At the track, Al Silvester was a fearless stunt driver and racer.
Earlier this fall he lost his battle with cancer. Now friends and family are remembering the man who meant so much to the B.C. racing community and fulfilling his dying wish.
Silvester became a fixture on the track and was a three-time champion at the PNE rollover competition.
“There’d be a couple of times he’d get out of the car and say ‘I can’t move, I’m a little sore.’ But he’d back in the car and do it again,” Mike Grieve, Al’s crew chief told This is BC.
Known as Al ‘The Cat’ Silvester, he became a popular fixture on the local circuit.
“We lived and breathed motorsports,” his wife Laurie said. “Our first date was Agassiz Speedway.”
Al was diagnosed with blood cancer in November 2021. After undergoing treatment and being given the all-clear this past May, he contracted COVID in July. By August, doctors informed him that his cancer had returned.
He passed away at the age of 55 on Sept. 25.
Since his death last month, Laurie has been honoring her late husband within the racing community and opened up the Armstrong Demolition Derby with a special tribute.
But before he died, the couple started a fundraiser for cancer research.
The goal is to raise $88,000, a nod to Al’s favourite number and part of the lasting legacy of a guy who gave everything he had to the sport he loved.
“He made a difference. He made an impact,” Grieve said.
“He will always be a part of us. And we’ll continue the show. We’ll carry on.”
To send Jay Durant a story idea, contact him at This is BC.