Sunday, June 5, 1977, Langley Speedway

Back to a regularly scheduled event. Big crowd it seems.

Sunday, June 5, 1977

super stocks, claimers and hobby stocks

some confusion as another ad had it as a Carling O'Keefe meet. The results indicate otherwise.

6000 in attendance.

Super stock fast time:

John Rothwell, 15.665

hobby stock fast time:

Buddy Lynds, 16.165

claimer dash

1 – Paul Gendron

hobby stock dash

1 – Bud Lynds

super stock dash

1 – George Irwin

no heat race results.

Claimer main (15 cars, 30 laps scheduled, stopped at lap 27)

1 – Mike Greenwood

2 – Jim Darby

3 – Atom Villeneuve

hobby stock main

1 – Buddy Lynds

2 – Bruce Browne

3 – Bob Cooke

super stock main

1 – Jim Godfrey, 15.837

2 – Tom Berrow, 15.778

3 – John Rothwell

4 – George Irwin, 15.855

5 – Jim Mairs

Godfrey took lead on lap 10.

Doc Dockendorf, 15.960

Sunday funnies

More covers.

Saturday morning sock hop

Billy (The Kid) Emerson, "Every Woman I Know".

some sprint car racing at Western Speedway

another recent article on another Pioneer

George Hollinger got some press for his racing accomplishments that were recognized by the Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers Society.

recent hot rod accomplishments

For this page getting into the 21st Century is astronomical. An item on Doug and Dan MacLanders, who were inducted as Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers a few years later.

two items on the Ores racing family

Al and Mike Ores at Westwood in their Vees.

Steve Baker, from Bellingham, goes big time

Steve Baker, who got his start in BC at tracks like Cloverdale, the Pacific Coliseum, and Queen's Park moves up to serious big time racing. And wins.

more comic covers

Recent finds online.

Saturday morning sock hop

More like a Sunday morning spiritual but it rocks:

Maggie Ingram and the Ingramettes, "Our Automobile"

Jackie Stewart came to town in 1977

Promoting stuff, making himself available to the press.

Off-road racing in south Surrey

The Stokes Pit in south Surrey holds an off-road race.

Sunday, May 29, 1977, Langley Speedway

The big super stock series gets underway at Langley.

Sunday, May 29, 1977

Carling O'Keefe B.C. Championship Series

super stock special and claimers

super stock times

George Stuart, Campbell River, 15.003, NTR

Ron Eaton, Tacoma, 15.033

George Doonan, 15.104

27 super stocks timed in, 17 under the 16 second mark.

Dennis Lester, 15.278

Dave Dalby, 15.289

Cam Barnes, 15.240

Roy Haslam, 15.196

Ross Surgenor, 15.547

claimer main

1 – Atom Villeneuve

super stock consolation main

1 – Vern Wright

2 – Bud Lynds

3 – Allan Adams

super stock main

1 – George Stuart, chief mechanic Gary Kershaw

2 – Roy Haslam

3 – Ross Surgenor

4 – Ron Eaton

5 – Dave Dalby

6 – Al Tourond

7 – Tony Johnston

8 – John Rothwell

9 – Cam Barnes

10 – Tom Berrow

Lap 18 George Doonan spun. Yellow flag with cars racing to the flag. Stuart took the lead. Dennis Lester hit Doonan and car flew six feet into the air. Lester ended up with a sprained wrist. Doonan violently questioned why the red wasn't displayed. A crewman for Doonan jumped the pit wall and charged the flag stand and repeatedly hit flagman Gary Wilson. The crewman was fined $50 and banned for the rest of the season.

Sunday, May 22, 1977, Langley Speedway

Injuries at Langley.

Sunday, May 22, 1977

super stocks, hobby stocks and claimers

super stock times

George Doonan, 15.408 (?)

Al Tourond, 15.497

hobby stock time

Bud Lynds, 16.432, NTR for Hobby stocks

claimer dash

1 – Doran Rickey

hobby dash

1 – Bud Lynds

super stock dash

1 – Tom Berrow

no information on claimer heats

hobby heat

1 – Bud Lynds

super stock 1^st heat

1 – Cam Barnes

super stock 2^nd heat

1 – Gordie Hemrich

claimer main

1 – Al Kennedy

2 – Wayne Baber

3 – Mike Greenwood

hobby main

1 – Bud Lynds

2 – Bruce Brown

3 – Lizz Johnson

super stock main (50 laps)

1 – Al Tourond

2 – Doc Dockendorf

3 – Cam Barnes

4 – Jim Mairs

5 – Gordie Hemrich

6 – Herman Scheurman

Lap 22 Dave Dalby spun into the pit wall. Three injured: Andy and Jeff Ploeg and Dave Penner. All three taken to hospital and later released with minor injuries. Dalby uninjured. Lap 40 Tom Berrow black flagged.

Sunday, May 15, 1977, Langley Speedway

The Skagit Speedway modifieds leave the dirt and try the pavement for the first time at Langley in quite a few years.

And Mission Raceway Park has a fatality.

Sunday, May 15, 1977

Skagit Speedway modifieds and claimers

fast time modifieds

Chuck Byrd, 14.274, NTR for Skagit modifieds

modifieds dash

1 – Lloyd Armey, Sedro Wooley

claimer dash

1 – Allan Kennedy

no information on heat races

claimer main

Rich Archibald, Clinton

Modified main (50 laps, two 25 laps features?)

1 – Lloyd Armey

2 – Chuck Byrd, Surrey

3 – Gordon Stewart, Lynwood, WA

comic covers

As I dig around for another long story.

