mea culpa number two

Back here I made the mistake of saying John Cordts won the 1968 Laguna Seca Can-Am race. It's been pointed out to me, and I should have caught this back then, that it was John Cannon who won that race.

Yerks! Wrong again. Will this imperfect history never end!!?

duel of the mighty midgets, part 10

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! A full field of midget racers, one with a wrench!

an interesting photo site

I'd been aware of this photo site before but Marty Kobata has added to it over the past while. Lots of interesting west coast stuff: oval, drag racing, etc. Mostly northern California but the Racing Wheels scans come right up to Langley and Western Speedways.

Find it here.

The photo is the front page of Racing Wheels with Prince George's Cliff Hucul at Nanaimo, BC's Grandview Bowl.

under the "em", for the Emerald City, Seattle

A few ads from the pre-World War One era, out the Seattle PI. Two tracks: Madison Park, a half mile; and the Meadows, a mile.

I've read that the Meadows was located at what became the Boeing Field but I'm not positive on that. Been looking for a map from that era online but haven't found one yet.

Most of my research has been done around the July 4th AAA races at Tacoma. Seems like the racing at both Seattle tracks involved the same cars that competed at Tacoma. Bob Burman, in 1913, and Teddy Tetzlaff, in 1914, both carried on further north to race at Vancouver, BC's Minoru park.

More about Minoru soon. But first, a beginning on what little I have on Madison Park and the Meadows in Seattle.

(I understand that Seattle was known as the Queen City until just recently. Now it's known as the Emerald City. History....)

Langley Speedway, July 25, 1965

A limited amount of information from various sources: Sun, Leader and Advance.

I suppose what happened was one car, a super modified driven by Chub Milo out of Bremerton, WA, went over the wall and that took up most of the coverage.

Ralph Monhay set another new track record with a qualifying time of 15.2o seconds.

Ralph also won the 25-lap A main.

Denny Goldstraw in his #40 car won the B main.

Milo, while trying to pass Bruce Bensmiller in his #66, clipped the Bensmiller front end and ended up doing a slow roll over the southeast fence. First car out of the park. Bensmiller was able to fix his car. Milo's front end looked bad but he was okay.

The Leader noted that Ralph Monhay was interested in joining the CAMRA circuit to do some racing.

According to the same newspaper there were at least 60 cars in the pits. Wish we knew what the stocks and the early lates were up to.

Like the regular press we'll look at the crash (we hope no one gets hurt but we don't want to miss seeing them). The top shot from the Surrey Leader and the bottom from Road and Motorsport in BC. The bottom is definitely by Ed Jacques. The top probably is as well.

imca, 1920 part three

The end of this IMCA installment features the only time the touring group visited Vancouver's Hastings Park. During the first day of racing a challenge race between a pair of racers from the IMCA and the AAA competed. Jack Ross, representing the AAA won.

This installment also features the beginning of a number of years that the IMCA was part of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). Although this blog is intended to cover the west we'll include T.O. (Toronto) as being on the eastern fringes of the best part of Canada (tongue firmly in cheek).

So:

Saturday, August 28, 1920, Toronto, ON, CNE, 1/2 mile

--3 miles--1st, Louis Disbrow (Essex); 2nd, H. Dempster (Paige Special); 3rd, R. LaPlante (Wisconsin Special)--time, 3:39

--2 miles--1st, Rowe Brainerd (Duesenberg); 2nd, L. Disbrow (Briscoe); 3rd, Sig Haugdahl (Essex)--time, 2:24

--5 mile pursuit--1st, Louis Disbrow (Briscoe); 2nd, H. Dempster (Paige); 3rd, Ted Rick (Stephens)--elapsed time, 6:18 4-5--winner’s time, 6:03 4-5

--Dominion Sweepstakes--15 laps--1st, R. Brainerd (Briscoe); 2nd, H. Dempster (Paige); 3rd, L. Disbrow (Essex)--time, 8:54


