TERRY McHARDY

Pioneer - Hot Rod, Custom Car and Drag Racing

Nominated by Dave Johnstone - 2007

The Hikida/McHardy 1933 Willys

In 1959 Terry, and his King Ed High School buddies joined the Lightning Rods car club.

He started attending drag races at Arlington Drag Strip in the early ‘60s. His car was the first one through the gates at the old Mission drag strip on opening day in 1965 where he ran a ‘63 Dodge.

Terry feels his first real race car was a 265 ci ‘56 Chevy: Stoutenberg and McHardy's Hog of Steel. By 1969, Terry had moved up to a 426 ci ‘63 Plymouth. In 1973, Terry teamed up with Mas Hikida and ran a 1933 Willys coupe in a gas supercharged class becoming Canada's fastest door car at the time.

In 1974 Terry joined the Vancouver Police Force. While at the academy, due to a major win over the American blown gassers the Vancouver Sun ran an article and photo of the Flying Constable causing a little flak, as he was committed to fifteen hours minimum homework every weekend.

During 1975 Mas and Terry ran a blown Fiat Topolino then built a ‘70 Dodge funny car called Long Shot.

At the end of the ‘70s he took a break

from racing and went street rodding along with long time friend and racer John Evans, kept up with racing with trips to Pomona, California. Terry got the itch to go racing again late in the ‘80s and partnered with Bob Richards and Colin MacKay. They built a new ‘33 Willys for the AA gas supercharged class, with engine work by Mas Hikida and paint and flames by Dave

Johnstone. The car was very successful over a two year span. The Willys set the et record for the class July 1, 1991 at 7.95 seconds for the 1/4 mile. Sadly the car was destroyed in a spectacular crash at the Eagle Motorplex in Sept. of ‘91. Terry ended up in hospital in Ashcroft with, in his words, “lots of owees”. In 1992 the same four man team brought out the Highlander Racing AA/A Roadster which ran 6.71 et at 209 mph on its first pass. Terry retired the roadster and started driving Bill Vissers supercharged Hemi Cuda The Old Timer off and on over the next 10 years. At the same time he also raced his own ‘27 Roadster an injected big block Chev.

Terry along with some drag racing teachers was instrumental in forming the BC High School Drag Racing Program in the early 90s.

Now settled in Summerland, BC with his wife Callie, Terry still does a bit of racing at 63 years young with his ‘65 Dodge Coronet, running in the mid 10 seconds.

Terry says the best thing he remembers about the sport of drag racing was his association with his partners from Brent to Mas to Colin and Bob, “Couldn't have done it without them”.

Terry McHardy, 1992

By Dave Johnstone, 2007