Setback does not deter Ford

Wins despite his transmission being replaced

Local race car driver Howard Ford poses with his first place trophy along with his grandson Landon, 3, on Sunday in Eureka. Photo courtesy of Vanessa Ford

But local race car driver Howard Ford and his crew were undeterred, borrowing a transmission and moving at lightning speed to get the car ready by race time.

The car lost its transmission during a pre-race trophy dash Saturday night at the  Redwood Acres Speedway in Eureka.  While the car ran once the new transmission was put in, it was still not at 100 percent since it could only operate in third and fourth gears and could not reverse.

“His only gears were fast and faster,” said Ford’s daughter Vanessa Ford.

Ford overcame these obstacles to take the top spot in a race for the first time this season.

He was not done yet.

The next day in Eureka, despite his car still not being 100 percent, he won another race.

“It was some weekend,” Ford said. “The crew did an amazing job switching the transmission.”

Ford had taken part in two races this season, taking second in one and having to pull out of another due to his car being damaged on the first lap.

The weekend victories meant a lot to Ford.

He said he wanted to win a race for his father, Bud Ford, who died in late 2009. Howard Ford had not won a car race since his father died.

Bud Ford was at every race and was very close to his son. His father, who for years owned a body repair shop, was one of his key crew members, making sure the car was ready on race day,

“I’m pretty happy,” Ford said. “It lets my dad know things are getting better. I’m not a quitter.”

On Sunday, after he had won the second race, he celebrated with his ecstatic grandson Landon, 3.

Vanessa Ford said that her son was excited to watch his grandad win a race.

“He asked “did papa really win the Piston Cup?” his mother said, alluding to the Pixar movie “Cars.” “He was really excited at the race and was asking all kinds of questions.”

Ford plans to race again next month in Ukiah.

In 2007 and 2008, Ford won the North State Challenge Racing Series and is known as an elite driver in the region.

Ford began racing in 1977 at the Samoa drag strip in Humboldt County, winning several times, and has been racing for the most part ever since.