midgets' return

Last week's Langley Speedway race review from 1966 featured the midgets from Washington State.

Over the years the midgets were a major driving force in developing motorsport in the Greater Vancouver area. At Con Jones Park as the Second World War began, at various tracks after the war, encouraging Andy Digney to build Digney Speedway in Burnaby, the BCMARA built False Creek Speedway, and finally into the 1960s and 70s at Langley Speedway.

So on July 19th, 2008 the midgets of the WMRA are scheduled to return to the lower mainland, Agassiz Speedway to be specific. First time in, what?, 30 years?

Cool.

The clipping on top features a win by Mel McGoughy followed by Don Olds, Shorty Templeman and Lew Florence.

Clark "Shorty" Templeman is a legend in the history of midget racing and it's interesting to note that the 1966 Langley midget results included his son Clark.

I received a letter from wife and mother, Mary Templeman, who, due to the fatal accidents to both husband and son, knew more about the high cost of racing. Apparently she was originally from Langley Prairie, BC.

Bob "Craig" Gregg raced for decades coming to Langley and winning a CAMRA race in 1967.

Ed Kostenuk ran USAC for a few years. Bob Henry started Van-Kam Trucking.

And Lew Florence went onto sports car racing coming up to Westwood numerous times.

Lots of history with the midgets.