MIKE YOUDS
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS
Stamp Avenue is back to its normally relaxed commuter pace after a weekend of roaring high-performance engines and smoking rubber for an action-packed Thunder in the Valley.
A total of 156 drivers — full registration — from across Vancouver Island queued up to race the one-eight-mile heat Saturday and Sunday.
Divided into sportsman, pro and modified categories, they revved their engines at high decibels, performed burnouts and tore down the track at speeds of up to 200 km/h. Street vehicles and drag bikes joined in the action and spectator bleachers were practically full by Sunday afternoon.
“Yesterday was a perfect day of racing,” Ben Veenkamp, Alberni Valley Drag Racing Association (AVDRA) vice-president, said as racing got underway Sunday. “It’s holding up better than some major tracks.”
For its first 15 years, the event was held on a classic quarter-mile strip at Alberni Valley Regional Airport, but airport expansion work forced a change of venue. The association would like to return to its original setting, but the fallback location offers the added thrill of racing close at hand with city hotel rooms and campgrounds fully booked.
City traffic was temporarily detoured up to 10th Avenue through the weekend.
“I don’t think there’s any other town that does this,” Veenkemp said. “Basically, they shut down the street and let the guys race.”
What’s the biggest challenge in drag racing?
“It’s keeping the car straight,” said Gary Schley, who has raced “forever” and drove a 1963 Acadian on the weekend. “And after it’s straight, going as fast as you can.”
Schley said Port Alberni needs to step up and open a permanent track.
Competing is a family affair for Richard Spencer, whose son Don also competes on the track.
“The track is prepped just awesome,” he said. “The guys are having some of their best runs.”
“Years ago, we raced at Van Isle Raceway in Mill Bay before that went south in ’72,” he recalled.
Drag racing remains popular on the Island with roughly 400 racing machines.
“Port Alberni’s got a ton of cars,” Spencer said. Like others, he wants to see the quarter-mile track again.
Bill Surry, former AVDRA president, said holding the event in town is more of a challenge. About 100 volunteers were involved this time, assisting with races, parking and safety as well as installation and take-down of 1,100 metres of fencing.
The association remains hopeful that the regional district will allow racing to resume at the airport as early as next year, Surry said.
“We are on that,” he said.