Saturday morning sock hop

The Medallions, "Push Button Automobile". More Vernon Green.

Sunday, May 8, 1977, Langley Speedway

Second race of the season. The modified sportsman class makes its first appearance of the season.

Sunday, May 8, 1977

modified sportsman, super stocks, hobby stocks and claimers

super stock times

Tom Berrow, 15.673

Doc Dockendorf, 15.605

Jim Mairs, 15. 867

Al Mullet, 15.720

John Rothwell, 15.768

Al Tourond, 15.396

Jack Cross, 15.944

George Doonan, 15.730

Dennis Lester, 15.535

The paper says Dennis Lester was fast time so either I've copied them wrong, or the newspaper got them wrong.

Modified sportsman fast time

Jim Hagen, Burnaby, 15.707

modified sportsman dash

1 – Keith Whitter

hobby stock dash

1 – Bruce Browne, Chilliwack

claimer dash

1 – Al Kennedy, Surrey

super stock dash

1 – Tom Berrow

modified sportsman heat

1 – Jim Hagen

claimer B heat

1 – Harold Oliver

claimer A heat

1 – Wayne Baber

super stock B heat

1 – John Rothwell

super stock A heat

1 – George Doonan

claimer main

1 – Wayne Baber

2 – Atom Villeneuve

3 – Harold Oliver

4 – Jim Darby

hobby stock main

1 – Bud Lynds

2 – Bruce Brown

3 – Ron Pringle

modified sportsman main

1 – Jim Hagen

2 – Keith Whitter

3 – Dave Potosky

4 – Bill Lawrence

super stock main (50 laps)

1 – George Doonan

2 – John Rothwell

3 – Al Mullet

4 – Tom Berrow

5 – Al Tourond

6 – Doc Dockendorf

7 – Terry Forsythe, Victoria

8 – Lee Thomas

Sunday, May 1, 1977, Langley Speedway

The season gets underway.

Sunday, May 1, 1977

super stocks, hobby stocks, claimers

The Hobby stocks ran with the super stocks.

Super stock fast time

George Doonan, 15.329

claimer fast time

Atom Villeneuve, 18.39

claimer dash

1 – Danny Villeneuve, Abbotsford

super stock B dash

1 – George Irwin, Surrey

super stock A dash

1 – Tom Berrow, Coquitlam

claimer first heat

1 – Robert Fletcher, Pitt Meadows

2 – Hugh Glover

3 – Don White, Richmond

claimer second heat

1 – Danny Villeneuve

2 – Wayne Baber, Maple Ridge

3 – Atom Villeneuve

claimer third heat

1 – Wayne Baber

2 – Dan Villeneuve

3 – Atom Villeneuve

super stock B heat

1 – George Irwin, Surrey

2 – Bob Thomas, Surrey

3 – Jim Mairs, Surrey

super stock A heat

1 – John Rothwell, Burnaby

2 – Tom Berrow, Coquitlam

3 – Al Tourond, Surrey

super stock C heat

1 – George Doonan, Surrey

2 – Tom Berrow, Coquitlam

3 – Al Tourond

(not sure about those super stock heats)

claimer main (15 cars, 35 laps)

1 – Wayne Baber

2 – Atom Villeneuve

3 – Robert Fletcher

super stock main (50 laps, 17 start)

1 – Tom Berrow

2 – Al Mullet, Bellingham

3 – Herman Scheurman, Mount Vernon

4 – Roy Haslam, Victoria, (in Hemrich's #33)

5 – George Irwin

6 – Bob Thomas

7 – Earl Wutke

8 – John Rothwell

9 – Alex Praisley

10 – Bruce Brown

11 – Jim Hartney

12 – Darrell Dockendorf

dnf – George Doonan

points after first race

super stocks

Tom Berrow, 66

Al Mullet, 41

George Irwin, 31

Herman Scheurman, 29

John Rothwell, 27

Roy Haslam, 26

Bob Thomas, 24

George Doonan, 19

Earl Wutke, 16

Bruce Brown, 16

claimers

Wayne Baber, 24

Atom Villeneuve, 20

Bob Fletcher, 14

Langley Speedway and the GVRD

The downside to the takeover by Gordie Hemrich of the remaining lease (two years) was these ominous reports.

getting ready for the 1977 Langley Speedway season

The Langley Speedway lease changes hands from Craig Frazer to Gordie Hemrich. Things are looking up, we hope.

June 4, 1978 Trans-Am race, Westwood

From the June 16, 1978 issue of Autoweek.

Sunday funnies

Need to find a good long story to use or I'm going have to stop the "funnies" for a while.

Saturday morning sock hop

Vernon Green and the Medallions, "Coupe de Ville Cadillac". (I know I've posted a couple others by Vernon. Hopefully not this one.)

more sad news, Dennis (Denny) Goldstraw

Heard that Dennis (Denny) Goldstraw, two-time BCTRA champ at Langley Speedway has passed away after a long illness.

Here is his bio from the GVMPS website:
 
http://gvmps.org/inductees/2015-Inductees/04-goldstraw-18-19.pdf

sad news, Jim McRae

I've heard a month ago that Westwood starter/official Jim McRae had passed away. No news concerning a memorial yet.

Here is his bio from the GVMPS site:

http://gvmps.org/inductee_pdfs/Jim_McRae.pdf

final (?) points for Langley Speedway, 1976

If not final, then near the end of the season, as of August 28, 1976.

Hydros at Harrison

1976 race at Harrison Lake.

some 1976 stuff

Demolition derbies at the PNE.