Just as the name implies, you have to hit to pass.
The drivers who take their cars out for a spin tonight at PGARA Speedway won't likely have to be reminded of that rule. They can't wait to lay a licking on their fellow drivers.
At least a dozen vehicles are expected for Chieftain Auto Parts Hit-to-Pass Extravaganza, the first of two demolition derbies the Prince George Auto Racing Association will sponsor this year.
The victorious driver will pocket a $1,500 prize. PGARA is waiving the usual $50 entry fee as incentive to get more cars to the track tonight. The winner will be the driver of the last car running in the main event. After the clock strikes 10 p.m. the pits will be closed and whoever lasts longest without getting destroyed, getting a flat tire or running out of fuel will be declared the winner.
The 1980s-era cars are now the staple of hit to pass. Lost to the scrapyard are the big boats of the '60s and '70s that used to dominate the demo field.
"It's not all Impalas and Caprices anymore," said PGARA President Chris Arronge. "The smaller cars are hitting smaller cars now, so they're lasting longer. The guys are building them a lot better than they used to.
"We're allowed to use more barsht, a test of engine power between two trucks tied together with a thick strand of rope.
"We'll do it right on the racetrack," said Arronge. "Anybody is welcome to enter that and we'll do a couple rounds of that in between the [hit to pass] dashes and heats. A 2011 Ford diesel pickup won it last year."
Hit to pass is always popular with spectators and it helps the club inside the right front fender that you use for spinning people out, and the front of the cars are a little stronger. They used to be just two bars up and one across and now we allow two other bars back from that to support it as well, so that kind of holds everything forward."
The 4X4 tug of war is on again tonigpay its bills. Another hit to pass is scheduled for September.
The crowd last weekend for the ARCA OK Tire Sportsman Series Mr. Quick Lube and Oil 100 was about 850, which Arronge said was one of the biggest crowds in recent years for a strictly stock car event.
Before the end of the season, PGARA plans to build an inside wall around the pit infield area using interlocking cement blocks. Also on the list of projects is to repair the light standard on Turn 1 and try to improve the track lighting on the backstretch area.
Racing starts tonight at 7. The best-appearing car contest will be judged at 6:15 p.m.
