Saturday morning sock hop

Girl group, surf/hot rod harmonies, driving beat, plaintive message. This song has it all.

Jimmy Carr, from Haney, into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame

This is somewhat old news, but here's a video of Jimmy being interviewed.

I've been watching some late 1980s videos of Skagit Speedway's Dirt Cup. Jimmy Carr was setting track records at that point in his sprint car and about ready to move to the World of Outlaws, to race and then to be chief mechanic.



The big ceremony will be in Toronto, in late September.

Slo-mo-shun, 1951

Some more information on the Slo-mo-shun exhibition in Burrard Inlet back in 1951.

Sunday funnies

Some more hot rod lingo from the 50s.

CAMRA reunion

Mark it on your calender and attend!

Langley let down

It has been pointed out that a lot of misinformation has been put out by opponents to the reopening of Langley Speedway. Like that it was not popular when it closed.

Really it's amazing how well it was still doing considering the one and two year leases it had to operate with after 1979 through to the end of 1984.

Here's a 1984 story on Langley.

The key line, for me anyway, is: The stocks have raced at Action Raceway (former Langley Speedway) in south Langley since 1965. It gets tougher each summer. For several years now, the Greater Vancouver Regional District threatens not to renew Action Raceway's one-year lease on the land in Campbell Valley Park. Track officials talk of an all-purpose racing site to accommodate the doomed sports car drivers (Westwood in Coquitlam closes next year), the homeless dragsters (Mission shut down fives years ago) and the edgy stock car enthusiasts. But politicians ears are deaf on the subject. There's no percentage in special interest groups especially ones as noisy as the stockers. So racing spectators tend to treat each race as the drivers do: as if it were their last.

(So Westwood lasted a bit longer than 1985 and Mission finally reopened as a drag strip along with accommodating the sports cars. But Langley was left swinging in the wind.)

The Slo Mo Shun power boats in Burrard Inlet, 1951

Sponsored by the Vancouver Sun, two of the Slo Mo Shuns were on display at the PNE. Then, before they headed south, they put on a display for us Canadians on a course set out on Burrard Inlet east of the North Shore bridge (which would eventually be built as the Ironworkers' Memorial Bridge).

some more Roy Shadbolt and north shore hill climbs

August 20, 1951 Vancouver Sun

Information from a mid-70s Westwood program.

Roy Shadbolt

Some attention was paid to a picture of Roy Shadbolt heading up Grouse Mountain in a sports car. This was at a recent Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers Society car show in North Vancouver.

So here is the picture and an item from the early 1950s on Roy and his racer.

Gary Lang's Revolution

The feature car at the recent Vancouver Collector Car Show/Sale/Auction was Gary Lang's Revolution. It was a cover car in the old Motorsport in BC.

Vancouver Collector Car Show/Sale/Auction

Some photos from the recent VCC show/sale/auction at the PNE.

BCHRA collection.

Gary Lang's hot rod.

Sunday funnies

Some lingo from the day.

Saturday morning sock hop

Seeings as I'll be down by the water Sunday morning here's a boat instrumental.

1969 Langley Speedway points, part two

Points for CORA and LARA:

1969 -- CORA (Canadian Oval Racing Association)

High points -- John Rothwell

Record cup -- Dennis Lester

Sportsman of the year -- Bill Godfrey

Mechanic of the year -- Marty Hayden

Rookie of the year -- Bill Klugh

Best appearing crew -- Ken Sayers, #55

Best appearing car -- Clare Walsh and Bill Hunt

Best prepared car -- John Rothwell

Best competitor -- Gordie Hemrich

Most improved driver -- Brian Moore

Most aggressive driver -- Mac Morrison

Most consistent driver -- Dennis Lester

Most popular crew and driver -- Gordie Hemrich

Most enthusiastic club members -- Keith Davidson and Ed Weissmiller

1969 Langley Auto Racing Association (LARA)

Modified stocks

1 -- Dave Angus
2 -- Jim Dinsmore
3 -- Lloyd Bellamy
4 -- Rick Atchison
5 -- Bob Baker

Best appearing pit crew -- Jim and Bill Dinsmore

Best appearing car -- Dave Angus

Outstanding club member of the year -- Larry Gibbons

Early-lates

1 -- Al Tourond

Most improved driver -- Lou Ferguson

Langley Speedway, yearend points, part one

1969 BCTRA

A modified points -- Bob Warman

Top mechanic -- George Doonan

B modified points -- Ron Morris

Top mechanic -- Tim Wright

Super stock points -- George Cook

Top mechanic -- Wayne Fingies

Early-late points -- Ron Morrison

Top mechanic -- Tim Johnson

Sportsman of the year -- Jack Cross

Rookie of the year -- Steve Dyer

Best appearing car and crew -- Len Barcelo

Hard luck award

A -- Cal Arnold

B -- Ron Lamont

Next year the modifieds will use CAMRA rules. Time ins will be sorted into A and B classes based on time.

355 cu. In. allowed for 1970.

