Bé - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 17, 2002 Revving engines | and roaring crowds fondly remembered By JOANNA WONG IT’S BEEN 35 years since Al Reynolds first helped build the tracks at the ori- ginal Terrace Speedway, but he can still taste the dust. Reynolds was. one of the 100 or so young Fer- race stock car enthusiasts who rolled up their sleeves and helped clear the way for the an oval! dirt track in 1966. Reynolds was even on hand the very first time the checkered flag dropped on July 28, 1967, when over 1,000 spectators came out to watch the action. “People were sitting on stumps because there wasn’t enough room in the grandstands,” recalls Rey- nolds, who was a pil mechanic. “They would stand everywhere. You used to have to go out and chase them away because they were getling too close to the track.” Although the old dirt speedway was messy, Reynolds says it forced drivers to stay on their toes. “You'd be so dusty you couldn’t see the. guy in front of you,” he remem- bers. “It was more fun — there was more skill in it.” The drivers weren't the only ones choking back dust. “(The spectators] used to go home brown instead of . white,” . Reynolds laughs. “But then they’d still be back the next day.” Maintaining the dirt track, however, was a lot of work. , Enthusiasts would often stay up until 4 a.m. the night before race day wa- tering the track and trying to get the dust to settle. “I. was always either too wet or too dirty or too dusty,” recalls former stock car racer Jules La- France. Apart from the dust, La- France remembers. the buzz the stock car races generated in the commun- ity. “You'd hear about it around town,” LaFrance says. “People would point and say: ‘hey there’s that guy from the race track.’” Fans also locked for- ward ta shows of daredevil motorcycle stunts, wild parties and even a Stock Car Queen who was crowned for a ball at the end of every season. “Nowadays girls don’t like that no more,” laughs LaFrance. Reynolds says the races helped build a close circle of friends, who would often stay up all night working on each other’s cars. “They might beat you out the next day but you did it for the competition,” he says. One of the highlights of the season was (and still is) the Memorial Cup, held to honour the memory of racers Marty Cox and Dexter Archibald, who died in a car accident in TERRACE STANDARD | 638-7283 RACERS and pit crew members take a break in the early days of the Terrace Speedway, The iate ‘60s and early ‘70s saw racers compete on a dirt track. From left; Marty Cox, Chuck Bird, Russ Shauer, Ken Fraser, Sonny Bienvenu, unidentified, Jeff Sears and Ken English (front). PHOTO SUBMITTED BY RON KAYE 1975, Reynolds describes the demanding two-day 100 lap race as complete in- sanity, with at least 35 cars vying for space “There’s benders and bangers and some guys blow tires,” he says. “You get down to the nitty gritty in the last few laps — sometimes you're down to three cars.” These days, says La- Soccer players here France, the track has changed quite a bit. It’s since been paved and there’s not as quile as many new racers — or fans. “] think. everyone is a little busier,” says La- France. “I think mostly people get to watch it on T¥ too much.” Reynolds thinks the low turnoul might be due to soaring expenses. “Now it's way too much money for a car and all the rules are a bit crazy,” he says. “We used to fix up cars in backyards and now it’s gotta have all this fancy tech stuff in it.” Those dreaming of a new stock car golden era, however, will have the op- portunity to celebrate 35 years of putting the pedal to the metal July 20 and 21 when the Speedway hosts a reunion weekend. tough as nails Former drivers, pil crew members, track afficials and volunteers are invited to come out and relive the - memories and maybe even get behind the. wheel again. ° “We should be racing,” jokes LaFrance. “We’re not that old.” For details an the event call Margo Fleming at 635- 6549 or Dawn Patterson at 635-4110. this year's B.C. Summer Games Aug. 1-4. Track athletes take on B.C. FIVE young track and field athletes will take on the best in the province next month when they head south for the B.C. Summer Games. They'll be among over 200 track and field ath- letes battling it out in Na- naimo August 1-4. “I'd say that they are pretty excited overall,” said coach Dighton Haynes. “For each of them they are just gearing on their own personal best limes,” Brian Lambert, 14, will be sure lo make a personal best in his event, the 1500m steeplechase. Terrace doesn’t have any steeples — similar to hurdles ~ so Lambert's never actually been able to run the event, Coach Haynes, how- ever, is confident Lam- bert’s strong running abili- ty will prepare him for the demanding race. “He has