so, happy new year!

But wait, there's more!

A few links to a new (old) site:

A February 1947 article on Hot Rods from Mechanix Illustrated.

A December 1933 article on Modified Stock Car racing from Modern Mechanix.

And an August 1950 article on Hot Rods at Bonneville from Popular Mechanics.

Don't know why PM spells "mechanix" rong, er, wrong.

1964 pacific international motorama, part two

More photos that Jim Ervin took at the 1964 Pacific International Motorama. I've left the toll free number for Old Autos on the clipping. It's still valid and is a pretty good newspaper to subscribe to.

1964 pacific international motorama, part one

An relatively recent (1999) article by Jim Ervin, a regular contributor to Old Autos, the Ontario newspaper that tries to be national in its automotive scope. Guys like Jim definitely make it so.

The original photos are in colour (!). Now those would be cool to see.

death drives a midget, part twenty-one

Cyclone wins the semi-final as does Shorty. Shorty heads off to get his plan to win in motion:

racing novels, part five

Saturday racing fiction:

Murder on the Monte by Ross Richards


Wild Wheels edited by Don McKay

Langley Speedway, October 2, 1966

The follow up to the BCTRA and LARA championship races was the ELRA super stock championships. A bunch of wrecks and rollovers but it got in the books.

trophy dashes

slow early-late
1--Ric Craig

fast early-late
1--Al Baldwin

super stock
1--Don Latting

modified stock
1--Ron Lamont

B modified
1--Vince Laundry

early-late heat

1--Don Walfe
2--Hank Ruch
3--Gus Henry

(If there were other heat races they weren't mentioned.)

early-late main

1--Chris Palm
2--Chris Christensen
3--Dennis Corfe

50-lap super stock main

1--Clare Walsh (ELRA)

early-late champ winners

1--Carman Parton (LARA)
1--John Rothwell (BCTRA)

During the super stock main Mac Morrison rolled and caught fire. He came out okay. Other rollovers included Red Tisdale (his 101st), Hank Ruch, Clare Walsh (which race?) and Gordie Hemrich.

Big winner of the most popular driver was Bill Stoneman.

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS (and all that good stuff)

seasonal greasings from the past

Another seasonal greasing. This one from Earl Heroux and his Aurora Stadium (Playland), 1947. The group photo is at Burnaby's Digney Speedway, opening day 1948. Ernie "Dig" Digney, Andy Digney and Earl Heroux.

seasonal greasings from the past

A 1947 seasonal greasing from Bill France, pre-NASCAR.

death drives a midget, part twenty

The mystery continues with King and Cyclone trying to ensure that nothing bad happens to the car Cyclone will drive. But Shorty has a different plan:

racing novels, part four

Another Saturday, another couple books:

Spectator Sport by James Alexander Thom


Street Rod by Henry Gregor Felsen

indoor stock car racing

Best way to get some coverage in the newspapers is to get some reporter to race a car. Doesn't matter that he might only be racing against other newspaper guys, they like to write about their experiences. Good publicity.

Langley Speedway, September 25, 1966

No information on any racing at Langley Speedway on either September 11th or September 18th, 1966. Rain? Not sure. Nothing in all of the usual newspapers.

So onto September 25, 1966, the championship races for LARA and BCTRA.

trophy dashes:

early-late
1--Al Baldwin

super stock
1--Clare Walsh, no. 70

modified stock
1--Reinhard Unruh, no. 7

B modified
1--Larry Sproule, no. 75

A modified
1--Wayne Willoughby, no. 29

foreign stocks
1--Jim Glasgow, no. 19

The rest of this is confusing as various clubs awarded various first place finishers. Top that off with rains shortening the event. This is the best I can glean from the newspapers.

30-lap early-late main
1--Ron Morrison, no. 94E (BCTRA)
1--Clarence Regenwetter, no. 73 (ELRA)
1--Mike Olshaski, no. 90 (LARA)

modified stock main
1--Reinhard Unruh, no. 7 (BCTRA)
1--Jim Dinsmore, no. 49 (LARA)
2--Doug Firth, no. 2 (LARA)

75-lap A & B modified main
1--A--Ken Hamilton (LARA)
1--B--George Wyse (LARA)
1--A--Ray Pottinger, no. 44 (BCTRA)
1--B--Ken Klatt (BCTRA)

I think the LARA modified drivers were mostly from Skagit Speedway. And Ray Pottinger was from Nanaimo. First time for the foreign stocks on the track. They appeared indoors at the Agrodome during the winter.
1--

early vancouver racing, part fourteen

Big ad for the big races during the Vancouver Exhibition.

