the Northwest Racing team

A couple pages from the Canadian Motorsport Bulletin, November 1972, featuring the Northwest Racing team.

Saturday, July 10, 1971, Langley Speedway, postponed to Sunday, July 11th

Rain just messed up the weekend. The Friday NASCAR race got washed out to Tuesday and the Sea Festival Races got pushed back a day. July in the lower mainland. Sheesh.

Saturday, July 10, 1971

A & B super stocks and modified stocks

Sea Festival Races

Rained out.

Sunday, July 11, 1971

A & B super stocks and modified stocks

Sea Festival Races

Fast time:

Super stock -- Gordie Hemrich -- 16.08 -- 65 Chevelle

Modified stock dash

1 -- Andy Fentie

B super stock dash

1 -- Brad Baerg

A super stock dash

1 -- Ken Sayers

Modified stock main

1 -- Don Fletcher
2 -- Larry Lundgren
3 -- Dave Angus

B super stock main (Mermaid Cup)

1 -- Don Nickel
2 -- Steve Dyer
3 -- Brad Baerg

A super stock main (King Neptune Cup)

1 -- Gordie Hemrich
2 -- Rick Adsit
3 -- Rollie Walker

tis the season for seasonal greasing, er, greetings

Best of the holidays to all.

more from San Cobble

More footage from San Cobble drag strip on the Island.

Friday, July 9, 1971, Langley Speedway, postponed to Tuesday, July 13, 1971

The Friday night Western Grand National NASCAR race got to the first heat before rain stopped everything. It was rescheduled for Tuesday, July 13th.

Friday, July 9, 1971

NASCAR Western Grand National

10000 in attendance.

17 cars in pits.

Fast time:

Hershel McGriff -- 16.08

Jack McCoy, Modesto, CA -- 16.08

Five lap dash

1 -- Jimmy Insolo, San Bernadino, CA

Then a cloud burst and the race was postponed until Tuesday, July 13th.

Tuesday, July 13, 1971

NASCAR Western Grand National

Rerun after Friday rainout.

14 cars.

Ray Elder, Carruthers, CA, 16.76, 70 Dodge
Hershel McGriff, 4th fastest, 17.18

Sam Rose blew an engine before qualifying which slowed times.

Dash

1 -- Hershel McGriff
2 -- Ray Elder
3 -- Jack McCoy, Modesto, CA, 71 Dodge
4 -- Don Knolls, Los Angeles, 71 Ford

1st heat

1 -- Jimmy Insolo
2 -- Don Knolls

Main (150 laps)

1 -- Hershell McGriff
2 -- Ray Elder
3 -- Jimmy Insolo
7 -- Chuck Bown (17 years old)

Dick Krantzler blew engine early in race.

Saturday, July 3, 1971, Langley Speedway

Len Barcelo pulls off a sweep in the A modifieds.

Saturday, July 3, 1971

A modifieds, early-lates and modified stocks

Early-late dash

1 -- Bob Thomas

Modified stock dash

1 -- Bob Brodoway

A modified dash

1 -- Len Barcelo

Early-late slow heat

1 -- George Irwin
2 -- Norm Brooks
3 -- Larry Getson

Early-late fast heat

1 -- Cliff Hague
2 -- Tom Mair
3 -- Bob Thomas

Modified stock slow heat

1 -- Fred Goodrun
2 -- Scott Mooney
3 -- Brian Bishop

Modified stock slow heat

1 -- Dave Angus
2 -- Andie Fentie
3 -- Larry Lundgren

A modified slow heat

1 -- Cal Arnold
2 -- Ted Glawson
3 -- Doug Bowell

A modified fast heat

1 -- Len Barcelo
2 -- Al Belanger
3 -- Albert Smith, Victoria

Early-late main (26 start)

1 -- Tom Mair
2 -- Tom Edwards
3 -- Jim Fentie

Modified stock main

No winner.

Trying to keep Al Tourond from winning Bob Brodoway was black flagged. After the race the drivers decided the purse should be shared among drivers.

A modified main

1 -- Len Barcelo
2 -- Cal Arnold
3 -- Al Belanger, Prince George

Starter Bob Desormeaux put out a fire in Larry Sproule’s roadster on the front straight.  Lap two, Alvin Haggith and Harold Sjostrom collided coming out of turn four.

Roy Smith could not start main due to engine trouble.

Saturday, June 26, 1971, Langley Speedway

Track records continue to fall as the new pavement pays off.

