After moving to Burnaby in the mid-1950s Ralph Monhay was intro-duced to auto racing by Digney Speedway announcer Dick Brooks. Hooked, he got a 1934 Ford with him-self as crew chief, mechanic and driver, his shop the backyard of a rented flat. His number that year was 32, not the 33 he became well known for. A subsequent car, numbered 33, at Digney, was a 1936 Ford.

With the Burnaby speedway wind-ing down in 1958, Ralph only raced a few times at the Cloverdale Fair-grounds with a 1934 Ford on a 1948 Ford chassis. The same car raced at Haney (dirt) and False Creek (paved) Speedways in 1959 where Ralph gained his first major sponsor, Intercity Express. He also got his first crew chief, Kent Daly who worked with Ralph for many years.

In 1960, Ralph sold the old Ford, teaming with Jim Marchant. They built a new car using another 1934 Ford frame and running gear with a Fiat body. At False Creek, the team won a few main events. Another car was built for 1961. Over that year and the next, Ralph Monhay dominated the newly paved Haney Speedway, winning 24 of

RALPH MONHAY - Inducted 2004

Pioneer - Oval Racing

by Brian Pratt

Monhay in his modified, 1960  (Ralph Monhay collection)

Ralph Monhay

31 main events, including the major trophy races, as well as the points championships for both years.

Another new car for 1963 was a move to the supermodifieds. Ralph and Jim campaigned the car at Haney Speedway as well as competing in the first ever Canadian American Modified Racing Association (CAMRA) event at Nanaimo. On a limited CAMRA schedule, they finished 10^th in points. In 1964, the car debuted a 289 Ford Cobra high performance engine. Lead-ing in points at Haney when the track and the British Columbia Track Racing Association (BCTRA) parted company Ralph also raced at Prince George a few times that year.

A radically new offset roadster super-modified was the 1965 car built

for Ralph by Marchant and crew. They raced at the new Langley Speedway and the CAMRA circuit finishing 8^th in points in 1965 and 3^rd in 1966. In the so-called off-season for those years, Ralph also raced a Mini-Minor in the foreign stock car races at the Agridome winning the championship there.

From 1967 through 1969, Ralph teamed with Seattle’s Bob Morgan to race the CAMRA circuit. Setbacks in 1967 resulted in an 8^th place finish, but in the next two years Ralph finished third in points for the international series. Even though he won many races on the circuit, Ralph’s only CAMRA championship came when he was crew chief for Don “Rebel” Selby of Portland, Oregon, in 1971.

Ralph returned to racing in 1974 with Al Levien as his partner. They purchased a RAM sprint car known as The Advertiser and ran it until Ralph stopped racing after the 1977 season. In CAMRA points Ralph finished 3^rd in both 1974 and 75, and 8^th in 1977.

From 1978 through 1980 Ralph promoted CAMRA and stock car events at Kamloops, Prince George, Terrace, Cranbrook, Edmonton, Calgary and Spokane.