Racing on Canada Day

Went looking through the scrapbooks for a Canada Day (Dominion Day for the oldtimers) racing event. That is, a race scheduled outside of a track's regular line up of events. So no Saturdays or Sundays allowed even if they fell on July 1st.

Of course, there were lots to choose from. I chose drag racing at Mission. Seems like I remember these supercharged Anglias from 1966. Was I there that day, or another?

No matter, that day back then I remember as being cool and damp. Today (the day before Cday) was hot and muggy. And if the weather gods smile on promoters then racing will happen. If they don't then your favourite beverage will taste just as good. On Canada Day or any other day.

So Happy Canada Day all! And for the folks a little south of here Happy 4th of July when that day clicks around on the calender.

duel of the mighty midgets, part 22

"Follow me, kid!" Duel of the Mighty Midgets closes in on the checkered flag:

it's summer, time for boat racing

I've been lacking on the boat front (that'd be the bow I suppose). Here's another clipping from Barry Y. that mentions his father, Tom, at Locarno Beach in English Bay. Not sure of the year but a lot of people (25,000!) showed up to watch.

The name Jim Hutchison is/was reasonable well known in the power boat world. He is in the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and has been recognized as a Pioneer by the Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers Society. Find some more about him here.

a Langley Speedway fire

I've definitely not been on fire this week. Hangover from the last two months of work, ending with a week holiday. Some medical news that has me thrown for a loop.

And stuff.

Have been doing the research thing. Went off to UBC a couple days (change of scenery). Got 1970 and 1971 for Prince George done. At least the PGARA Speedway months (May thru September).

The sports editor for the Citizen starting in 1971 is Ron Allerton, a guy very sympathetic toward auto racing. I knew his name from the byline he got in the Kelowna Courier from 1966 through 1970 covering Kelwin Speedway and Billy Foster Memorial Speedway. So, starting with 1971, the Citizen suddenly costs a lot of money in copying fees. Like about $19 today for about a hundred items.

But it's all worth it. And will show up in future posts I hope.

The top photo is from Barry Youngston, a longtime mechanic for Jim Marchant. The clippings below try to explain what happened.

imca, 1934

Thanks to Mike Tanney from Ottawa, ON, who got me pointed in the right direction for these race dates.

The two big names of the IMCA of that era, Gus Schrader and Emory Collins, head to head in competition. It would have been amazing to have been there.

1934

July 18,1934, Calgary, AB, Victoria Park, 1/2 mile dirt

1/2 mile timed:
Emory Collins, 29 1-5
Gus Schrader, 28 1-5

one-mile timed:
Gus Schrader, 57 seconds
Emory Collins, 58 3-5
Swan Peterson,(St. Louis), 1:02

Dominion Sweepstakes, 7 laps:
1--Schrader, 3:39
2--Collins
also ran: Champeau, Lake, Young and Peterson

Light Car Championships:
1--Roy Lake, (San Francisco), 2:52 2-5
2--Leo Young, (Chicago)
3--Shano Fitzgerald, (Mexico)

Australian Pursuit:
1--Leo Young
also, Dave Champeau (Quebec) and Ray La Plante (Newark)

Mlle. Mazie
Flaming board crash


July 25, 1934, Edmonton, AB, Edmonton Exhibition Ground, 1/2 mile dirt

1/2 mile timed:
Gus Schrader, 27 1-5
Emory Collins, 28 3-5
Peterson, 31

two miles timed:
Emory Collins, 1:59 3-5

Light Car Championship, 5-laps:
1--Shano Fitzegerald, 2:40
2--Leo Young, (Leon Special)
3--Eddie Wagner

unknown:
1--Collins
2--Schrader

Dominion Sweepstakes, 7-laps
1--Schrader, 3:40 2-5
2--Collins

Mlle. Mazie
Flaming board crash

duel of the mighty midgets, part 21

King and Cam discuss the possibilities above the din. Dual Doug is afraid of Cyclone's car. But it isn't that car that wrecks, but one ahead of them. Wowee!:

imca, 1933

Done quickly to beat a scheduled outage. Only one race found in 1933, at Regina. Emory "Spunk" Collins comes home triumphant.


Friday, August 4, 1933, Regina, SK, World Grain Show, exhibition, 1/2 mile

--2 mile trial--Sig Haugdahl (Miller 8), 2:06 2-5 (New Canadian record)

--Exhibition sweepstakes--heat--Emory “Spunk” Collins (Cragar Miller)

--Exhibition sweepstakes--final heat--1st, Emory “Spunk” Collins

--1/2 mile--Collins, 31 2-5; Haugdahl, 31 3-5

--Miss Elfrieda Mais crashed through a timber barricade at 60 mph


Saturday, August 5, 1933, World Grain Show, exhibition, 1/2 mile

--2 mile record run--Emory Collins (Cragar Miller), 1:56 (New Canadian record)

--match race (50 points toward 1933 championship)--1st, Collins; 2nd, Haugdahl

--1/2 mile--Haugdahl, 28 2-5

--Dominion Sweepstakes--final heat--1st, Haugdahl; 2nd, Larry Beckett

--Regina Derby--7 laps--1st, Larry Beckett; 2nd, Roy Lake

Langley Speedway, 1966

So with 1965 finished we move onto 1966. And controversy. I almost feel like I should include the Grandview Bowl results of the Inter-City season held there, and quite possibly will.

