Saturday, February 28, 2009

racing novels, part 13

Saturday afternoon at the library.

Crazy To Race by W.E. Butterworth


DirtBike Daredevils by Pam Withers

Friday, February 27, 2009

Cloverdale indoor races, a poster


Promoter Jim Greenwood supplies this poster. Believe it's from 1968/9. Looks cycledelic!

According to Jim the rider pictured is Darryl Dent of White Rock.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

grandview bowl, part eight


Second to last race of the Inter-City series at Grandview Bowl, Nanaimo, BC. The Tony Slogar Memorial was in honour of Tony Slogar, who lost his life in a CAMRA racing accident at Eugene, OR, in 1964.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

early vancouver racing, part 22



Haven't found anything so far for 1928, so skip ahead to 1929. A race scheduled, given promotional space in both the Sun and Province, but no results. Rain? Probably, but it would be nice to have had some sort of confirmation of the cancellation in one of those newspapers.

Add a motorcycle hill climb to the body of knowledge.

And note the passing of promoter Con Jones in June of 1929. Jones' name came up in 1912 when he helped promote a race at Minoru Park for the Victoria Order of Nurses.

And Salt Lake City resident and promoter Ab Jenkins raced into town to promote the Studebaker President Eight automobile. 115 hp, 80 mph at only $2995. Available at Willis Kingsley Motors Ltd., Georgia at Bute.

49--May 24, 1929, Hastings Park

--no results

49a--June 2, 1929, New Westminster

--motorcycle hill climb

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Van-Man-Van, some more

The race story in this SCCBC Pit Pass is too hipster for me to decipher. They went far too "man" in what I'm guessing to be beatnik-speak. But the photos are cool, uh, daddy-O.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Van-Man-Van


The Van-Man-Van (Vancouver to Manning Park and back to Vancouver, on back roads, etc.) was a pretty famous rally in its time. I'm not sure how many years it ran but it was a major race in the calender of the Sports Car Club of BC.

Clipping comes from the Ubyssey UBC students' newspaper of 1958.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Scrambola, Tillie the Toiler, 1931, part two

An unveiling is about to take place, solving one mystery:

Saturday, February 21, 2009

racing novels, part 12

Just one this Saturday, but a heckuva one, a helluva find:

King of the Speedway by Zip Saunders. A 1939 little big book.

Friday, February 20, 2009

1967 indoor motorcycle races, Cloverdale


Here's a clipping from the Surrey Leader about the second race of the 1967 season at Cloverdale. Short flat track racing, indoors. Promoter was Jim Greenwood, who's still around, not so much promoting stuff but he did organize the BCHRA 50th anniversary a couple years ago, is president of the Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers Society for 2009 and still has a steady hand for pin-striping.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

grandview bowl, part seven



A third race during the month of August, 1966, at Grandview Bowl. I owe a great debt of gratitude to newspapers like the Nanaimo Free Press for covering the racing as well as they did.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

early vancouver, part 21


1927, and all I can find is a rain-out in May and a two day series during the Exhibition, the second day ending with the fatal accident of Seattle's Phil Churchill.

46--May 24, 1927, Hastings Park

--rained out


47--August 18, 1927, Hastings Park

--mile against time
1st, Art Hines 1:00
2nd, A.D. Smith 1:00 1-2

--6-miles
1st, Art Hines
2nd, Howard Wills
3rd, Swede Smith
time, 6:20

--free for all
1st, Swede Smith
2nd, Churchill
4th, Pradella

--5-mile special
1st, W. Bloomgren
2nd, Devon Smith
3rd, Vic Pradella


48--August 19, 1927, Hastings Park

--no results, Churchill fatality

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Gary Jackson, from Vancouver, at Daytona, 1967? The second clipping.


According to the Vancouver Sun Gary qualified for the 500. His speed is off of the pole sitter, Curtis Turner, but, again, no record of Gary in the race.

The only thing that I would like to see is some sort of qualifying sheets for the race. That might sort out if his name shows up at all.

Oh, and by the way, Mario Andretti won the big race in 1967.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Gary Jackson, from Vancouver, at Daytona, 1967?


