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Chris Ricker was a young mechanic who worked at Allen’s Auto in Dunnville
by day and at night and weekends, followed racing, especially his hero
Earl Ross, from Ailsa Craig, Ontario, who not only raced at local tracks
in Ontario on that other “stuff”, asphalt, but raced and won in NASCAR’s
Grant National Circuit back in the early 1970’s. That aside, the racing
bug attracted Chris to build a 1970 Chevelle, paint his hero’s #13 on it
and hit the local dirt tracks, in the bomber division, the equivalent to a
dirt late model entry class in 1984. Chris had shunned the myth of #13,
by placing a respectable seventh place in the points standings at
Merrittville Speedway. For 1986 a new stronger car would be
fabricated, as the Ricker #13 would compete at all the area tracks and
would be rewarded with the 1986 Bomber Championships at Merrittville and
Ransomville Speedways and with a runner up at Humberstone.
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While attaining much success in the bomber division, for the 1987 season,
Chris Ricker and crew made the huge jump to Modified. The Ricker Racing
team from Dunnville showed up at Merrittville Speedway with the
ex-Ivan Little Troyer modified, trailer and all. The car sported
yellow flames and his now familiar #13.
The 1987 season was spent re-learning how to get around Merrittville and
Humberstone in a modified and by season’s end a respectable 12 place in
modified points was attained, a great season for a rookie.
From 1988 to 1990 the #13 modified continued to develop as a consistent
competitor at area tracks and by 1990 the refreshed Troyer chassis now
sported new sponsorship from Chris’s new business C.J. Ricker Mobile
Maintenance.
Chris was a perfectionist and eager to attain his former success in the
bomber division. For 1992 he piloted a brand new Bicknell small block
modified, owned by his wife Vicki.
As the years went by, the Ricker Racing #13 was a consistent competitor
at area tracks, especially Merrittville Speedway. At the
Merrittville Speedway 2001 banquet, Chris Ricker was awarded the
Kelley-Winger Sportsmanship award for his years of conduct and
representing the sport in a professional way. The yellow #13 would
continue to compete strongly at Merrittville, but after 20 plus years in
the sport, Chris hung up his driving suit at the end of 2005.
Today Chris and Vicki tend to their horses on their farm in Dunnville and
C.J. Ricker Mobile Maintenance still demands Chris’s day to
day attention. Tonight Chris we welcome you to the L. St.
Amand sponsored “Alumni Wall of Fame” recognizing another career of
horsepower, especially at Merrittville Speedway.
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