But better just get started with some of the problems facing the BCTRA and Langley before everything got going.

(And I'll be glad when this work schedule ends in a couple days. Wearing me out: work, eat, sleep, not much blog in between.)

And just for good measure some of the issues from The Island and VITRA. That's why Nanaimo and Grandview Bowl becomes important in 1966.

(Both clippings from Racing Wheels, thanks to Jim Thurman.)

Duel of the Mighty Midgets, part 20

Been forgetting to put a title on these historical items. We're at installment 20 of "Duel of the Mighty Midgets". Racing action continues with "Dual Doug" conflicted and "Cyclone Bill" saved for the moment while King is now a pit stooge:

Langley Speedway, 1965 top tens

Here's what was printed in the December 1965 issue of Motorsport in B.C.:

imca, 1927

Only race dates known to this point are from Toronto during the Canadian National Exhibition. Emory Collins and Sig Haugdahl were the big names.

Saturday, August 27, 1927, Toronto, ON, CNE, exhibition, 1/2 mile

--21 laps--1st, Collins (Frontenac); 2nd, Green (Fronty); 3rd, Sullivan (Mack’s Special)--time, 12:24 1-5 (also ran: Watters (Hudson Special); Day (Fronty) and two others)

--1st race--1st, Collins; 2nd, Pop Daily--time, 4:24 2-5 (also ran: Tommy McPherson)

--event no. 3--7 laps--1st, Haugdahl (Duesenberg); 2nd, Bobby Green; 3rd, McPherson--time, 4:12 4-5

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


Monday, August 29, 1927, Toronto, ON, CNE, exhibition, 1/2 mile

--no results--rain?--


Wednesday, August 31, 1927, Toronto, ON, CNE, exhibition, 1/2 mile

--heavy cars--7 laps--1st, Collins; 2nd, Watters; 3rd, McPherson--time, 4:19 2-5

--Australian pursuit--7 laps--1st, Day; 2nd, Green; 3rd, Sullivan--time, 4:12 3-5

--marathon--21 laps--1st, Watters; 2nd, Collins; 3rd, McPherson--time, 12:22 4-5

big weekend in June 1968

Lots of things going on during the weekend of June 22-23, 1968:

The Westwood Pacific at Westwood.

An international regatta at Alouette Lake.

Two days of racing at Langley Speedway, including an "early-late jamboree".

And the two ads presented here for flat track motorcycle racing on the Cloverdale horsetrack and T.V. Tommy Ivo and one-legged Joe Winter at Mission Raceway.

Helluva weekend. Pretty typical of that era.

King is suspicious about Dual Doug, with some evidence that needs to be explained. And Doug is worried about the bomb about to go off in Cyclone's midget. The one he planted there!:

Trans-Am, Westwood, 1977

First time the Trans-Am series came to Westwood, 31 years ago, Peter Gregg won with a Porsche 934.

This year's Historic races at Mission is going to feature German marques.

Langley Speedway, September 26, 1965

Final race of the season with only the annual banquet to follow, as reported in the Surrey Leader.

Don Bennett got another A modified main event win.

Ken Klatt the B modified main.

Reinhard Unruh got a sweep (dash, heat, main).

And Ron Morrision got the early-late main with Don Schmitke getting the consy.

Chub Milo had more bad luck. Another interesting name is Bud Childs in a modified. He still has a shop working on engines, etc.

imca, 1926

Very terse statement in the Calgary Herald concerning the lack of racing at the annual Stampede. I think (it's been a long time) I looked at other prairie papers from the summer of 1926 with nothing to report.

Only a few dates at Toronto's Canadian National Exhibition. And right now I can't find that scrapbook. So just the results, such as they are:

Saturday, August 29, 1926, Toronto, ON, CNE, exhibition, 1/2 mile

--no evidence of race in ads or results on Monday--


Monday, August 31, 1926, Toronto, ON, CNE, exhibition, 1/2 mile

--Firestone Sweepstakes--10 laps--1st, Louis Disbrow (Hudson Special); 2nd, Fred Horey (Miller); 3rd, Cleo Sarles (Fronty-Ford)--time, 5:22 2-5

--no other results--


Wednesday, September 2, 1926, Toronto, ON, CNE, exhibition, 1/2 mile

--Dominion Derby--9 laps--1st, Fred Horey; 2nd, Louis Disbrow; 3rd, John DePalma--time, 5:07 4-5

--match race--3 laps--1st, Joan LaCosta; 2nd, Louis Disbrow--time, 1:38 3-5 (track record for 1 1/2 miles)

--heavy cars--7 laps--John DePalma; 2nd, Ed Schuman--time, 4:12 1-5

--light cars--5 laps--1st, Cleo Sarles--time, 2:58 4-5

--Australian pursuit handicap--1st, Fred Horey

some hot rod stuff

Larry McBride, have I mentioned him before? Yeah, back in April.

But wait, there's more! More McBride, more hot rods. Summer's coming. The driving season is upon us. And all the girls, and the history, and the girls, and the grief, and the girls, and the money, and the girls, and the fun, that comes with it. Did I mention girls?

Some stuff from Larry's collection.

Dual Doug is in the race, King is suspicious, wait a second, we're racing! At last!