Monday, August 30, 1920, Toronto, ON, CNE, 1/2 mile

--1st race--3 miles--1st, Disbrow (Essex); also ran: Brainerd (Briscoe); LaPlant (Wisconsin)--time, 3:39

--2 miles--1st, Haugdahl (Essex); also ran: Brainerd (Auburn)--time, 2:31

--5 mile record run--Haugdahl (Fiat)--time, 5:26 (new Canadian record)--$500

--5 mile handicap race--1st, Dempster (Auburn); 2nd, Disbrow (Briscoe)--time, 6:58--$500, $200)

--match race--1st, Haugdahl (Essex); 2nd, Rowe Brainerd (Wisconsin Special)

--5 mile race--1st, Disbrow (Essex)--time, 6:00--$1500, $750, $250


Friday, September 17, 1920, Vancouver, B.C., Hastings Park, 1/2 mile

--event no. 1--light cars--five miles--1st, Dodge, No. 2; 2nd, ONO, No. 5; 3rd, Oakland, No. 10--time, 6:41 2-5

--event no. 2--5 miles--1st, Fred Horey (No. 44); 2nd, Toots Reynolds (No. 1)--time, 6:44 2-5

--event no. 3--light car race--8 miles--1st, Toots Reynolds (No. 1); 2nd, Fred Horey (No. 44)--time, 11:41 1-5

--event no. 4--special match race--10 miles--1st, Jack Ross; 2nd, Henderson--time, 12:00

--event no. 5--pursuit handicap--7 laps--1st, Henderson (No. 43--scratch); 2nd, Meyers (No. 24--started first)--time, 4:35

--event no. 6--1st heat--5 miles--1st, Horey (No. 44); 2nd, Hoffman (No. 9)--time, 6:40

--event no. 7--Dominion Sweepstakes--2nd heat--1st, No. 43; 2nd, Reynolds (No. 1)--time, 7:12 3-5


Saturday, September 18, 1920, Vancouver, B.C., Hastings Park, 1/2 mile

--event no. 1--consolation race--five miles--drivers who did not win Friday--1st, Hoffman (No. 9); 2nd, Maley (No. 17); 3rd, Meyers (No. 24)--time, 7:27

--event no. 2--match race--2 miles--1st, Henderson (No. 43); 2nd, Horey (No. 4)--time, 2:24 1-5

--event no. 3--light car race--15 laps--1st, Meyers (No. 24); 2nd, Reynolds (No. 1)--time, 9:35 3-5

--event no. 4--Dominion Sweepstakes--final heat--5 miles--1st, Henderson (No. 43); 2nd, Fred Horey (No. 44); 3rd, Hoffman (No. 9)--time, 6:13

--event no. 5--novelty race for commercial travellers--1st, Ernest Bulmer; 2nd, Norman Lindsay--time, 1:20--Henderson drove the winner.

--event no. 6--free-for-all--10 miles--1st, Henderson; 2nd, Hoffman--time, 13:18--dead heat at end, toss of coin won

Langley Speedway, July 18, 1965

Another race with limited information. The sources here are the Province and the Columbian.

Somewhere between 3000 and 3500 attended, depending on which newspaper you believe.

Both agreed that Ralph Monhay, in his #33 super modified, set a new track record at 15.21 seconds.

Ralph also won the 25-lap A main.

The B main was won by Skagit's Jerry Birdsey.

The early late main was taken by either Cal Hughes or Hugh, but probably it was Cal Hough. Newspapers can be infuriating in their spelling.

The stock main went to Reinhard Unruh, another name that gets some creative spelling over the years.

The dashes went to:
A -- Monhay
B -- Ken Klatt
stock -- unknown
early late -- Carmen Parton

Two early late heats were reported on with the winners being Hugh (sic) and Brian Thompson.

The Columbian had some nice things to say about Thompson:

"This was the second week out for Brian and his smart red paint job has yet to be scratched. Watch for him next week and see if his fenders get a little ruffled."

Two names, Danny Doward and Frank Mackie, in the stock class had rollovers.

