Chris Ricker “Lucky” #13
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. 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.