sprint cars, False Creek Speedway, 1959

 Ad and results from

1955, False Creek Speedway

 The BC Midget Auto Racing Association trying to get the track ready. It didn't get up and running until 1957. This article from May 10, 1955 Vancouver Province.

Reelie Weldco, circa 1960s, False Creek Speedway

 Not sure if this is before or after False Creek was open. Gordon Reelie's Weldco Ford V8-60 at the track.

announcing False Creek speedway

It took a few years for the track to get up and running, but here is a 1953 story on False Creek Speedway from the September 29, 1953 Vancouver Province.

odd items

From the past. Where else? This "past" being 1953.

False Creek Speedway wouldn't get up to speed until 1957.

1959 karts at False Creek Speedway

 The quarter-mile oval (or a portion of it) was used for karting in 1959.

The Anderton name goes back to the early 1950s at Digney Speedway.

some 1962 oval stuff

Ad from False Creek Speedway and results from Haney.

1960 oval results

We'll see how good this is:

Saturday, May 21 -- False Creek -- unknown

Monday, May 23 -- False Creek -- unknown

May 28 -- False Creek -- unknown

Saturday, June 4 -- False Creek -- unknown

June 11 -- False Creek -- A main, Ralph Monhay; B main, Doug Airth

June 18 -- False Creek -- afternoon: A main, Ken Klatt; B main, Bob Desormeaux; evening: A main, Les Diack; B main, Norm Dahl

June 25 -- False Creek -- unknown

June 26 -- Haney -- unknown

Saturday, July 2 -- False Creek -- A main, Ralph Monhay; B main, Reno Koelman

Sunday, July 3 -- Haney -- unknown

July 9 -- False Creek -- A main, Les Diack

July 10 -- Haney -- A main, Les Diack

July 16 -- False Creek -- A main, Ralph Monhay; B main, Wayne McKenzie

July 17 -- Haney -- unknown

July 23 -- False Creek -- unknown

July 24 -- Haney -- unknown

July 30 -- False Creek -- A main, Ralph Monhay

July 31 -- Haney -- A main, Ken Klatt (?)

Saturday, August 6 -- False Creek -- midget A main, Gordy Livingston (#12 Reelie)

Sunday, August 7 -- Haney -- unknown

August 13 -- False Creek -- A main, Ken Klatt; B main, Joe Kafer

August 14 -- Haney -- unknown

August 20 -- False Creek -- unknown

August 21 -- Haney -- unknown

August 27 -- False Creek -- A main, 50 lap Bardahl Trophy, Ralph Monhay; B main, Frank Markell

August 28 -- Haney -- unknown

Saturday, September 3 -- False Creek -- unknwon

Sunday, September 4 -- Haney -- unknown

September 10 -- False Creek -- unknown

September 11 -- Haney -- unknown

September 17 -- False Creek -- unknown

September 18 -- Haney -- unknown

September 24 -- False Creek -- hardtops, A main, Les Diack

September 25 -- Haney -- unknown

1960 oval racing, part four

Last of the oval clippings. (There's always more in the archive but I can't give it "all" away, now can I?)

1960 oval racing, part three

Third installment of the 1960 oval racing clippings. A pair of midget events occurred at False Creek in 1960. The Bob "Cregg" mentioned is actually Bob Gregg, who you can find more about by clicking his tag over on the left.

1960 oval racing, part two

Some more 1960 stuff, mainly False Creek Speedway. I have indications, and a tiny morsel of a result, that Haney Speedway was in operation, but it definitely wasn't making it into the newspapers more than once or twice.

1960 oval racing, part one

More clippings, a new year.

1959 oval, some results

A difficult year of rebuilding. The BC Track Racing Association had taken over as the main sanctioning body of stock car racing in the area. They were working with the BC Midget Auto Racing Association at False Creek Speedway and had a falling out momentarily.

Anyway, the best that I can come up with for the moment:

Saturday, June 20 -- False Creek Speedway: A main, Jim Marchant; B main, Doug Airth.

June 27 -- False Creek Speedway: karts, A main, Dallas Anderton.

Saturday, July 4 -- False Creek Speedway: A main, Brent Anderton.

July 11 -- False Creek Speedway: A main, Ted Deacon.

July 18 -- False Creek Speedway: A main, Jim Marchant; B main, Jack Taylor.

July 25 -- False Creek Speedway: A main, Jim Marchant; B main, Len Foster.