shown some great improvement in his running time,” said Haynes. “With his progress I just thought we'd get him in there and let him try it,” Corey George, who wiil compete in discus, javelin, 200m sprint and 4x100m Telay, already knows what he’s shooting for. “I'm going to try and beat the 40m in javelin,” said George, 15, who’s personal best currently sits at 39.61m. Long-distance runner Mike Harris, 15, is expect- ing stiff competition in the 1500m and 3000m. Fortunately, Harris has been training in track and field since Grade 6. He’ll also be putting his middle-distance running skills to work in a 4x400m relay. Sovin Sihota, 14, will join Harris in the relay, and will also compete in the 100m and 200m, Fourteen year old sprin- ter Robin Cater will aim to leave her competition breathless, speeding by in the 100m and 200m and the triple jump. “They have an idea of what competition will be like,” said Coach Haynes. “My expectation is I’m hoping they’ll get another personal best’ and then we'll just: see where the placings happen to be.” By SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN SOCCER players in Terrace are among the toughest and most de- dicated in the province, says a former Team Canada player. “John Sneddon: was in Terrace last week teaching the Goalget- ters soccer camp attended by 90 young players July 8-12. “The kids here are really tough — they take the heat, they take the cold, they take the rain,” Sneddon said. “Down south it’s whining and snivelling.” For eight years Sneddon and coaching partner Gerry Heaney, a former Vancouver Whitecaps player, have been coming from the lower mainland putting on cli- -nics for players, select teams and coaches here. That’s given them time to watch Terrace’s minor soccer pro- gram — and its players — grow. “I'm recognizing kids [ coa- ched when they were five or six and now they’re 11 or 12,” Hea- ney said. He added Terrace youth are enthusiastic, keen and cager to learn. Dat “J mean that sincerely,” Hea- ney said. “I love coming to Terrace.” Both coaches have high praise for the local facilities, particularly Christy Park with its vast field space and club house. “They're just as good if not better than anywhere else in the province,” Heaney said. Sneddon added the seed work which has been done through camps and with minor soccer in Terrace is paying off. “You, can really see the progtess,” Sneddon said. “It’s now producing teams that pretty much dominate the north.” Last year five Terrace select teams attended the prestigious Provincial Cup - B.C.’s soccer YOUNG soccer foe playe rs picked up a few extra skills last week at the annual Goalgetters soccer camp. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO championships. Noi bad for a city with sporting teams of all description which are plagued by the high cost of travel- ling around the province to pet any sort of high level competition. The amount of teams from here qualifying for provincial play — and medalling at the tournament — is a testament to the high calibre of players and coaching here. This year the U-!3 boys se- lects, coached by Bill Redpath and Dave Bartley, team went to the July 5-7 provincials and Cont'd page Bi2 Part two: Making the team AT THE DIAMOND TYLER NOBLE TERRACE’s All Star baseball team is gearing up for the Babe Ruth pro- vincial tournament July- 21-26 in Quesnel. The team is made up of Terrace’s three Junior Babe Ruth house league teams. Last week's At the Dia- mond special report intro- duced five of the team’s players and this week the remaining members are Tylor Cage highlighted. Last week’s issue mis- takenly indicated Tyrell Mikkelson had only been to one previous provincial tournament but he has in fact participated in two. Tylor Cage Age: 13 Positions: shortstop Previous provincials: 2 Outfield, House league team: Speedee Calen Findlay Age: 14 Positions: Outfield, shortstop Previous provincials: 2 House league team: Kinsmen Robert Glaser (not pictured) Age: 15 Positions: Outfield, shortstop Previous provincials: 2 House league team: Speedee Kore Melanson Age: 14 4 Positions: Outfield, shortstop Previous provincials: 2 House league team: T.D.C.U. Corey Oliver Age: 15 Positions: Pitcher, third base vy Previous provinciats: 2 House league team: T.D.C.U. a KORE Melanson, 14, Scott Vanderlee ‘ e , 15, and Corey Oliver, 15, are getting CR & set for the Babe Ruth provincials July 21-26 in Quesnel. Sheldon Paulson (not pictured) Age: 13 Positions: Outfield, first base Previous provincials: 2 House league team: Kinsmen Craig Schultz Age: 15 Positions: Pitcher, first base ‘Previous provincials: 4 as House league team: - T.D.CU. ° Craig Schultz Calen Findlay Scott Vanderlee _ Age: 15 oo cher House league team: Positions: Pitcher, cat- _ Previous provincials: 3 Kinsmen ons