One thing to remember is, at this point in history, two oval tracks were operating in the Greater Vancouver area. The Early Late Racing Association was racing at the old Haney Speedway, the track the BCTRA left in the middle of the 1964 season. So the beginning of this post has a Langley ad, and the end a Haney ad.

I'd love to find out more about the 1965 Haney season. Anyone have any info on it?

duel of the mighty midgets, part 9

And we carry on this Easter Sunday with the mystery:

the upcoming season, 1970

Westwood motorcycles always seemed to have a full schedule. Here's one presented in February 1970.

April 26, season opener
May 24, Thunderbird 100 mile production race
June 14
July 4 and 5, B.C. Championship
July 26
August 9 or 16
September 27
October 18, annual Grand Prix
(Of course the ad makes the August date wrong, who knows why.)

The president of the Westwood motorcycle club for 1970 was:
Mac Fish
Allan Seddon, vp
Mike Addison, secretary
Ron Randall, publicity

The Sports Car Club of BC's schedule was as follows:
April 5, international conference
April 12, CASC regional
May 3, international conference
May 31, CASC regional
June 28, CASC regional, COWPAC
July 19, international conference
August 2, international conference
September 2, CASC regional, COWPAC
October 11, CASC 7-hour endurance

Been trying to remember what COWPAC stood for:
Canada Oregon Washington Pacific Auto Club?

Don't quote me on that.

And what about the Karts? They must have had a schedule as well.

Westwood was a happening place.

the upcoming season, 1968

Interesting clippings from the Columbian looking at the 1968 season for Westwood. Especially interesting is the story on Ric Moore, a newcomer to the scene.

There has been a couple recent racing history forum threads on Ric and his Mk 2 sports racer from the early 1970s. I believe this would be his Mk 1.

The threads can be found at Yahoo's Canadian Motorsport History Group, CMSHG, and at the Atlas F1 forum, specifically here. Both forums are worth keeping an eye on. I'll add links.

Langley Speedway, July 11, 1965

(Tony Dow?, Ken Klatt collection)

Continuing with the 1965 Langley Speedway season.

The big event for the July 11, 1965 Sunday afternoon race was the 50-lap Ken Koester Memorial trophy. Ken had raced at Digney, Haney and False Creek Speedways, amongst other places and had been an early member of the B.C. Track Racing Association (BCTRA). He lost his life in a traffic accident early in 1962 and a memorial race had been organized.

The winner of the Ken Koester Memorial trophy was Cal Arnold of Surrey, BC. Twenty cars started the race, only five finished. Among those who didn't finish were Don Bennett (cooling system), Mel Keen (lost a wheel), Wayne Wilbey, and Glenn Parsons (#60, rad hose).

The C modified (stock) main was won by Reinhard Unruh (#17). Others who fell out were #2 Walt Kitga (McKitka?), #9s Bill Terry, #8s Tony Dow and #16 'Lightning' Lloyd James.

No information on B modified or early-late main winners.

Dash winners were:
early-late -- Carmen Parton
C modified -- Unruh
B modified -- Ken Klatt
A modified -- Mel Keen

Information from the Sun, the Province and the Surrey Leader.

A bit of additional info on driver Don Bennett was provided by the Surrey newspaper:

"...Don Bennett of ------ 98th Avenue appeared with his 'green' Mongoose Special.

"His green bomb defies all track superstitions as green is supposed to be an unlucky colour, as is the presence of a woman in the pit area.

"Mel Keen, another top track performer, will have to watch out for Don Bennett or else he'll have to ratify his cool and calculated approach and take a few chances as does Don.

"The Mongoose Special moves in and out of the pack with the apparent ease of a Praying Mantis. A slow gait but on the corners it darts with a burst of speed that shows the driving excellence of its handler, Don Bennett."

Below is the early look of the Moongoose Special. Green and fast. From the Don Bennett collection.

imca, 1920 part two

Second of what will be three parts to the 1920 Canadian IMCA season. This part finishes out the prairie provinces. Interesting to see a town like Yorkton, SK on the schedule. Wish I had some info on what happened there. As I remember I couldn't find anything in the Regina newspaper.