Here's a weird one. First of two news items referencing a Gary Jackson, from Vancouver, BC, going to the 1967 Daytona 500. Can't seem to find anything about him, though, in all the official records on the 500 of that year, including the qualifying races, the ARCA race and the modified race.

A mystery. Anyone know more about this?

Here's some links to the 1967 Daytona races. The first 100 mile qualifier, the second 100 mile qualifier, and the Daytona 500.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Scrambola, Tillie the Toiler, 1931

A new series of comics starting this Sunday. This is definitely a weird one that I stumbled across while looking for something else. Tillie the Toiler came out of the 1920s and is one of those almost forgotten strips these days.

Tillie works, I think, for her father. So does Mac. They are an on-and-off item because Tillie is easily swayed by other guys. (It is the 1920s/30s after all.)

Mac has something hidden in his garage. And hilarity and frivolity ensue. Or so we hope. And will find out.

Five strips to kick this off.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

racing novels, part 11

Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!:

On To Talladega by Kent Wright and Don Keith


Killer On The Track by Douglas Rutherford

Thursday, February 12, 2009

grandview bowl, part six



Every couple weeks during the summer of 1966 the modifieds of VITRA, MIARA and the BCTRA gathered in Nanaimo. Having the Vancouver based drivers seemed to be a novelty for the Nanaimo crowd as is indicated by the most popular driver voting having the Vancouver drivers in the top 12.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

early vancouver, part 20


A Victoria auto race, no doubt to feature the talents of Jack "Lucky" Smith, transplanted from Alberta, who would become the "daddy of Victoria racing" in the 1930s and 1940s. He wasn't the only one but he was one of the more important founders of the racing tradition Victoria has gained a reputation for.

45--August 25, 1926, The Willows

--mile against time
1st, Geo. Smith, Snyder Special 1:05
2nd, Jack Ross, Dodge Special 1:05 4-5
3rd, Jack Smith, 1:06 3-5

--light cars, 5-miles
1st, Gus Duray, Stutz
2nd, R. Burnstrom, Burnstrom Special
3rd, R. Benson, Benson Special
time, 5:48

--5-miles, open
1st, Jack Ross
2nd, Jack Smith
3rd, Geo. Smith
time, 5:32 1-5

--3-mile match race, B.C. Championship
1st, Jack Ross
2nd, Jack Smith
3rd, Phil Churchill
time, 3:22 1-5

--15-mile free for all
1st, Jack Ross
2nd, R. Burnstrom
time, 17:17

Monday, February 9, 2009

my friends all have Rawlsons, I must make amends


It's been pointed out to me that in this posting on the Knox Mountain Hill climb I called Ian Wood's car a "Porsche" when it really is a Rawlson.

So it is a Rawlson. Here's some links to Wood and his Rawlson;

Atlas F1 Nostalgia forum.

Wikipedia.

Western Driver.

Concept Cars.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

gentlemen, start your VCRs

I guess VCRs will actually date me now. DVRs? I've got to go shopping and stimulate the economy. In the meantime, a Tank MacNamara sunday funnie:

Saturday, February 7, 2009

racing novels, part 12

The Saturdays of racing fiction continue:

Return To Racing by W.E. Butterworth


Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming

Friday, February 6, 2009

An advertisement in the Victoria Daily Colonist from 1915. And the only reason I was looking there was that I'd come across information that there were motorcycle races to be held on May 22 and 24, 1915 at The Willows. And, by golly, there were races held. More on that in future early Vancouver postings.

A "shop-soiled" Henderson, eh? Down to $250 from $410. I doubt I could of afforded it then, but now, yeah, I'd take it at $250.

I remember silly t.v. ads featuring Basil Plimley when there was a dealership in Vancouver as well. Must have been the son.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

inter-city modifieds, part five

Another A and B modified event at Grandview Bowl during the summer of 1966. While Ray Pottinger of Nanaimo won the feature (and his wife, Vi, the powder puff trophy dash) Al Smith of Victoria set a new track record.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

early vancouver, part 19


Another holiday in 1926 and another visit by what I like to think of as the "dirt track kings of California".

