a thrill show video

Joie Chitwood and his thrill show came to Digney Speedway for a number of years. This is an ad for Chevrolet but many of the thrill shows had company sponsors.

an earlier version of the Olympics, part three

Ken Hurtley, hurt in the thrill show Olympics at Digney Speedway a year earlier, comes back for more. And the side story, provided to the press by Andy Digney, is great. Unfortunately the marriage didn't last.

I spoke with Ken Hurtley a few years ago. He had a friend in the lower mainland that he visited when he came up from Blaine, WA. Very nice man. I'm not sure if he's still with us.

One thing I would have like to have asked him about was a proposed speedway to be built in Blaine in 1968. Ken was the name behind the track.

an earlier version of the Olympics, part two

The stuntman that was injured was Ken Hurtley, of the UK, who came to Canada via Australia, for this show. His story doesn't end here.

an earlier version of the Olympics

Vancouver had some Olympics way back in 1956. Thrill show Olympics. International drivers representing their countries for fun and profit, just like these days.

Bob Gregg in Reno

I've mentioned, and featured, Bob Gregg in a few posts. Here's another clipping from the early 1950s where he travelled to Reno and won a sprint car race. It had to be hot there. And, apparently, the week before he'd rolled the car. Those guys were tough.

hardtops in Seattle

Grabbing some stuff from an old newspaper that was available online a few years back. Here's Jack Connor winning a hardtop race in Seattle. He came up to Digney Speedway in 1951 to race as did Victoria's Bud Green and Seattle's Linna Rose. Logan Harter raced midgets up at Digney in the first years of the track.

Motorama film

Something pretty rare. An upload of film footage from an early Motorama. Some seem to think it's from around 1962.

1967 Motorama photos

Another set of photos being sent around recently. These from 1967. Two legendary drag racers from that era: Bob Kokotailo's Koko Motion Henry J and Bert Straitton Jr.'s B/G Willys pickup.

1966 Motorama photos, and more and more

Some drag racing vehicles. Jack Williams' Syndicate Scuderia up first. Below is a U.S. car.


Looks like the Henry J above is the unlettered Automatic Reaction C/G.

1966 Motorama photos, and more

Some more stuff from Motorsport in B.C. This time the report on the show. Many of these people have been recognized by the Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers Society for their contributions to motorsport in the region. Check out the website for bios.


The colour photo is from that batch forwarded. Looks like it's Carl Tjorhom's roadster. Upholstery by Jack Peebles. Both are GVMPS pioneers. (Can barely see it but it looks like the sign on the door is "Paint by Fred Welsh".)

1966 Motorama photos, more

Some advertising for the 1966 Motorama from Motorsport in B.C. and the cars that would be featured.

1966 Motorama photos

These photos (and more) got forwarded to me. Not sure who the photographer was. Somebody with access to the show before the gate opened, so probably a BCCCA member.

I've tried to enhance a couple of the darker shots. Forgive me for altering the reality as it was given to me.

The top shot is of a B/G drag racing team of Dooley and Chilton and their Musgrove Ford sponsored Thunderbolt that they campaigned at Mission.

Below looks to be Fred Welsh's Treasure. Lots of big trophies around that custom car.

midgets in the UK

The US midgets made a foray into the UK in 1948. Didn't go over well but the action footage here isn't too bad.



Big story on this here. Unfortunately it looks like internet rot has robbed us of some photos.

Atomic Speedway, Pasco, WA

Some internet clippings from the Tri-City Herald, circa 1949. Don't know much about the track. Some of the racing names are definitely familiar.

NASCAR in the Northwest, part ten

Some more information on the 1974 Export A NASCAR series. Interesting tracks and names.

NASCAR in the Northwest, part nine

Okay, another one. All Canadian series that went to various tracks, including Westwood.

NASCAR in the Northwest, part eight

And, finally (or maybe not), the 1975 report on the NASCAR Westwood race.

NASCAR in the Northwest, part seven

1975 NASCAR stuff at Westwood.

NASCAR in the Northwest, part six

The report of the 1974 NASCAR race at Westwood.

NASCAR road racing, Riverside 1965

This is cool. Junior Johnson, Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Ned Jarrett, Marvin Panch and Dan Gurney. Cooler than cool. Includes a pit fire and A.J.'s bad accident. Gurney wins at Riverside again, ho hum. (Yeah, right.)

NASCAR in the Northwest, part five

The 1974 NASCAR race at Westwood.

NASCAR in the Northwest, part four

Some photos of the 1973 race, won by Ray Elder.

NASCAR in the Northwest, part three

NASCAR also came up to Westwood for a few years. Here's the cover and line up from the 1973 program.

NASCAR in the Northwest, part two

Another Kent, WA, road race report for stock cars. This one from 1970 won by Hershel McGriff featured an appearance by Bobby Allison.

NASCAR in the Northwest

Another forum called Northwest Race Talk has a thread on street/road races for NASCAR. So I'll add some stuff here as well. First Dick Bown at Kent, WA, in 1968 with the WELSCAR group.

Billy Foster

About this time back in 1967 Canada lost Billy Foster. Another clipping, this one from Competition Press about him.