For the last month, race car drivers have busy been fine-tuning their Camaros, Dodges, Buicks and Monte Carlos.
They're making sure all systems are a go in their late-'70s to mid-'80s street stock cars in advance of the second race of the Tri-City Race Series Invitational at Prince George Auto Racing Association's speedway this weekend.
"There are a lot of new cars coming out, it's ignited everybody to get back into racing like it used to be 20 years ago," said Bill Klugh who represents PGARA on the Tri-City Race Series organization. "This is old-fashioned stock car racing and will be the best show ever of street stocks.
"They're all steel-body cars and racing slicks with high performance motors. It goes back to local, grass roots stock cars."
Historically, the Tri-City Race Series was a joint effort of street stock racing between tracks in Prince George, Quesnel and Williams Lake.
In 2014 it's now open to street stocks from across the province.
Twenty cars from Penticton, Victoria, Fort St. John and five from Prince George competed in the Stampede Invitational in Williams Lake June 28-29, the first race of the series, where Brian Clutchey of Penticton won the checkered flag.
They return to PGARA Saturday and Sunday for the Twin Rivers Tri-City Invitational and Klugh expects 20 cars in the field where they'll race in a 50 to 75-lap main event.
"It's a huge reincarnation," said Klugh. "[Opening it up to others around B.C. has] brought life back to the whole series."
Drivers will not only chase for points in the Tri-City race, but they'll be after PGARA points as well in the Richmond Steel Stocks.
Other drivers to watch out for include Byron Hesselgrave of Quesnel as well as Steve Jefferson of Prince George, who drives Klugh's car. Jefferson sits second in PGARA's street stock points with 109, right behind points leader Jerry Gascon who sits with 138 points.
Shane Murphy, Dave Adrian and Brent Falkowsky round out the Prince George contingent in the Tri-City field.
Those with the highest combined PGARA and Tri-City points on Saturday will win the Bill Klugh Senior Memorial Trophy. Past winners include Prince George driver Chris Arronge and Jarrett Bonn of Fort St. John who led the 2013 Street Stock Invitational points, but has now moved up to the ASA Race Series.
Besides the street stocks, the weekend at PGARA also features the Inland Kenworth Hornets and the Chieftain Auto Parks Mini Stocks.
Qualifying begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, followed by racing at 7 p.m.
Sunday, qualifying starts at 1 p.m., followed by racing at 2 p.m.