And why I have nothing from Winnipeg, MB is a mystery right now. Hopefully it'll get sorted soon. But, to this point, we have what we have. And we have:


Saturday, July 17, 1920, Saskatoon, Saskatoon, exhibition, 1/2 mile

--time trials--half mile and mile--Haugdahl, 32 4-5 and 1:05 4-5; (old records 33 1-5 and 1:06 4-5)

--1st event--3 miles--1st, Claypool; 2nd, Lampkin; 3rd, Ted Rick--time, 4:05 3-5

--match race--2 miles--1st, Haugdahl; 2nd, Duray--time, 2:39 1-5

--4th event--pursuit handicap--5 miles--1st, Ted Rick; 2nd, Lampkin; 3rd, LaPlant; 4th, Brainerd--time, 6:54 4-5

--Saskatchewan Sweepstakes--1st, $1000; 2nd, $500; 3rd, $200--1st, Leon Duray; 2nd, Lampkin; 3rd, Claypool; also ran: Rick, Brainerd, LaPlant and Haugdahl--time, 6:00 4-5


Saturday, July 24, 1920, Brandon, Manitoba, exhibition, 1/2 mile

--1st event--1st, Brainerd; 2nd, Claypool; 3rd, Duray

--mile--Haugdahl, 65 seconds

--3rd event--1st, Claypool

--match race--1st, Haugdahl; 2nd, Brainerd

--10 mile race--1st, Haugdahl

--special race--2 miles--1st, Lampkin


Saturday, July 31, 1920, Regina, Saskatchewan, exhibition, 1/2 mile

afternoon:

--1st race--3 miles--1st, $200; 2nd, $100--1st, Brainerd (Briscoe); 2nd, Disbrow (Chevrolet Special); 3rd, Ray Claypool (Paige Special)--time, 4:06 3-5

--time trials--one mile--Haugdahl (Essex), 1:10 2-5

--pursuit handicap--5 miles--1st, Claypool (Paige); 2nd, Lampkin (Essex)--time, 6:46 2-5

--match race--2 miles--1st, Haugdahl (Essex); 2nd, Brainerd (Briscoe)--time, 2:40

--free-for-all--3 miles--1st, Disbrow (Chevrolet Special); 2nd, Claypool (Paige Special); 3rd, Lampkin (Essex)--time, 4:06

--International Sweepstakes--5 miles--1st, Disbrow (Chevrolet Special); 2nd, Haugdahl (Essex); 3rd, LaPlant (Wisconsin Special)--time, 6:51


evening:

--free-for-all--1st heat--2 miles--1st, Disbrow (Chevrolet Special); 2nd, Haugdahl (Essex); 3rd, LaPlant (Wisconsin Special)--time, 2:43

--free-for-all--2nd heat--2 miles--1st, Lampkin (Essex); 2nd, Claypool (Paige Special); 3rd, Brainerd (Briscoe)--time, 2:29

--time trials--half mile and mile--Haugdahl (Essex), 33 1-5 and 1:07 1-5 (new record); Claypool, 35 and 1:10 1-5

--free-for-all--final heat--1st, Lampkin; 2nd, Disbrow--time, 6:35

--consolation race--3 miles--1st, Claypool (Paige Special); 2nd, LaPlant (Wisconsin Special); 3rd, Rick (Stephens)--time, 3:57


Wednesday, August 4, 1920, Winnipeg, Manitoba

unknown


Friday, August 6, 1920, Yorkton, Saskatchewan

unknown

Jim Buttera, out of Seattle

Came across this link to James Buttera's racing story here.

If the link doesn't work here's the text. The clipping comes from the son of Gus Duray. Both Gus and James travelled up to Hastings Park, The Willows and the rest of the Pacific northwest.