Saturday, June 26, 1971

Super stocks and early-lates

NTR -- A super stock -- Gordie Hemrich -- 15.75 -- $25

NTR -- B super stock -- Garwin Wilson -- 16.64

Early-late dash

1 -- Duff Braun

B super stock dash

1 -- Brad Baerg

A super stock dash

1 -- Ken Sayers

Also ran: George Cook, Dennis Lester, and Gordie Hemrich.

Poor information on heat races.

A super stock fast heat

1 -- Gordie Hemrich
2 -- John Rothwell
3 -- Ken Sayers

Early-late main (25 start)

1 -- Ken Marwood, 55 Chev.
2 -- Tom Edwards
3 -- Jim Fentie

B super stock heat

1 -- Eric Moilliet
2 -- Brad Baerg
3 -- John Thompson

A super stock main

1 -- Gordie Hemrich
2 -- Dennis Lester
3 -- Clare Walsh, 66 Ford
 



Oh yeah, Merry Christmas.

Saturday, June 19, 1971, Langley Speedway

First "unlimited" super stock race of the season.

Saturday, June 19, 1971

O’Keefe Super Stock Unlimited Special

$3350 purse

44 cars, 14 visitors.

Fast time:

Gary Kershaw -- 15.58
Gordie Hemrich -- 15.77
Dave Cooper -- 15.83

Dash

1 -- Ken Sayers, 66 Chevelle

Consolation main

1 -- Lee Thomas or Lou Ferguson
2 -- Dan Gullett, Sedro Wooley
3 -- Joe Desend, Surrey

B main (50 laps)

1 -- Pete Harding, 57 Ford, Burnaby
2 -- Bob Thomas, Coquitlam
3 -- Merv Meyer
4 -- Tom Mari, Vancouver

A main (75 laps)

1 -- Dave Cooper, Victoria, 67 Chevelle, $900
2 -- Ron Eaton, Tacoma, 67 Chevelle
3 -- Gordie Hemrich, Vancouver, 65 Chevelle
4 -- Ernie Stierly, Portland
5 -- Rick Atchison
6 -- Bill Godfrey

Kershaw out lap 6. Rear end damage. “Hemrich put me in the wall.”

Five cars out lap two.

Sunday, June 13, 1971, Langley Speedway

Scheduled, but rained out, for Saturday, June 12th, the racing was held the next day, Sunday, June 13th.

Saturday, June 12, 1971

Super stocks and early-lates

Rained out.

Sunday, June 13, 1971

Super stocks and early-lates

Over 50 cars timed in.

NTR -- A super stock -- Gordie Hemrich -- 15.85 -- 65 Chevelle

NTR -- B super stock -- Garwin Wilson -- 16.73

Early-late dash

1 -- Bob Thomas

B super stock dash

1 -- Don Nickel

A super stock dash

1 -- Gordie Hemrich

No information on heats.

Early-late main (20 laps)

1 -- Ken Marwood
2 -- Bill Hamon
3 -- Jim Fentie

Jim Foreman out lap 16 with a big lead. Mechanical trouble.

B super stock main (14 start, 9 finish)

1 -- John Thompson, Burnaby
2 -- Crawford McLennan, Surrey
3 -- Don Nickel, 1957 Chev.

A super stock main

1 -- Larry Walker, Victoria
2 -- Ken Sayers
3 -- Gordie Hemrich

Ross Surgenor and John Rothwell into front straight wall after Al Baldwin in his Toronado lost control.

tis the season for seasonal greasings, er, greetings

From 1951 or so.

vintage film from Vancouver Island

First part of some early drag racing footage from Vancouver Island.

a Mission ad from 1971

I can't remember going to the track that year. Off my radar so I didn't urge dad to take the family out.

motorcycles at Westwood, 1971

A race report from the Columbian newspaper.

Saturday, June 5, 1971, Langley Speedway

Just super stocks and the mini stocks this first Saturday night race of the season.