Other northwest drivers like Jack Ross, Gus Duray and Victoria's Jack Smith were also here. And motorcycles featuring Fred Deeley, Jr.

42--July 1, 1926, Hastings Park

--mile against time
1st, Al Hopp 1:02 2-5 (?)
2nd, Gus Duray
3rd, E. Spatz

--5-miles
1st, Gus Duray
2nd, Jack Ross
3rd, Jack Smith
time, 5:23

--7-miles
1st, Jim Sharpe
2nd, Jim Miles
3rd, O.H. Benson
time, 8:54 2-5

--8-miles
1st, Al Hopp
2nd, Francis Quinn
3rd, Jim Miles
time, 8:41 3-5

--15-miles
1st, Gus Duray
2nd, Jack Ross
3rd, Jim Sharpe
time, 16:34

--5-miles, motorcycles
1st, Dick Kells
2nd, R. Sedback
3rd, H. Mowatt
time, 6:18 1-5

--8-miles, motorcycles
1st, F. Deeley
2nd, Phil Bradley
3rd, E. Brown
time, 10:16

43--July 2, 1926, Hastings Park

--mile against time
1st, Al Hopp 1:04 4-5
2nd, Bill Cooper
3rd, Jack Smith
4th, Jack Norton
Earl Evans

--5-miles, fastest cars
1st, Al Hopp
2nd, Jack Smith
3rd, Earl Evans
time, 6:33 1-5

--3-miles, motorcycles
1st, R. Sedbach
2nd, Phil Bradley
3rd, H. Mowatt
time, 4:55

--5-miles, open
1st, Bob Parsons
2nd, Jimmy Sharpe
time, 6:58

--5-miles, motorcycles
1st, Dick Kells
2nd, Fred Deeley Jr.
3rd, Merlyn Owens
time, 6:23 4-5

--4-miles, motorcycles
1st, Ray Deeley
2nd, E. Brown
time, 5:10

--15-miles free for all
1st, Bob Parsons
2nd, Jimmy Sharpe
time, 17:49


44--July 3, 1926, Hastings Park

--mile against time
1st, Al Hopp 1:03
2nd, Gus Duray
3rd, Jack Ross

--5-miles, open
1st, Al Hopp
2nd, Bob Parsons
time, 5:27 1-5

--7-miles, open
1st, Jimmy Sharpe
2nd, George Smythe
3rd, Elmer Spatz
time, 8:06 1-5

--5-miles, consolation
1st, Jack Smith
2nd, Elmer Spatz
3rd, George Smythe
time, 5:38

--10-mile B.C. Championship
1st, Jimmy Sharpe
2nd, Jack Smith
3rd, Elmer Spatz
time, 11:22 4-5



--5-miles, motorcycles
1st, Dick Kells
2nd, H. Mowatt
3rd, Fred Deeley, Jr.
time, 6:20

--10-miles, motorcycles
1st, Ray Deeley
2nd, R. Sedbach
3rd, Phil Bradley
time, 12:05

--5-mile motorcycle consolation
1st, H. Mowatt
2nd, Ed Lanseth
3rd, E. Brown
time, 6:31 1-5

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

so did Jack make it to Edmonton?


Came across this photo on the H.A.M.B. forum (and that stands for "hokey ass message board") featuring Jack Williams and his Syndicate Scuderia A/D on the cover of a newspaper from Alberta. Says he was to appear in Edmonton. I wonder if he did. (No doubt if he said he would he did.)

And I should add a link to the H.A.M.B. forum here and up over at the links column. Mostly hot rods, and that ain't a bad thing.

Monday, February 2, 2009

just for the heck of it, Rolla Vollstedt


Rolla Vollstedt does have ties to Canada. Born in Alberta and offering rides to the likes of Billy Foster. A book on his racing life is out there done with Ralph Zbarsky. Here's some more links to Rolla:

USA Today.

Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.

A review of Vollstedt: From Track Roadsters to Indy Cars, the Rolla Vollstedt Story.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

look at that caveman go

Colour comics from 1952. Thanks to Don Bennett for letting me photocopy the scrapbook his mother made for him so long ago: