"I was never for cleanliness," Saulnier said about
the car some could mistake as a winter beater instead of the
legendary racer it is. "As long as it runs, good. Don't
touch it." As much as the Malibu may destroy your preconceptions
about what a racecar should look like, Saulnier himself isn't
your typical racer. In a young man's sport, at the age of 65
he has proved experience can't be beaten, especially when it
comes to mastering pure power on the racetrack.
"I've been racing for 35 years. I've won 221 trophies,
16 championships, and right now I'm in 2nd place for points
this year."
With an oddball 454 big-block engine, Saulnier said the power
and torque generated allow the car to squat low on the line
and shoot ahead when it's time to race. "This thing is
deadly on take off," he explained. "It'll rev to
6,500 instantly like a small block, but it's a big block.
I've had it up to 180 miles-per hour."
Saulnier said the secret to his racetrack success came early
in his career, with advice from some of the best in Manitoba's
racing history. "I used to race at Brooklands back in
the 60s, but I used to get smashed up all the time. My cousin
who had a slow car was winning all the time at Keystone, so
I moved there," Saulnier said, adding the move wasn't
a recipe for instant racing results. "At Keystone, I
was lousy until Bob Beckert taught me how to drive. After
that, I won five championships in a row."
With Beckert's advice ringing in his ear, and a powerful
car roaring under foot, Saulnier's longevity on the racing
scene commands respect and admiration from his fellow racers.
Those who underestimate Saulnier and the car he originally
purchased for just over $100 do so at their peril, not to
mention their pride.
"I had a guy who had a $87,000 Corvette who said he
was unbeatable," Saulnier laughed. "I chewed him
bad."
Still, the father of 10 and grandfather of five said some
of the most satisfying races have come not with the big dollar
prizes at the track, or the glory of wasting cars several
times the value of his own, but instead have come against
good friends on back roads. And no need to bring champagne
to his winner's circle.
"I used to race from Ile des Chenes to Landmark against
my buddies for coffee and donuts," he reflected with
a proud smile. "I have yet to pay for coffee and donuts."
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