Saturday, June 5, 1971

Super stocks, mini stocks

Mini stock dash

1 -- Neil Gustafson, Victoria

B super stock dash

1 -- J. Thompson, Burnaby

A super stock dash

1 -- Gordie Hemrich, Vancouver

Mini stock heat

1 -- Dick Shead, Surrey
2 -- Bryan Terrace, North Vancouver
3 -- Jo Steinicke, Victoria

B super stock first heat

1 -- Lou Ferguson, Surrey
2 -- Gerry Frank, Delta
3 -- Crawford mcLennan, Surrey

B super stock second heat

1 -- Marty White, Aldergrove
2 -- Steve Dyer, Vancouver
3 -- Garwin Wilson, Burnaby

A super stock first heat

1 -- Jim Fraley, Burnaby
2 -- Bill Klugh, Surrey
3 -- Rick Atchison, Surrey

A super stock second heat

1 -- Harvey Brown, Oyster River
2 -- Ken Sayers, Surrey
3 -- Gordie Hemrich, Vancouver

Mini stock main

1 -- Neil Gustafson
2 -- Jo Steinicke
3 -- Dick Shead

B super stock main

1 -- Garwin Wilson
2 -- John Thompson
3 -- Steve Dyer

A super stock main

1 -- Harvey Brown
2 -- Jim Fraley
3 -- Ken Sayers

Sunday, May 30, 1971, Langley Speedway

More class track records. And the A modifieds make their first appearance for the season.

Sunday, May 30, 1971

A modified, modified stock, early-late

NTR -- early-late -- Bill Hamon -- 17.28 -- $25
Duff Braun -- 17.29

Early-late dash

1 -- Ken Marwood, Surrey

Modified stock dash

1 -- Don Fletcher, Delta

A modified dash

1 -- Jack Cross, Langley

Early-late slow heat

1 -- Jime Foreman, Delta
2 -- unknown
3 -- unknown

Early-late fast heat

1 -- John Kowaliuk, Richmond
2 -- unknown
3 -- unknown

Modified stock slow heat

1 -- Brian Bishop, Vancouver
2 -- unknown
3 -- unknown

A modified slow heat

1 -- Ron Morris, Coquitlam
2 -- unknown
3 -- unknown

A modified fast heat

1 -- Jack Cross
2 -- unknown
3 -- unknown

Early-late main

1 -- Bob Thomas, Coquitlam
2 -- Jim Foreman
3 -- Ken Marwood

Modified stock main

1 -- Dave Angus
2 -- Don Fletcher
3 -- Bob Brodoway

John Hoist hit wall head on.

A modified main

1 -- Len Barcelo
2 -- Ron Morris
3 -- Jack Cross

Also ran: Barry Chamberlain, Butch Fuller (Everett, WA), Al Belanger (Prince George)

another photo

Yakima, Washington 1926.

1935 Willows program

A few pages from the 1935 race program. The race was held at The Willows in Victoria.

These pages include the autographs of Mario Bianchi and Jimmie Wilburn.

cruising didn't work after the party was a dud

But he had good mufflers.

some old photos

Johnny Wright of Victoria, by way of Dick Downes of the U.S. The bigger format negatives finally scanned.

Identified as Don Cameron in a midget at Nanaimo in 1940.

Johnny Wright in his midget at Langford circa 1940.

another Hero card

Rob Angus' card from a few years back. His dad, Dave, raced at Langley Speedway in the modified stocks.

some more nice cards

Recent ones. If there had been those back in the 1960s I'd sure hope I'd have got them. And kept them.

Sunday, May 23, 1971, Langley Speedway

Keeping up some momentum for the moment.

Sunday, May 23, 1971

Super stocks, modified stocks, mini stocks.

NTR -- B super stock -- John Thompson -- 16.81 (unofficial)

Fast time -- mini stocks -- Pete Jensen -- 17.03

Mini stock dash

1 -- Dick Shead, Surrey

Modified stock dash

1 -- Don Fletcher, Delta

B super stock dash

1 -- Larry Lodge, Vancouver

A super stock dash

1 -- Ross Surgenor, Victoria

Mini stock heat

1 -- Pete Jensen, WA
2 -- Alan Beane, WA
3 -- Dick Shead

Modified stock first heat

1 -- Scott Mooney, Surrey
2 -- Sieg Krickemeyer, Surrey
3 -- Len Horvat, Delta

Modified stock second heat

1 -- Larry Lundgren, Surrey
2 -- Don Fletcher
3 -- Dave Angus, Surrey

B super stock first heat

1 -- Gerry Frank, Delta
2 -- Merv Meyer, Aldergrove
3 -- Jerry Serritt, Surrey

B super stock second heat

1 -- Steve Dyer, Vancouver
2 -- Brad Baerg, Surrey
3 -- Larry Lodge, Vancouver

A super stock first heat

1 -- Carl Zaretzke, WA
2 -- Jim Fraley, Vancouver
3 -- Wes Henham, North Vancouver