The Jim Buttera Story
( Article from The Cavalcade of Auto Racing Fall/Winter 1968 )

Jim Buttera is 79 years old. This is an age many never attain, and if they do, they are long since retired; but not Jim Buttera. He is the oldest active member of the Foreign Stock Car Racing Association of Seattle, WA, and a veteran racers of some 57 years. Jim immigrated to this country from Italy in 1907, working as a mechanic. He started racing in 1916 just before the end of World War I, when racing engines were vintage OX-5, 90 h.p. airplane engines. His car was a Dodge and he would tour the Northwest with his booking agent, guaranteeing $1,000.00 to any driver who won a race he entered.

Promotion of races was carried on in this manner Buttera retired from driving in the early '20s after going through boards in Vancouver, B.C. and hired Jack Ross to drive the "Buttera Special." This car was a quiet, little aluminum bodded car that was capable of and did in every race, lap almost every other car. At this time, Buttera and Ross were racing against the Dusenberg factory team amongst others. Jack Ross, in 1925, took 44 first place wins on the dirt and plank tracks of the West Coast, a record yet to be broken. The following year, in 1926, he took 27 firsts. Jim Buttera now had assumed the role of the agent for Jack Ross and the "Buttera Special".

Appearance fees alone for this car and driver during the '20s ranged to $3500.00. In addition, when races were held in Victoria, B.C. the teams were given free boat transportation and room and board. Cars were not towed to the track as now, but were driven and tested on the way to the track. This usually was in the company of the local sportswriters which made for every colorful and descriptive Monday morning newspaper stories giving full details of the trip to the track. ( Note: I am enclosing a copy of the story from the extinct "Seattle Star" of July 26, 1926 telling of the trip to Yakima. --

From the Seattle Star - July 26th 1926

Jim semi-retired from racing during the Depression and World War II years. Following the war, in 1948, he became the first Volkswagen dealer in the western U.S. when there were only 600 of them in the country. His territory covered all of the western U.S. and Alaska. In 1960, he sold his dealership and retired. But retirement was not for Jim and in 1960 he bought his business back, not the dealership, but the name and building and started a VW repair shop. Along about this same time, the Foreign Stock Car Racing Association came into existence and Jim stripped a 1958 Volkswagen for competition. The fourth time out, he set a new track record and the following season, 1967, the "New Buttera Special", a far cry from the original of 1916, with its wooden spokes and V-8 overhead, won the "A" class season championship. Again this year, his car is trying for top position.

At 79, Jim is a devoted race fan and is at the track every Saturday night to cheer for his car and driver. He is a fine gentleman; honest, fair and a true sportsman, qualities which he has instilled in his driver and mechanics. Almost every Saturday night, his pit men can be seen helping other cars and close competitors to attain their peak performances, because, if he wins, he wants every car on the track to be running it's best. Jim Buttera is a true inspiration to all who come in contact with him; he is modest about his victories, generous with his time and money, imparts his vast knowledge of cars, racing and always will speak for her regardless of these troubled times. All of us in racing can look to Jim Buttera as the proverbial "shining example" of what a true sportsman and racer should be.

Behind the walls of a humble little building, which looks like an ordinary repair shop, is an extraordinary story linked to the first IndyCars and the legacy of great customer service.

It's Buttera Motors, independent Volkswagen repair service in Bothell, a family-owned business now into its fourth generation. The walls are covered with pictures of the founder, Jim Buttera, great-grandfather of Matt Hutchison, now service manager of the little blue and white shop that was the first Volkswagen distributorship in the Pacific Northwest. "Any Volkswagen sold in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska was imported by Jim Buttera," says former employee Dick Dinham, who retired recently after working at the shop for 40 years. The cars came into the United States through Canada.

The history gets complex: Buttera's daughter owned the shop after he passed away, and then gave it to her son, Gary Photakis, whose sister Valerie Photakis is office manager. Valerie and her son, Matt Hutchison, are running the whole shebang while Gary Photakis is on a tour of duty in Iraq, serving with honors, as lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. One whole wall is taken up with a giant flag and a "Hurry Home, Gary," banner.

