Canadian Chuck Norris of Drag and Drive

“Make it as fast as possible and still drive it home”

        Written by Jim Fox        Photos by Jesse Fox   3G Video

                                           Special photos given by Richard Guido

                                            The Name

Coming from a martial arts back ground myself, when I heard the name of Richard’s You Tube channel, “Canadianchucknorris69” it had my attention and I was interested in finding out more information.  Yes, Rich Guido is a black belt in Jiu Jitsu, and of course that is not the style of Chuck Norris but it is martial arts, so why the name? With Rich starting to attend drag and drive events in 2013, with the only one at that time being Drag Week held by Hot Rod Magazine, he has been to nineteen events up to this time and is going to compete in another one this year and has drove his car to all the events and back home, living in Canada, every time except one. That one time he had broke down at the end of the event and an empty trailer was headed back right past his house in Canada, so he let them take it home.  He said it was just there but if it hadn’t been he would have fixed it and drove it home. With this back ground in attending these events no wonder he is recognized as the Canadian Chuck Norris of Drag and Drive as deservingly so.

                                           First Event

“I just wanted to see how fast I could make my car, that I drove everywhere” Rich said. So he decided he would compete in Drag Week 2013. He didn’t own a trailer but from the very beginning he didn’t want a car that he could only drive on the track but that he could drive everywhere and compete in anything he wanted to. So out of necessity and desire Rich started driving to all the events. He got interested in the drag and drive events through Hot Rod Magazine and knew that was exactly what he wanted to do. He told his brother what he was going to do and his brother decided to do it too.  It wasn’t hard to get in the event back then, not a lot of drivers were competing like now. His dad rode as co-pilot and the three of them headed out. Five hours from home his brother’s car broke down and never having done this before, they had no idea what they needed to take with them. They didn’t have much but they got back on the road and made it to the event.

                                              Getting Introduced

It was hot that year, 113 degrees when they got there, pulled up on the scales to weight the car and the airbag burst from the heat of the exhaust.  They got introduced to drag and drive and it has been a learning experience ever since. Then Hot Rod Magazine heard about these Canadians driving their cars to the event, this was just not done back then. No one thought it was even possible. Hot Rod interviewed Rich, questioning if they had really drove all the way.  As they were talking they asked Rich how fast was the car?  He told them it will run 10s in the quarter, now the pressure was on.  Back then that was up in the top times.  Sure enough the first pass he ran a 10 and people just couldn’t believe he had drove it that far and could run 10s. Next there was a young girl that had just turned sixteen and she wanted to race. Her dad was with her but Hot Rod Magazine said “no way, she is too young”, they were not going to let her.  Rich and several other drivers said if you don’t let her compete then we are all leaving.  Rich has become good friends with Dennis and Alex Taylor since then.

                                     Broke In and Hooked

The first pass Rich’s brother made he hit both walls, they spent the rest of the day getting it so he could finish the event. He ended up receiving “spirit of the event” award. Rich ended up 2nd place in Big Box Street Race Power.  The first day they were there they had helped a guy fix his car on a transmission shop parking lot. The guy told them if they were ever around where he lived and needed help get ahold of him. On the way home they got to Fargo, ND and his brother’s car broke down just a short distance from this guy’s house. They got ahold of him and within an hour they were back on the road.

Rich said “If you can just complete the event you have won”, “The bond you form when you are in the middle of a struggle together”

They all three had a blast and was ready to go back the next year, they were hooked.

                                       Where Did He Come From?

Rich was raised on a farm in the Province of Albert Canada, him and his brother used whatever they had to get to the fields to work, motorcycles, snowmobiles, and even

Special Photo

put a snowmobile engine on a go-cart.

This was out of plain necessity, it was the easiest way to get to work.  Dad was a huge influence in mechanics because on the farm you fixed it yourself and got the work done, no excuses, you just did it.  There were no dragstrips around and only one oval track when growing up.  He learned early in life you make due with what you have and get creative, fix it and keep on going.  

Special Photo

He bought a Ba-ja Volkswagen Bug, fixed it up to run.  That was great, but he realized he wanted to go faster. 

                                                     Leaving Home

At age nineteen Rich left the farm, went to Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary.  A two year technology program for Power engineering technology receiving a University Degree diploma and steam tickets that allowed him to run power generator plants, plus other types of plants. He could be sitting at a desk running the whole plant or out doing rounds and checking equipment. He decided to do this so he could have a good job, make good money and he could do what he loves, race cars.  He is married and on the birth of his firstborn, a son, he got a job at a company based in Red Deer and has been with them for twenty-six years.  Has lots of vacation time and can do what he loves.  His wife is not one who wants to go to these events but is very supportive in letting him enjoy his toys and what he loves.  He has a twenty-two year old daughter and his son is now twenty-four. His dad still goes with him on some events.

Special Photo

                                                Back To His Cars

The nest car he had was a “69” Firebird convertible. He thought that would be good enough but then realized he still wanted to go faster.  But to do that in this car he would have to put a roll cage in it and with it being a convertible it just didn’t make since to do. It was running 12s when Rich sold it.  Then he found the GTO sitting in an orchard, in a junk yard. Rich does everything himself, remember that is the way he was raised. Striped it down knowing full well he wanted to go faster with it.  Still didn’t plan far enough ahead, thinking he would be happy with an 11.50 and no roll cage. That way he could still drive it anywhere, even on a road course.   He didn’t want a toy he could only drive at the track. Rich was building this with full intention of driving it in something like a Drag Week and was not going to trailer it, but drive it wherever he was going to race it.

Rich said “Drive it everywhere, street car first then race and do decent with it. Make it go as fast as possible and still drive it home.”

When first building the car he couldn’t get the speed and the economy on gas, the speed was there but not the gas mileage, 11.5 and 20 miles to the gallon. Now with technology being better it is faster and getting the miles to the gallon. Rich is hoping his son will get interested someday. His son drove a 78 Trans Am  that Rich is going to fix up and his son had fun, so maybe we will see both of them some day. Hats off to this pioneer of drag and drive that showed everyone that it can be done, drive it to the event and drive it home. Truly Canada’s Chuck Norris of Drag and Drive and a great example to all drag and drives around the world.