A super stock second heat

1 -- Gordie Hemrich, Vancouver
2 -- John Rothwell, Burnaby
3 -- Rollie Walker, Richmond

Mini stock main

1 -- Pete Jensen
2 -- Alan Beane
3 -- Dick Shead

Modified stock main

1 -- Larry Lundgren
2 -- Don Fletcher
3 -- Dave Angus

B super stock main

1 -- Merv Meyers
2 -- Steve Dyer
3 -- Lou Ferguson

A super stock main

1 -- Ross Surgenor, 68 Ford Torino
2 -- Jim Fraley, 57 Chev
3 -- Carl Zaretzke

(only three finished)

Sunday, May 16, 1971, Langley Speedway

Beginning a new season for Langley Speedway.

Sunday, May 16, 1971

Super stocks, modified stocks, early-lates.

New surface to the track cost $10,000.

6,000 in attendance.

NTR -- super stock -- Larry, Walker Victoria -- 16.07

NTR -- super stock B -- Garwin Wilson -- 16.94

NTR -- early-late -- Bill Hamon -- 17.36

Early-late dash

1 -- Bob Thomas, Coquitlam, 58 Ford

Modified stock dash

1 -- Dave Angus, Surrey, 33 Ford

Super stock B dash

1 -- Jerry Serrit, Surrey, 57 Ford

Super stock A dash

1 -- Gordie Hemrich, Vancouver, 65 Chev

Early-late slow heat

1 -- Duff Braun, Langley
2 -- Tom Edwards, Vancouver
3 -- Roger Smaill, Surrey

Early-late fast heat

1 -- Bill Hamon, Langley
2 -- Bob Thomas, Coquitlam
3 -- Jim Fentie, Aldergrove

Modified stock slow heat

1 -- Don Fletcher, Delta
2 -- Brian Bishop, Vancouver
3 -- Scott Mooney, Langley

Modified stock fast heat

1 -- Al Tourond, Surrey
2 -- Dave Angus, Surrey
3 -- Frank Fletcher, Langley

B super stock slow heat

1 -- Mervin Meyer, Aldergrove
2 -- Brad Baerg, Surrey
3 -- Crawford McLennan, Surrey

B super stock fast heat

1 -- Garwin Wilson, Burnaby
2 -- Eric Moilliet, Vancouver
3 -- John Thompson, Burnaby

A super stock slow heat

1 -- George Cook, Delta
2 -- Jim Fraley, Surrey
3 -- Rich Goodwin, Vancouver

A super stock fast heat

1 -- Gordie Hemrich
2 -- Rollie Walker, Richmond
3 -- Ken Sayer, Surrey

Early-late main

1 -- Ken Marwood
2 -- Bob Thomas, Coquitlam
3 -- Tom Edwards, Vancouver

Modified stock main

1 -- Don Fletcher, Delta
2 -- Al Tourond, Surrey
3 -- Dave Angus, Surrey

B super stock main

1 -- Brad Baerg
2 -- Garwin Wilson
3 -- Jerry Serrit

A super stock main

1 -- Gordie Hemrich
2 -- Ross Surgenor, Victoria
3 -- Dave Cooper, Victoria

nice cards

Sylvia Braddick's "hero card" also features her husband Stew.

Early photo of Sylvia's wheel stander from the HAMB journal.

Saturday morning sock hop

I like this. Showed up on a podcast that kept my attention. Always a good sign.

Addenum to Langley Speedway, 1970

The Saturday, June 20, 1970 report mentions that Hershel McGriff was also racing at Kent, WA, that weekend. Here's a clipping on that race. He won of course.

And Bobby Allison was there was well.

last clippings I have for 1984 super modifieds in the northwest

Of course there are other sources beyond National Speed Sport News. But I've exhausted that file for the moment.

back to 1984 super modifieds

Don McLeod and Marty White doing well. Interesting to see Victoria's Billy Hitchcox in a super modified. He was better known as a NASCAR stock car racer in the northwest.

something to break up the box scores

A 1947 programme from Langford Speedway.

more super modified results from 1984

graphics from 1967

I'll not include the cigarette package on the back page. But this is a nice little promo piece from the Player's Pacific race at Westwood in 1967.

From the Bob/Audrey Surman collection.