A large collection of framed pictures on all the other walls shows a young Buttera in a variety of cars that he built and raced, setting records on tracks all over Washington and Oregon. Old yellowed newspaper clippings hang in frames next to the pictures. Reporters in those days called Buttera "a Washington state hero" and "a famous race car driver." Buttera raced his cars on dirt and board tracks from 1912 to 1922,then hired drivers to race for him. He also helped build the first IndyCar engines and the first engines to power the hydroplanes that would roar across Lake Washington.

In those early days, Buttera's shop was in downtown Seattle, building specialty Dodges, some of the very same ones he raced. (One of his engines is in Harrah's collection in Las Vegas.) Some time in the 1920s, he felt an economic depression looming, and moved his shop to Juanita. In 1935 he moved again about a mile farther down the same road to Bothell, doing general car repair, surrounded by cow pastures.

In 1949, Buttera was going to be a Tucker dealer, and had a display model of the rare automobile. But Tucker tuckered out, amid financial scandal and bad press. In the early 50s, Dinham says, Buttera became sold on Volkswagen when the German-based company communicated to him that he would have to be trained by them to repair every inch, and have all the tools and parts on hand before he ever imported a car. And there was a strict formula as to how many cars he was allowed to sell in proportion to how many he could service.

"Service was vital and that sold Buttera. Everything revolved around the customer, which is why I stayed there so many years," Dinham says. Buttera had his employees working on everything, he says, from trailers to bikes and motorcycles. "Anything a customer needed, we would do the repairs, even on dune buggies for mining."

"You worked hard," says Ivan Flettre, another former employee who worked there even before Dinham. "(Buttera) pushed you all the time, but also gave you a pat on the back and had a sense of humor. And customers always came first."

That "customer is king" philosophy has carried over through four generations. They no longer sell cars, as Buttera sold that part of the business in the mid 1960s to George Moore, one of his salesmen, who moved the cars to Bellevue and started Moore Motors. But Buttera's shop remained, and the service continued, on Volkswagens and Audis. "Some customers who bought their cars here still come in. Business is good and steady," says Valerie Photakis. "If the grandparents were our customers, usually all the generations follow suit." One service customer, Katherine Huber from Woodinville, named her VW Esmeralda, and drives it in every year for its birthday. "We have a real party, and when Esmeralda turned 21, we changed from sparkling cider to champagne," says Valerie.

With all the history displayed on the walls, from pictures and clippings to Tucker ads, Buttera Motors feels like a little museum. But customers assure you it's a well-oiled shop, servicing cars the old-fashioned way, with caring and concern and efficiency. One tip from Dinham, to get the most out of your vehicle: "The main thing is the attitude of the driver. Drive it like it's going to last and it will last forever."

Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle) - June 9, 2006
by Patti Payne Contributing Writer

March times on

Okay, it's March. And time is marching on. It seems to be the "slow" month in the motorsport world of B.C.

Been putting stuff I've found into some sort of scrapbook order.

Noticed a 1970 item from March. The Daytona 100 motorcycle race at the big speedway. Local racer Pete Kellond attended and finished well.

Trevor Deeley also headed south to race there back in 1948 (hope that's right) on the beach.

I'm sure many more B.C. racers have been part of the race. An article from February, 1970 said Tim Lloyd of Surrey was also heading to Daytona to race.

oh crap, the comics!

It's mea culpa time! said The Thing in the comics. Well, maybe not. But I'm saying it.

Made a big mistake starting with the King series, Duel of the Mighty Midgets. Said it was 1946 when it's actually 1948.

The print was too small, my brain too small, something was too small. My attention span maybe.

I'll change the first post from 1946 to 1948 and the files in my computer to show 48 not 46.

I do have a 1946 King story on midget racing. That's for the future. But this is today.

duel of the mighty midgets, part 8

Sunday funnies, oh yeah!

shows what I know, Langley Speedway, July 1, 1965

I don't even know what I have. Here's a Racing Wheels story of the July 1, 1965 Dogwood "75" at Langley Speedway. Written by Stu Smith, who I believe was a crewman for Ralph Monhay. The clipping comes from Jim Thurman.

Hopefully another entry later today. Comics tomorrow!