Saturday, August 1 -- False Creek Speedway: sprint cars, A main, Smokey Blake.

Sunday, August 2 (or maybe July 26th) -- Haney Speedway: A main, Jim Raper.

Sunday, August 2 (?) -- Haney Speedway: A main, Jim Marchant; B main, Len Barcello.

Sunday, August 9 (?) -- Haney Speedway: A main, Ted Deacon; B main, Brian Mutch.

Sunday, August 16 (?) -- Haney Speedway: A main, Doug Airth; B main, Brian Mutch.

Sunday, August 30 (?) -- Haney Speedway: A main, Ralph Monhay; B main, Ted Deacon.

Sunday, September 6 (?) -- Haney Speedway: A main, Doug Airth; B main, Gordie Green.

1959 oval, part two

Some more. Sprint cars at False Creek Speedway and Jim Raper, best known from Skagit Speedway, winning the opening race at Haney Speedway.

1959 oval, part one

Just because I started looking at what I had, here's a couple clippings from the 1959 oval season in the Greater Vancouver area. Two tracks: False Creek Speedway and Haney (Maple Ridge) Speedway. Both of these are from False Creek.

False Creek Speedway opens in 1957, part two

Some more information on False Creek Speedway from 1957. Always good to start off with a bang, or a fire.

False Creek Speedway opens in 1957

Two kinds of midgets, open wheel and stock cars. I guess we'd call them foreign stocks now.

False Creek Speedway photos, early 1960s

At the Langley Speedway Reunion in September I spent some time looking at Trevor Morgan's scrapbooks. He took photos of some tracks he attended and I took photos of those photos.

These two are from False Creek Speedway, circa 1960. No. 22 is Mel Keen, No. 64 is Norm Dahl (I think), No. 94 is probably Len Barcelo.

some adverts from the newspapers

Always nice to find evidence of racing. Sometimes the first thing that jumps at me when I'm looking at the microfilm is the ads. Then I start looking for headlines.

another racer gone -- Moe Vaillant

Was told over the weekend that former stock/modified racer, Maurice "Moe" Vaillant passed away.

The photo above is from Ralph Monhay's modified restoration site and is of the three top drivers at Haney Speedway in 1963. From left to right they were Ralph Monhay, Mel Keen and 1963 points champ Moe Vaillant. Moe sold the car to Len Jalouse of Prince George, BC, early in 1964, after Moe had won a race there and wanted to quit racing.

Moe raced at Digney, False Creek and Haney Speedways. He was also president of the BC Track Racing Association and had spoken with Craig Frazer early on about the move the BCTRA would eventually make to Langley.

Moe came back to racing after a long layoff by building some mini-sprints for his sons. They raced at Deming Speedway (WA) winning championships there. 360 sprints followed also with wins.

Moe definitely was a boost to motorsport in the Greater Vancouver area.

Here's the obituary from the newspaper:

Maurice Reuben (Moe) Vaillant

VAILLANT Maurice Reuben (Moe)In Loving Memory Of May 15, 1933 to April 10, 2008 Born in Virden, Manitoba, he spent his early years in Baird, Ontario, and moved to Vancouver as a young man where he met his wife Shirley. He retired in 1987 from his position as General Equipment and Maintenance Manager for Canadian Stevedoring, moved to Hope and later Agassiz. He passed away from this life peacefully in the Chilliwack Hospital surrounded by his family. Moe is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, Shirley, his adored children, Cheryl (Kesh), Denise (Ron), Maurice (Anna-Marie), Shirley-Marie (Rob), Darcy (Jamie) and Reg (Shirley), thirteen grandchildren, two great-grandchildren; a brother, Eugene, sisters Doreen Gould and Joan Meservia. He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers and five sisters. He will be dearly missed by his family and many friends. Moe's passion for racing cars transferred to his sons and became a family affair that still continues today. He loved the outdoors, fishing and hunting; traveling south where he enjoyed Bluegrass festivals, sprint car racing and trying his luck at the casinos. He was a friend of Bill Wilson. A celebration of his life will be held on Friday, April 18 at 2:00 p.m., at the Chilliwack Alliance Church, 8700 Young Road, Chilliwack, B.C. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the charity of your choice. Moe had a special place in his heart for the homeless and less fortunate. You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence at the family's online memorial register at www.personalalternative.com
Published in the Vancouver Sun and/or The Province on 4/13/2008.