Going the Distance – Richard Guido Bringing his 8-Second GTO to Death Week
Richard Guido is a name that most of the drag-and-drive community has heard before, as the Canadian hasn’t been shy about flogging his trusty ’65 Pontiac GTO at a number of events over the last several years.
In 2023, the man known by many as the “Canadian Chuck Norris” picked up a second-straight Stick Shift class victory at Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive, finished second in the Manpedal class on Miles of Mayhem, and even got to stage up as part of an invitation group at the final National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) national event at Bandimere Raceway.
Now, Guido will add a new trip to his resume, as he has committed to bringing his turbocharged Pontiac out west to be a participant on Death Week. “I’m excited about the concept, and the fact it’s all one big class,” said Guido. “I think I have a decent chance to place well.
It will be an epic road trip, and it reminds me of Sick Week. You’re so far away from home, from possible spares. Trips like this takes some good planning.”
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Building on the Sick Week subject, Guido stated this year’s Sick Week was the ultimate drag-and-drive for him. “Driving from Canada to Florida in the winter, plus the amount of snow I trekked through on the way home, was brutal,” said Guido.
“I was using the road’s rumble strips to guide me home, as it was so white you couldn’t see anything on the road. I probably removed 500 pounds of snow and ice from the car once we got home. For a complete event, including the drive to and from my house, Sick Week 2023 was the most brutal.”
Guido brought his 80-year-old father along for the Sick Week ride, and plans to do the same for Death Week, where his dad will celebrate his 81st birthday.
“It a better adventure with him,” said Guido. “With drag-and-drives there is a huge community, and some consider it family. It’s a bunch of like-minded people that are willing to help, get down and dirty and get shit done to get everyone possible to the next track or the next stop.”
Death Week will mark Guido’s fourth drag-and-drive of the 2023 calendar, coming less than a month after Rocky Mountain Race Week 2.0 that will conclude on October 6th. “It will be a busy October,” said Guido. “But a black Death Week helmet would look really cool next to the orange ones!”
Ready for the ultimate road trip? For more information on Death Week, visit the website HERE!
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine and Richard Guido.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com