1970 BCTRA executive

President -- Larry Sproule
Vice-president -- Ron Lamont
Secretary -- Steve Dyer
Treasurer -- Jack Cross

Sunday, September 28, 1969, Langley Speedway

Sunday, September 28, 1969

Langley “2500”

8500 in attendance

B dash

1 -- Dennis Wooden, Surrey, $50

A dash

1 -- Garry Kershaw, $100

C main (15 laps)

1 -- Jim MacMillan, $100
2 -- Tom Hankins, $50
3 -- Brad Baerg, $50
All from Surrey

B main (40 lap)

1 -- Dennis Wooden, $200
2 -- Rick Adsit, Langley, $100
3 -- Ron Morrison, Langley, $50

Dennis Wooden put an A modified engine into an early-late.

Wooden and Adsit fighting for first until Adsit spun lap 35.

A main (60 laps) (18 start, 7 finish)

1 -- George Cook, Vancouver, $1000
2 -- Gordie Hemrich, Vancouver, $400
3 -- Gary Kershaw, Victoria, $200
4 -- Ron Eaton, Tacoma, $100
5 -- Roy Haslam, Victoria, $50

Rollie Walker let first 10 laps. Crashed into fence lap 36. John Rothwell and Bill Godfrey leading. Godfrey lost left front wheel lap 50. Rothwell blew an engine lap 55. It was raining at the end of the race.

George Cook took the “favourite driver of the year” award.

Trophies awarded by Miss Richmond, Debby McWilliams.

Sunday, September 21, 1969, Langley Speedway

Sunday, September 21, 1969

Championships for BCTRA/CORA/LARA

LARA early-late dash

1 -- Frank Fletcher

BCTRA early-late dash

1 -- Steve Dyer

LARA modified stock dash

1 -- Rick Atchison

CORA super stock dash

1 -- Dennis Lester

BCTRA B modified dash

1 -- Brian Thompson

BCTRA A modified dash

1 -- Barry Chamberlain

LARA early-late consolation main

1 -- Earl Wutke
2 -- Jerry Meyers
3 -- Frank Waters

LARA early-late main (20 start, 9 finish)

1 -- Rick Adsit
2 -- Dale McCartney
3 -- Ken Marwood

LARA early-late main first lap -- 12 crash with five out of the race.

BCTRA early-late main

1 -- Ron Morrison
2 -- Steve Dyer
3 -- Tom Fogg

BCTRA early-late main had nine accidents.

Modified stock main

1 -- Rick Atchison
2 -- Jim Dinsmoore
3 -- Lloyd Bellamy

Super stock main (40 laps)

1 -- John Rothwell
2 -- Gordie Hemrich
3 -- Rick Goodwin

Hemrich spun on lap 19. Made his way back to finish second.

Combined A& B modified main

1 -- A -- Cal Arnold

1 -- B -- Brian Thompson

Sunday, September 14, 1969, Langley Speedway

Ron Morris' B modified. From the Langley Speedway Historical Society archives. Photo by Ed Jacques.

Sunday, September 14, 1969

BCTRA

3100 in attendance

NTR -- B modified -- Ron Morris -- 15.65

Early-late dash

1 -- Rick Adsit

Super stock dash

1 -- John Rothwell

B modified dash

1 -- Ron Morris

A modified dash

1 -- Bob Warman

First early-late heat

1 -- Clarence Regenwetter
2 -- Terry Keeler
3 -- Bill Hamon

Second early-late heat

1 -- Don Gibson
2 -- Dave Gaudet
3 -- Jim Cork

Third early-late heat

1 -- Ken Marwood
2 -- Al Hewer
3 -- Jim Foreman

Fourth early-late heat

1 -- Frank Fletcher
2 -- Tom Fogg
3 -- unknown

Fifth early-late heat

1 -- Rick Adsit
2 -- Ron Morrison
3 -- Dennis Corfe

First super stock heat

1 -- Brian Moore
2 -- Bill Hunt
3 -- Bill Strachan

Second super stock heat

1 -- John Rothwell
2 -- Dennis Lester
3 -- George Cook

B modified heat

1 -- Ron Morris
2 -- Cal Hough
3 -- Dale Desabrais (Calgary)

A modified heat

1 -- Cal Arnold
2 -- Bob Warman
3 -- Barry Chamberlain

Early-late consolation main

1 -- Terry Keeler
2 -- Clarence Regenwetter
3 -- Bill Hamon

Early-late B main

1 -- Gerard McHale
2 -- Lee Thomas
3 -- Jack Thompson

Early-late A main (18 start, 12 finish)

1 -- Jim Munden (Kamloops)
2 -- Al Baldwin
3 -- John Kowaliuk

Super stock main (17 start, 7 finish)

1 -- John Rothwell
2 -- Gordie Hemrich
3 -- Ken Sayers

Lap one -- 12 cars crashed. Bill Hunt spun while in lead. Three out. Cook touched Hemrich on the last lap and spun.

Combined A & B main

1 -- A -- Cal Arnold

1 -- B -- Ron Morris