Billy Barker Days - Crash To Pass

In 1862 Billy Barker from Cambridgeshire, England struck gold in 1862 in what is now known as Barkerville. During its heyday it was reported that Barkerville was the largest city north of San Francisco and west of Chicago. Barkerville is located 90 km east of Quesnel and its existence eventually led to the formation of this humble little town of Quesnel. For 37 years and counting every 3rd week in July Quesnel pays homage to this humble gold miner in the form of Billy Barker Days.

There are many events that take place over the 4 days of the celebration but the main kickoff event is the Crash To Pass stock car races. Imagine old beater stock cars reinforced with ultraheavy duty roll cages and concrete in a no hits barred demolition derby. The rule is simple if you want to pass another car you MUST contact that car or you cannot be eligible to win your race. That 'contact' usually takes the form of a crash. There are many small races (6 to 8 cars on the track) but the main event is the 40 car Battle Royale .. it's simply mayhem and more fun to watch than you can imagine.

I forgot to bring my camera to last night's event but found this video on YouTube which captures the event fairly well.