Tim Christy - 1998 Thundercar Champion

When Tim Christy first started racing in the thundercar class at Western Speedway, he recalls that his goal was to just win a main event. "I never dreamed then of winning three championships, " he said.

Not only did he win three championships which is a feat in itself, but to win three in a row is a special bonus in a class that is considered the most competitive to run at Western Speedway in many years.

To beat out such tough competition as Lou Melin, Jeff Montgomery and Mike Haslam, speaks volumes for the talent of Christy.

Besides his '98 championship win, Christy (also a former claimer champ) won four of the twelve main events - claimed thirteen top four finishes - and holds the track record at 17:91.

He is moving on this year to the Ensign Travel Sportsman Series which ran it's debut season last year. The Colwood resident is looking forward to competing in the sportsman class because of the high number of cars and drivers registered - "it means even more competition and that's what I like," Christy said.

He will be running the same car with the same rainbow colors and number 69. "I've had the car for five years now," he said. "And the crew and I know it inside and out."

The car (a '75 Ventura) is undergoing few changes for the '99 season, and Christy feels that his car will be fairly competitive in the sportsman class.

But if Christy's past track performances can be used as a barometer, then race fans can expect to see those rainbow colors pull into victory square again this coming season.

 

One On One With Tim Christy
by Lois Pollard-Grant

Tim Christy has been turning heads for many years now as he plows through competition to win championship after championship. You could say the modest 20 year veteran driver from Colwood has everything going for him - he's winning races, he's popular with fans, he has an A-1 pit crew and his wife Kathy and daughter's Ashley and Danielle, are totally behind him in his racing endeavors.

LPG: What were your earliest recollections of racing?

TC: That would have to be going out as a kid watching guys like Kershaw and Rick O'Dell as well as Gord Smith and Keith Cahill in demo's.

LPG: What class did you start driving in?

TC: I drove demo cars for nine years. I drove my first race the day after I got my drivers license. I was 16.

LPG: What other classes have you raced?

TC: Claimers, demo trucks and once in figure-eights. As well I have raced thundercars, stockcars and now sportsman.

LPG: What made you switch from demo driving to straight-up racing?

TC: The politics. I got black flagged for excessive hitting. Imagine! After winning the main event I had my win taken away. That's how I ended up in claimers.

LPG: You have done something that no other driver at Western Speedway has ever done. You've won six consecutive championships. (three in thundercars and three in sportsman) How do you feel about such an accomplishment?

TC: It's a great achievement. Not just my record but my crew's record as well. I wouldn't have won that many without them. It's definitely a team effort. The past six years have been all the same people.

LPG: What are your goals for 2002?

TC: To make it seven in a row.

LPG: Who do you see as your toughest competitor(s) this year?

TC: There's so many. There could be a half dozen or so.

LPG: Like many drivers at the local level of auto racing, who dream of one day becoming a professional race car driver, could you see yourself racing in such leagues as CASCAR or NASCAR?

TC: I still feel to this day if I didn't live on an island, I could of had a chance. Exposure is essential.

LPG: Why do you think more drivers (from here) haven't made it into the big league?

TC: Drivers from the island have phenomenal talent and I believe it's exposure they need. When guys come for invitationals or go away to race, they do exceptionally well. People who learn to drive at Western Speedway I believe have an upper hand.

LPG: In all the races I've ever seen at Western Speedway, I'd have to say one of the most exciting was the B.C. Sportsman Invitational last year. Due to a mechanical problem you had to pit during the first segment of the race and you lost four laps. In the second segment you started on the outside pole and went on to gain all your laps back until you were in fifth position on the lead lap. At that point of the race I felt that you had a legitimate shot at winning the race. In the closing laps, mechanical problems again forced you to pit, ending any chance for a victory. How did you feel?

TC: How can I forget (with a laugh) The crew was very dejected but overall we were proud of how we made a come back. In the first segment we were forced to pit with a leaky head gasket which resulted in us going four laps down. In the final segment and with only 12 laps to go the harmonic balancer had split in two. Even so, we were still proud of how it all went down. I knew we must have done alright because people were shaking my hand and congratulating me.

LPG: Most of us know how much of a commitment racing is, and the time and effort it takes to be a championship driver. So do you find time to do other things?

TC: Lots of things. I golf, play hockey and baseball. We try to spend only one night a week on the car so I can do camping with my family. I believe in, if it's not broke don't touch it.

LPG: Is racing still fun?

TC: Yes, but it is losing some of its luster. At one time I used to live for it, but now I do it because it's part of me. The more serious you take it, the more it takes from you. I think we still do it because it keeps me in touch with my friends and I'll enjoy it as long as they (the crew) are enjoying it. After all, I'm doing the best part of it (the driving).

LPG: What advice would you like to pass on to young people who would like to get started in racing?

TC: Go to the track and get into the pits. Learn by asking questions. You will only learn half of what you can achieve if you don't ask questions.