Langley Speedway, July 4, 1965

Like I say I better double up to get Langley info out there. Here's the Sunday, July 4, 1965 race results. Again, sparse, with the Surrey Leader and Robert G. Hunter's Racing Wheels as sources.

Mel Keen won the 25-lap A main for super modifieds.

Ken Klatt won the B modified main.

In the stock class Neil Van Horne was the winner.

No information on the early-late class.

The Leader made a note of driver Frank Carr in the B modified class saying "the cool methodical driving habits of Frank Carr in his class B rig marks him as a man to watch as the season wears on. His moves around the corners gives him an edge on his opponents, but he still loses some ground on the straightaways. With a super modified, he'll be clearing the field and building his trophy collection."

I believe Frank Carr's son is Jimmy Carr. The same Jimmy Carr who raced sprint cars at Skagit Speedway and then the World of Outlaws sprint tour. Jimmy is now a crew chief for a World of Outlaws team.

The Leader also noted that seven of the cars finished racing Sunday and headed south to Skagit Speedway for another race. It was July the 4th, after all.

"Driving his 'S', Bobby Desarmiux (sic) (Desormeaux is closer) placed third in the C man and Dan Dow in his No. 8 special placed 4th in the C heat.

"The big winner at the Skagit meet was Jerry Birdsey, diving car 10, to take the trophy dash and the fast heat for the super modified class."

The photo below is of Mel Keen's super modified. Mel isn't in the photo but I believe the big guy on the right is mechanic/builder Blackie Green. Again it comes from the Ken Klatt collection.

Langley Speedway, July 1, 1965

A quickie here. Racing, as advertised, was "every Sunday and Holiday". So July 1st had a race. The information offered here is poor, most coming from Robert G. Hunter and his access to Racing Wheels a few years ago. The Surrey Leader offered the photo (again, poor) but we have another trophy queen, Margaret Watt.

So the winner of the Cal-Van Dogwood "75" was Ralph Monhay.

The B modified main winner was Gary Destobel.

Stock main winner was Reinhard Unruh.

And the jalopy main went to Carmen Parton.

Langley Speedway, June 24, 1965

Couldn't get my server to work this afternoon so I'm late. But here is what I wrote while waiting.

Continuing with the Langley Speedway results. I'm going to have to double up here (two a week!) to get the 1960s done before the end of the year.

Anyway, only source, again, is the Surrey Leader. Thank god they were covering the track.

3000 in attendance.

Fast time for the super modifieds was Mel Keen at 15.77, a hundreth off the time Vic Russman of Prince George had the week before.

In the jalopy (early-late) class Carmen Parton set a new track record for the class at 19.72 -- they might have been four seconds slower than the supers but they were action packed while racing.

In total 51 cars timed in: 12 super modifieds; 11 B modifieds; 13 modified stocks; and 15 early lates/jalopies.

In the 25-lap main for the super modifieds Al Smith, of Victoria, in the Vantreight Special, won. Second was Ralph Monhay, Burnaby, and third was Mel Keen, Vancouver.

The B modified main was won by #36, Ken Hamilton. Second and third were Dennis Goldstraw and Ken Klatt respectively.

The modified stock main finished: 1st, Reinhard Unruh; 2nd, Frank McCabe; 3rd, Doug Thompson.

The early late main was won by Carmen Parton followed by "Bones" Fallis and Tom Hankins.

The photos come from the Ken Klatt collection. Some B modifieds. Not sure if this is the #36 of Ken Hamilton and not sure if this is the same Ken Hamilton that raced out of Boise, Idaho. Don't think so. The #40 is Dennis Goldstraw in the former Larry Sproule modified that he raced at Haney and the #88 another former Haney car that was campaigned by Ken Klatt for awhile.

imca, 1920 part one

Missed yesterday. Oh well, trying to keep it to one a day and I got busy the previous two days. Do too much and people get tired, me included.

Here's the beginning of two, maybe three posts for the IMCA in Canada for 1920.

We like world's records and Sig Haugdahl allegedly set one for 5 miles at Edmonton. "Allegedly"? Well, it is the IMCA of the hippodrome days so everything, including clocks, are suspect. But the show was probably exciting as all heck.