The first race noted below is from Victoria. The Foster is Phil Foster, one of a handful of Foster brothers who helped develop racing in the Victoria area. Phil's nephew was Billy Foster.

30--July 1, 1922, The Willows

--one mile Ford race
1st, Olson
2nd, Flesh
3rd, Foster

--5-mile Ford race
1st, Olson
2nd, Foster
3rd, Newman
4th, Flesh

--5-mile Ford race
1st, Olson
2nd, Foster
3rd, Newman

--many motorcycle races that day


31--August 26, 1922, Hastings Park

--25-miles
1st, Jack Ross, Stutz, No. 8
2nd, George Smith, Kimbro
3rd, Walter Bloom, Dodge, No. 4

--light cars
1st, ???
2nd, Bloom

--mile against time
1st, Jack Ross

--2-miles
1st, Jack Ross


32--August 27, 1922, Hastings Park

--2-miles
1st, Jack Ross, Stutz
2nd, George Lott

--6-miles
1st, Walter Bloom, Dodge
time, 7:26 7/8


--6-miles
1st, Jack Ross, Stutz
time, 7:46 1/4

--25-miles
1st, Jack Ross, Stutz
time, 29:06

John Hall

There was a weekly column in the Columbian on automotive news. It lasted for a while with Neil Godin at the wheel. But, as with many things in the newspaper business, it changed. He did cover motorsport news in the column such as this piece on John Hall.

Buck Kinney

NHRA hall of famer Buck Kinney did well on the drag strip for many years. An old clipping and a more recent photo of a car he campaigned for many years.

death drives a midget, part nineteen

King has to solve who has murdered two and prevented a third from happening, but the only way to do it is to let the plan concocted by the real murderer to have the championship race run again. Cyclone isn't so sure. Not sure I'd be so sure, either:

racing novels, part three

More Saturdays, more novels.

Road Race by Philip Harkins



Stock Car Racer by Caary Jackson



Some of these novels have listings in the back for other racing fiction that could be bought. I'll get to those, my "want list".

yearend banquets, BCCCA 1966

Lee Kelly's report in the Burnaby Examiner about the B.C. Custom Car Association's year end banquet. Lots of names I recognize, and even have had the good fortune to know: Keith Warren, Larry Braine, Jack Williams, amongst others.

Awards and trophies, and I'm sure everyone danced their faces off at the end.

Langley Speedway, September 5, 1966

Labour Day Monday.

early-late flathead trophy dash:
1--Mery Meyers

early-late super stock dash:
1--Mac Morrison

modified stock dash:
1--Ron Lamont

modified dash:
1--Wilf Stelaga

first early-late flathead heat:
1--Bill Gagnon
2--Bob Hunter
3--Garry Williams

second early-late flathead heat:
1--Brian Thompson
2--Dennis Corfe
3--John Rothwell

super stock heat:
1--Mac Morrison
2--Clare Walsh
3--Don Latting

modified stock heat:
1--Ron Lamont ("the root beer kid")
2--Bill Terry
3--Jack Graham

early-late consolation main:
1--George Shepard
2--Jerry Meyers
3--Tyce Rogerson

early-late main:
1--Al Baldwin
2--Lyn Briggs
3--John Rothwell
(11 of 20 starters finished. Hank Ruch rolled three times.)

modified stock and modified combined main:
1--Wilf Stelaga (modifieds)

1--Ron Minet (modified stocks)

super stock main:
1--Gordie Hemrich
2--Clare Walsh
3--Jack Martin

Seems like this weekend the early-late flatheads and overheads got sorted out to be early-lates and super stocks.

The lack of A and B modifieds probably was due to the big Daffodil Cup race at Western Speedway in Victoria over the long weekend. The problems with VITRA and Western mirrored some of the same problems that the BCTRA had with Langley. And everything had been sorted out for this weekend. The big races got run.

The beneficiary of the aggro at both tracks was Nanaimo's Grandview Bowl. I'll have to chronicle the modified races held there over the summer of 1966 at some point.

early Vancouver racing, part thirteen

1921 stuff at Hastings Park:

26--June 11, 1921, Hastings Park

--rained out

27--June 15, 1921, Hastings Park

--mile against time
1st, Jack Ross, Stutz 1:05 1/2
2nd, Mario Bianchi, Romano 1:06 1/4
3rd, Gus Duray, Lott Special 1:09

--5-miles
1st, Charlie Latta, Peugeot
2nd, Chet Latta, Baby Romano
3rd, Jim Healey, Kimbro
time, 6:40

--10-miles
1st, Jack Ross
2nd, Gus Duray
3rd, George House, Erickson Special

--7-miles
1st, Chet Latta
2nd, Healey
3rd, Taylor, Taylor Special
time, 9:00

--15-mile free for all
1st, Jack Ross, Stutz, No. 8
2nd, Gus Duray, Lott Special
3rd, Charlie/Chet Latta, Peugeot
time, 17:49 1-2


