Last weekend life certainly wasn't a drag when the Sunshine Coast Drag Racing Association rattled the hangars at the Sechelt airstrip.
It's been pretty quiet at the top of Field Road since last August, but there's more planned as the summer approaches.
Saturday's test 'n' tune had 50 club member cars registered along with the Gibsons and Pender Harbour high school drag teams patiently waiting for their first run.
Sunday morning the skies weren't particularly bright, but the yellow broom on the hill sure was. The hardy campers had survived the night and club volunteers jumped into action to begin setting up the track equipment.
The track was tested and the racers' meeting was right on time. Not long after 9:30 a.m. tires were smoking at the west end of the strip and the day was a go.
As the sun broke through the clouds for the afternoon, here's how the day shook out for the 70-plus cars.
In the exhibition class final, the combatants were Roger Manson from Burnaby in Rapid Fire and local Will McLennan in the rail dragster. With some fresh winter upgrades, McLennan was on the slicker airport lane with an ET of 6.001. It was pedal to the metal for a great pass at 125.27 mph and the win for McLennan. The big $1,000 cheque for fastest ET also went to McLennan. He admitted he'll have to improve on these results in August if he wants to get in on the summer cash.
Another $1,000 was waiting for the racer with the best reaction time in eliminations. The day did see more red lights as some racers may have been working on their timing in an attempt to claim some winnings. Cutting a light isn't easy, but with 20 years of practice in his 1953 Studebaker, Ron Bolick from Gibsons threaded the needle with an impressive RT of .507.
Street machine was the largest class and finding their way to the final were Rebecca Stanley-Clarke of Wilson Creek in a 1979 Camaro and Deanne Gentry from Gibsons in her 5.0 Mustang. Both women were stoked to be going head-to-head. Gentry was a bit too enthusiastic and red lighted, while Stanley-Clarke kept her cool driving to the win.
Peter Stanley-Clarke and Tom Sealy were the finalists in super street. After breaking the crankshaft last summer, Stanley-Clarke was having a great day with the fresh 440 six pack in the 1968 Dodge Coronet. In the final, Sealy spun too hard off the line and Stanley-Clarke had great traction. At about 60 feet, the other four barrels kicked and it was a perfect run the rest of the way, giving Stanley-Clarke the win.
Street rod final was Mike Jackson in the tower lane and Larry Ardeeff's 1975 big block Nova sporting new slicks on the airport side. Both drivers set ETs which were too high and drove their worst race of the day. Jackson was consistent all weekend and had the better run for the win.
The hot rod final found Chris Moretto of Powell River with an ET of 7.530 defending his August title against Langley resident Jay Brooks in the little S10 at 8.066.
Brooks was having traction issues all day and had to pedal it and shift early. In the final, both red lighted, but Moretto claimed the win with the lower ET.
Everyone is welcome to the member Test 'n' Tune on Sunday, June 23, and public race Sunday, Aug. 11.
Pit talk
Brandon Semenuk from Roberts Creek was out in his stunning 1969 Mustang along with a film crew from the YouTube TV series Life Behind Bars.
Lower Mainland drag racers with big block Chevys, Shawn Gerak, Jerry Petrunia and families, came over for the weekend. Both commented on the great welcome they received, awesome 1/8th mile track, friendly people and the atmosphere on the Sunshine Coast. Talking about race day, Gerak added the Coast is just a bit too relaxed as he must have been sleeping at the start line and was eliminated in the first round. Petrunia recalled keeping his foot in it, smoking his tires the whole track and with 1,000+ HP just couldn't hook up. It made his final run one scary ride.
In the high school grudge race, Pender Harbour went 10.533 at 66mph and Elphinstone ran 11.114 at 60.19 mph.
