come and take over the points series. Unfortunately the Second and Third place “Points Series” winners John Symes and Jim Braid both went down early in the ladder Saturday. Seth Harmer and Robin Kilgen, both racing in their second race of the season, took home First and Second in “Sled/Bike”. Bikes were actually scarce this weekend. The “Bike Quick 8” could well have been called “The Bike only 8” as there were only 8 Bikes for the Sunday shootout. Harmer did the Double Down taking home the “Quick 8 Bikes” too.

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Photo copyright Ed Evans

With the Top Fuel Harley a cancellation a day before the race, Kitimat’s Ian Berrisford was the bike excitement on the track as he made the fastest runs on the weekend with his Turbocharged Hiabusa drag bike.

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Here’s how the “2010 Points Series” ended the year for “Sled/Bike”:

1. Shawn Enmark – 180 Points

2. John Symes – 160 points

3. Jim Braid – 160 points

Photo copyright Ed Evans

In “Junior Dragster” Tanner Daum took home first place on the weekend . After settling for Second place in the “Season Opener” race, Daum has collected three straight wins to win First place in the “2010 Point Series”

Here’s how the “2010 Points Series” finished for “Junior Dragster” :

1. Tanner Daum – 319 points

2. Chris Cook – 194 points

3. Delany Ribero – 161 points

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Photo copyright Ed Evans

Once again a great season of drag racing has been put on by a group of dedicated volunteers. Make no mistake, without these hard working people in each community, there would be no place to watch or even race. Thank You everyone for a great 2010 Season!

See you next week with a rail trip to Ketchikan.

Photo copyright Ed Evans

By Ed Evans

This is it, the final race of the 2010 Northwest Drag racing season.

Bike Wars will bring out the fastest bikes in the Northwest this weekend to battle for the year long bragging rights. Thats right Bikes only! No cars or sleds. But don’t fear, Sleds and cars can race each other in “King of the YXT” and Sleds are welcome in the “Sled/Bike” Class

Photo copyright Ed Evans

The season long points series wraps up this weekend too and the battle continues….

“Super Pro” has Kris Barnett in the lead with 201 points. Clint Della Vecchia is behind the leader by 65 points.

Photo copyright Ed Evans

“Pro” class is led by Chris Bie with 253 points. Doug McFadden and Harley Bell follow, 76 and 77 points behind Bie.

Photo copyright Ed Evans

“Sled/Bike” leader is Kevin Enmark and his sled with 180 points, followed by John Symes (63 points behind) and Al McFarlane tied with Jim Braid (63 points behind)

Photo copyright Ed Evans

“Jr. Dragster” is led by Tanner Daum with 234 points with Chris Cook following behind him by 83 points. Good luck to all participants.

Don’t miss all of the fun at the final race of 2010 here in the Northwest. See you at “Bike Wars”!

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

By Ed Evans

The only smoke came from the burnouts as the 2010 Houston Drags ran at the Houston Airport last weekend. Fires were rampant in the area with two of them burning in the Houston region. The Friday night burnout contest did however, press home the seriousness of the whole situation when a Helicopter was vectored in to the airport to check out all of the smoke after Chris wood’s burnout. Chris did not win the “Burnout Contest” however he was hot all weekend, taking home a second in “King of the Hill” and a First in “Pro” Sunday.

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

The “Feature vehicle” was “Smokin’ Gun” a 12 second 1968 Kenworth which is Canada’s first and fastest Diesel Drag Semi. Powered by a Detroit Diesel 8V92, Twin Turbo, Supercharged, and Inter-Charged with a 1200 hp shot of Nitrous Oxide. “Smokin’ Gun” makes 3100 hp to move 9500 lbs down the 1/4 mile in less than 12.5 seconds, and through the traps at over 120 mph!

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Belching black smoke as the turbo’s spooled up and running a full 1/8 mile burnout, this monster ran at over 100 MPH each run down the quarter mile track. A huge crowd pleaser, “Smokin’ Gun” had all of the racers in the pit’s watching each run too.

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

The “Pro Outlaw” class pits Saturday’s winner against Sunday’s winner in the 1/8 mile race. Local Houston racer Nuno Deteves was hoping to repeat last year, where he took “Pro Outlaw” Saturday and won the final on Sunday. Deteves did his part taking Saturday “Pro Outlaw” but could not stop the hard charging Paul Soares, who met Lee Thompson and his 63 Corvette in the Sunday finals. Soares and his Grande Prix, powered around Thompson in the most exciting final in years.

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Sunday the Saturday winners of “King of the hill” Bikes and “King of the hill” Car/Truck met in a winner take all final and surprise, the car won. Mike Wienhardt of Vanderhoof took out Leyland Hoveland and his Bike.

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

“Bikes and sleds” winner was…..who else Shawn Enmark and his slippery sled.

Other winners were not available when this column was posted.

A thank you goes out to the organizers, sponsors and especially the volunteers, A great time was had by all who attended and we cannot wait for next year.

Photo Copyright Ed Evans

Next Up:

Bike wars this weekend August 28, 29 at the Terrace Airport featuring Jeff Knowles and his Nitro Harley. Watch for a Preview Friday