Photo Copyright Ed Evans

It was a sad day in Drag racing as a former “Hot August Nites”, Feature car driver Gary Hough from Kelowna was killed testing out his new Nitro injected front engined dragster Thundermountain raceways in Kelowna yesterday.

You might remember Gary and his wife Clara were the 2008 Feature Car at Hot August Nites in Terrace. His car then was a brown Alcohol Altered. Gary also built and delivered the JL Excavating rail in 1998.

News reports reported “ An air ambulance was called to Thunder Mountain raceway this afternoon after it was reported a vehicle flew off the end of the track crashing into a ravine.

A witness tells Castanet the vehicle had a throttle issue, leaving the driver powerless to slow his vehicle. The witness estimated the vehicle was traveling about 200 km/h when it left the track.

The Joe Rich Fire Department responded to the accident just after 3:30 p.m.

The fire department reports a high speed dragster careened off the end of the track, apparently with no sign of brakes used. Emergency personnel on scene managed to find the wreckage, move it out to the tarmac and proceed to free the man.

Joe Rich Fire personnel along with two British Columbia ambulance crews assisted in the rescue. The middle aged man was transported via air ambulance in critical condition.

http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/64491/Dragster-crash-at-Thunder-Mountain

                                                                                Rest in peace Gary 

Proud Parents Kham Shantz and Deanna Fouquet show off their new arrival Kohen Rhett Shantz Born May 26, 2011. He is shown here at his first race

Kohen arrived on his mothers birthday. A Great Birthday present!

We will be having a 500 foot snowmobile drag this coming Feb/Mar. The event will be held at the Vanderhoof airport.

Anyone interested in racing or helping please send me a message or email me at lacybnvma@hotmail.com

We are also having regular meetings at Dadz Muffler Shop.

Everyone is welcome to come. The next meeting will be December 6th at 5:30pm

Lacy Barkman

Nechako Valley Motor Sports Association

February 5, 2010

It’s official…..and it’s huge news!!!!

The American Hot Rod Association is extremely pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached to utilize the Eagle Motorplex facility to host an AHRA Reunion Tour event in Western Canada on August 14-15. Eagle Motorplex is a ¼ mile dragstrip that is located in Ashcroft, British Columbia and has been in operation for 23 years.

“ We’re very excited to have the opportunity to include Eagle Motorplex in the Tour for 2010. With major improvements being completed at the facility at this time, it has become an attractive opportunity for us to capture this market and bring Nitro Fuel cars to the area. The track is adding 6000 seats as well as resurfacing the dragstrip,” stated Troy Moe AHRA CEO.

“On behalf of our racers and spectators, we are honored to have our track chosen to host one of the most exciting races in British Columbia for years. The Reunion Tour Event featuring the nitro funny cars has the making to be one of the best events ever to be held at Eagle,” stated Joe Sye Track Manager.

My early misgivings about the AHRA are perhaps put to rest with this announcement. The big question is how will the NHRA react to this announcement. At this point the talk of the cars that will be at this event include, all the sportsman classes, as well as Jet Cars, Pro Mods, Possibly Top Alcohol Dragster and Nostalgia Nitro Funny Cars. Maybe even Nitro Harleys. Whatever the decision is on the Pro Cars this WILL be THE biggest event to ever hit the Eagle Motorplex. The divisionals back in the 80′s and Early 90′s were very good, but this has the potential to blown them out of the water. Make plans to be there!!!!!!

They also have plans to host two or three other AHRA events, one in July, the August race and one in September, called Sportsman Nationals essentially National Open type events.

Here is that info:

AHRA is pleased to announce the first ever organized Sportsmen series in Canada by a sanctioning body. This six race series will be held on an alternate basis between Eagle Motorplex , located in Ashcroft BC and Race City located in Calgary, Alberta. This will be a designated national point series with a “Big Buck” Sportsmen payout, at each race. The following dates will be run at Eagle Motorplex, Ashcroft BC, July 10-11, August 14-15 and September 25-26. The remaining three races will be held at Race City, Calgary, Alberta on June 19-20, August 28-29 and September 11-12.

www.speedzonemagazine.com/

After a two month hiatus the website is back up and operating. You will notice the site itself has changed, there is no forum but you can respond to the posts. If there is a demand for a forum let us know.

A Big Thank You goes out to Miguel Borges for getting the site running again and for hosting our site.  Great Job Miguel ! It looks great.

There are many others to thank including Rob at Data Boy and Kieth at City West for all of  your help.

We would also like to thank Ray Langelle for all of  the work in setting up and running the site in the past.  Thank you Ray!

Without all of your help we could not have this great site.  Motorheads from around the Northwest Thank You.

Now, all we have to do is figure out the site . So bear with us,  all of the newspaper column and photo’s will be added soon.

Ed Evans

Prince Rupert Auto Club

Proposed race dates for 2009

May 23rd/24th Season opener

July 4th/5th Memorial Weekend

August 2nd/3rd Hot August Nites

Aug 29th/30th Season Ender

***Sept 5th-7th Rain dates if needed

The above schedule is tentative and follows our traditional

dates, we will be securing these dates at our 1st

General meeting to be held

TDRA General Meeting

Sunday February 8th

11am-1pm

Bear Country Inn

Make sure to attend to get your 2 bits in and get updated on what’s

in store for the club and Racing for 2009.

Merry Christmas
Fron the
Prince Rupert Auto Club

By Molly McNulty – Terrace Standard

Published: October 28, 2008 11:00 PM

DAVE SAUNDERS, a well known drag racer from Kitimat, passed away on
October 7, succumbing to kidney cancer.

Saunders had been racing in the northwest for 33 years with his 1965
Beaumont, the “Purple Pig”.

Saunders raced in the Super Pro Class, Super Street Class, and Super Gas
in the United States, and three different provinces.

For almost 10 years, The Terrace Drag Race Association’s (TDRA) home has
been the Northwest Regional Airport Terrace-Kitimat.

Throughout that time, Saunders and the Purple Pig have been a present
force on the track.

Blake Bedford of the TDRA says that Saunders had been with them since
1994 when the club began.

“We have four a year (races) and he is at every one of them,” says
Bedford. “From what I’ve seen he’s been very competitive his whole
life..and he’s taken home lots of our trophies.”

“He was a seasoned racer,” added Bedford.

It was here in Terrace, August long weekend, that Saunders had his last
race.

On October 11, a procession of drag cars followed his Purple Pig, driven
by his friend Bruce, to his funeral.

In Saunders’ honour, Bedford says that the TDRA will be doing a memorial
plaque. The plaque will have Saunders’ portrait, with a border for
adding the points and winners from each year.

Bedford is in the process of getting it together, starting with this
year’s point winners on the plaque, which will be presented at the year
end banquet on November 1.

Photo:
PROCESSION OF drag cars following the ashes of Dave Saunders in his “Purple Pig”. His good friend Bruce drove his car to Saunders’ funeral on Oct.11. contributed PHOTO”

Attention: Everyone !!!

Tickets are now available for the TDRA’S 2008 year end Bash !! Just $20 bucks !!

Saturday November 1st at the Northern Motor Inn Banquet Room – Doors open at 7pm

Tickets are available from the following people

Blake Bedford 250-615-8547 / Cell 250-635-2130 / Home

I will also have tickets available at my work (Napa-Terrace)

Dennis Moore 250-615-2503 / Cell

250-638-8975 / Home

Tony deMelo 250-638-6898 / Cell

250-635-2650 / Home

Dean Franzmann 250-635-9009 / Home

Steve Richdale 250-632-3126 / Home

Hope to see everyone there !!