Here's the Alberta races. Some two a day shows. You had to work if you were with the IMCA in those days.


Friday, July 2, 1920, Calgary, Alberta, Victoria Park, 1/2 mile

--1st race--2 miles--1st, Ray Lampkin; 2nd, Rowe Brainerd; 3rd, Ray LaPlant--time, 2:33 1-5

--2nd race--3 miles--1st, Leon Duray; 2nd, Ray Claypool; 3rd, Sig Haugdahl--time, 3:36 1-5

--3rd race--time for mile--Haugdahl, 1:03 1-5

--4th race--5 miles--pursuit handicap--1st, Duray; 2nd, Claypool--time, 6:08 1-2

--5th race--Canadian Sweepstakes--15 laps--1st, Lampkin; 2nd, Rowe Brainerd; 3rd, Claypool--time, 9:28


Saturday, July 3, 1920, Calgary, Alberta, Victoria Park, 1/2 mile

afternoon:

--event #1--half mile time trial--Brainerd, 35 4-5; Duray, 34 4-5; Haugdahl, 33 (new record)

--event #2--3 miles--1st, Duray; 2nd, Lampkin--time, 3:27 1-5

--event #3--consolation handicap--3 miles--1st, Claypool; 2nd, Brainerd; 3rd, LaPlant; 4th, Rick--time, 3:38 1-5

--event #4--free-for-all--3 miles--1st, Duray; 2nd, Lampkin; 3rd, Haugdahl--time, 3:45 4-5

--event #5--Canadian Sweepstakes--15 laps--1st, Haugdahl; 2nd, Lampkin--time, 8:56


evening:

3 events--two won by Brainerd


Tuesday, July 6, 1920, Edmonton, Alberta, exhibition, 1/2 mile

--1st event--mile--Haugdahl--1:03 4-5

--2nd event--free-for-all--1st heat--1st, Sig Haugdahl; 2nd, Ted Rick--time, 2:49 1-5

--3rd event--free-for-all--2nd heat--1st, Rowe Brainerd; 2nd, Leon Duray--time, 2:20 2-5

--4th event--free-for-all--3rd heat--1st, Ray Claypool; 2nd, Ray Lampkin--time, 2:36 3-5

--5th event--heat winners--3 miles--1st, Haugdahl


Saturday, July 10, 1920, Edmonton, Alberta, exhibition, 1/2 mile

afternoon:

--2 miles--Haugdahl, 2:09 4-5 (new Canadian record)

--mile--Haugdahl, 1:04 3-5

--1st event--3 miles--1st, $200; 2nd, $100--1st, Brainerd; 2nd, Haugdahl; 3rd, Ray LaPlant--time, 3:39

--event #4--pursuit handicap--5 miles--1st, $300; 2nd, $100--1st, Ray Lampkin; 2nd, LaPlant; 3rd, Ray Claypool--time, ???

--match race--2 miles--1st, Duray; 2nd, Haugdahl--time, 2:23 1-5

--Dominion Sweepstakes--15 laps--$1500--1st, Haugdahl; 2nd, Duray; 3rd, Brainerd


evening:

--1st, event--consolation handicap--1st heat--1st, Claypool; 2nd, LaPlant

--last event--Midnight Sun Sweepstakes--1st, Haugdahl; 2nd, Claypool; 3rd, Duray--time, 3:36

Winston West Grand National at Race City, Calgary, 1986

500 laps! On a half mile track! News wire story comes from the Victoria Times-Colonist.

Winston West Grand National at Western Speedway, 1982

To continue with the WGN races. The clippings come from the Victoria Times-Colonist.

duel of the mighty midgets, part 8

Too many posts dealing with "reality". I need some comics. And then a walk before the rain.

Winston West Grand National, Western Speedway 1978

Another quickie post on the WGN at Western Speedway. These are again from the Victoria Colonist, 1978:
That's all for now. 1982 Western Speedway WGN info soon. And the 1986 Race City (Calgary) WGN race as well.