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I think this site is great for lovers of auto racing,especially open wheel cars.
The idea of having an auto racing site for the lovers of sprint cars,midget and Indy cars is great. I have loved sprint cars since I was about fourteen years old. When I was fifteen a local sprint car driver "The late Bob Simpson of Victoria BC took me to a meeting of the old BC Automotive sports assc. He sponserd me and I became a member. My job at the track was to ride in the pusher jeep and when we towed a car and it started I pulled the rope back into the Jeep. I felt like Joe Cool riding around that track like that. Vancouver Island has a history of auto racing going back to the 1920s. There are three speedways "Western Speedway in Victoria Saratoga speedway North of Courtenay and Tri Port near Port Hardy on the north end of Vancouver Island. We had and still have drivers second to none any where in the world. The late Billy Foster was from Victoria and went on to race at Indy.We had the late Jack Smith that was a combat pilot in both world wars. He built and drove sprint cars then built two rear engine sprint cars in 1947 or 48 that were both real winners.. We also had the late Grant King a chinese canadian who built his first sprint car as a teen age boy. Grant was inducted in the Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Nashville. Both he and Jack Smith were inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. There is no end to what could be put down here but this a start.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Gilder on -
Ron,
You don't know how much we appreciate you giving us your perspective of the rich racing history from Vancouver Island. I admit, I had no knowledge of it until I met Larry Pollard and was checking out his background at Western Speedway. Then I was very fortunate to visit the Hall of Fame while on vacation last year. As you stated the history of racing goes back to the 1920's with many who established their racing roots there.
Thank you, for taking the time to share with us. I'm, looking forward to more!
Jeff
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Permalink Reply by Robbie Solesbee on -
Open wheel is the purest form of motorsport there is. It takes skill to run three wide without fenders. The very nature of the cars makes any type of contact a huge risk for both parties involved. When I was racing karts I had more than on competitor hop my rear wheel use it for a launch ramp. Even as side pods evolved those rear tires were exposed. Modified, sprints, karts, Indy, F1. If it has open wheels, wheel to wheel contact usually ends your day. As long as there are drivers who want to put skill to the test open wheel will survive. Sprints and Indy will always be my favorites due to the skill and trust these drivers have in each other to race the way they do. These are the drivers who would race just as hard if the only prize at the end of the race was a grape Nehi.
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