27a--July 1, 1921, Chilliwack Fairgrounds

a Ford auto race scheduled as part of a Dominion Day sports day, no results


28--August 12, 1921, Hastings Park

--15-mile free for all
1st, George Lott
2nd, Jim Healy, Studebaker Special
time, 19:35

--heavy cars, 10-miles
1st, Erickson, Curtiss Special
2nd, Lott
time, 12:30

--light cars, 8-miles
1st, Healey
2nd, Kimbro
time, 10:55


29--August 20, 1921, Hastings Park

--15-miles
1st, George Lott
time, 18:00 1-5

more midgets

I do like the midgets. This is Palmer Crowell in the Gordon Reelie Weldco number 75. Looks like it still had the Ford V8-60 in it for power. By 1968 Gordon had another midget built (number 12) with an Offy for power.

The team eventually won the Washington Midget Racing Association title.

pre-war midget video

This video was posted on YouTube recently. Looks to be pre-World War Two at Southern Ascot Speedway in the Los Angeles area. The guy with the red helmet is probably Eddie Haddad. I think I hear the name of Roy Russing mentioned (yellow midget) as well as Swede Lindskog (at least I hear the name "Swede") when the guy with the white helmet with the center stripe is on screen.

Swede Lindskog was a big deal up north in the Seattle area before heading south to race in California. He ran both big cars and midgets and was a hero at Victoria's Langford Speedway and Vancouver's Con Jones Park.

Sadly he lost his life in 1946 while qualifying a midget down in California.

The photo comes from an Australian site that features a few cool bits of information about Pacific northwest midget racing from Methanol Mel Anthony.

death drives a midget, part eighteen

King works the evidence like a good member of the force does and comes up with a chilling discovery -- the killer is still at large and no doubt still after Cyclone Bill:

racing novels, part two

More Saturdays, more fiction, especially in the winter. I've yet to get to these but, as I've read, what's the point of having a library of books you've already read?

Drag Doll by R.W. Campbell



Hot Rod Fury by Robert Sidney Bowen

Bill Allan, hydroplanes

I don't do enough on power boat racing. It was quite popular in the Greater Vancouver area from the 1930s to the mid-1970s. Probably the logistics of holding races have curtailed the sport. In years gone by races were held at Harrison Lake, Hatzic Lake, Alouette Lake, Cultus Lake and the Pitt and Fraser Rivers. Even off Semiahmoo Beach in White Rock and English Bay in Vancouver. No doubt many other places as well.

Bill Allan was solid performer on the water winning a few American Power Boat Association championships in the various classes he ran in. Unfortunately he passed away a couple years ago.

Langley Speedway, September 4, 1966

Two days of racing for the Labour Day long weekend.

The Sunday results:

early-late flathead trophy dash:
1--Chris Palm

early-late super stock dash:
1--Otto Heins

modified stock dash:
1--Ron Lamont

modified dash:
1--Dennis Goldstraw

first early-late flathead heat:
1--Clarence Regenwetter
2--Lyn Briggs
3--Dennis Corfe

second early-late flathead heat:
1--Bill Stoneman
2--Brian Thompson
3--John Rothwell

first early-late super stock heat:
1--Les Spratt
2--Larry Montgomery
3--Ralph Widdess
(only three of nine starters finished)

second early-late super stock heat:
1--Mac Morrison
2--Clare Walsh
3--Jack Martin

modified stock heat:
1--Ron Lamont
2--Bill Terry
3--Jim Giberson

modified heat:
1--Len Barcello
2--Denny Goldstraw
3--Mike Landry

early-late flathead consolation main:
1--Gordie Wilson
2--Dick Peters
3--Jerry Meyers
(21 started. Five crashed in the first turn with another three crashing on the front straight. 16 restarted with 10 finishing the race.)

early-late flathead main:
1--Clarence Regenwetter
2--Mike Oshaski
3--John Rothwell

combined modified main:
1--Denny Goldstraw

early-late super stock main:
1--Jack Martin
2--Clare Walsh
3--Les Spratt

past champions

Terry Hofoss of Surrey won his second 125 cc motocross championship back in 1981.

early vancouver, part twelve

Second part of the 1920 story. There's probably some, if not a lot of overlap here. I've already done the International Motor Contest Association's adventures in western Canada from this time frame. But what's a little redundancy amongst nutbars?

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

rallyists in the hall of fame

Two guys who have made it to the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame: Tom Burgess and Taisto Heinonen. Both from the west coast.