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Sunday October 15, 2006
Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneer Society 2006 Induction Ceremony

Click for full size image. Inductees not in group shot have individual photo links in list below

If today's induction ceremony was any indication, society members may well have to find a new location for their annual public gathering. Not that the Scandinavian Community Centre in Burnaby is not a great place to stage this, but the standing room only throng would have been crowded in a room twice the size. Proof this event is getting bigger every year.

Needless to say it was a cozy atmosphere that greeted a great turnout of motorsport people from all disciplines. A total of 18 inductees were honored today, some household names in local motorsport circles, others not so well known, but after hearing their stories, they all now have a legacy that will last many lifetimes.

A total of 18 were inducted today, they include:

Bill Allan - Power Boat Racing (Margaret Seward accepting)

Al Clark - Hot Rods, Customs & Drag Racing

Dick Brooks - Oval Racing (Ralph Monhay accepting)

Slim Easton - Power Boat Racing

Larry Sproule - Oval Racing

Tommy Youngston - Oval Racing

Laurie Craig - Sports Cars & Road Racing

George Hollinger - Sports Cars & Road Racing

Jim Lee - Sports Cars & Road Racing

Tony Morris - Sports Cars & Road Racing

Dave Ogilvy - Sports Cars & Road Racing

Alan Cruickshank - Hot Rods & Custom Cars

Lee Davies - Power Boat Racing

Gerry Dunn - Hot Rods & Custom Cars

Jim Grant - Hot Rods, Customs, Drag Racing, Land Speed Racing

Doug Harder - Promoter & Publisher

Ron Livingston - Stunt Driving

Ralph Weinstein - Motorcycling

Sandy Lovelace Memorial Award in recognition of the person, or persons who have made an outstanding contribution to the preservation of the history of motorsport in British Columbia this year went to the group from the Langley Speedway Historical Society. langleyspeedway.ca

Geezer Gossip:
Got to hold a prerelease copy of Tom Johnston's terrific new book 'Westwood Everyone's Favorite Racing Circuit'. The initial run should be printed very soon and Tom promised we'd get news on when you can get either one of the first few signed pieces or one of the very nice soft cover copies...Did you know there were 48 issues of Motorsport in BC Magazine publised between 1967 and 1980. I bout passed out when it's original publisher Doug Harder mentioned throwing away 70 boxes of paperwork recently, but he did show off one very cool paper item. "I still got a ton of stuff" Doug said, as he pulls out a mint perfect copy of the grand opening race program from Digney Speedway July 1948. Not only is it tight and super clean, but has the extra car numbers and driver names are penciled in clearly, though the best is in the center spread result pages where some fan beautifully wrote in every race result of the day including times, names, everything. What a find...the 2007 Digney Speedway Reunion is Sunday July 29. It happens as part of The Spirit of Edmonds Car Show & Street Festival. Open to racers and fans alike you can get more info by calling 604-377-6175 ...Ed Karl was a superb MC, the former CFUN Goodguy starting everything off with some great tales of a '65 GTO grudge race with Sylvia Braddick at Mission Raceway, and of being the voice of the famed Callister Park Demo Derbys...Al Clark brought a bus load from the Island, including former Vic High auto shop teacher Gus McTavish and noted Times Colonist shooter John MacKay...the 2006 Yearbook is another gem. They're $15 and I guess you hafta know a Society member to get one of the few remaining. It includes for the first time a nomination form. We'll try to get something posted you can maybe print out or download...first time we've seen our ole Fraser Valley Drag Boat Assc. buddy Lee Davies in a long while. He's still gotta shop in PoCo, still into racing boats. Check his pics here...coupla guys lookin real good here today were Tony Morris (with Frank Ahlers) after a recent sick spell, and Terry Rea (center in photo below) who was up with Jim Greenwood (right) inducting Ralph Weinstein, a guy I had never heard of before today. Some of us quickly found out the motorcycle history behind this gentleman is unbelieveable.

Born in 1918, he got his first motorcycle in 1937, a '26 Harley. He rode bikes in WW II, and today still organizes the annual Royal City Rockets Banquet, a function he has served since the first one in 1982. And oh ya, the RCRs are just a New Westminster based motorcycle club that he formed in 1938. Ralph is AMA member #9244 and he along with his two buddies Terry and Jimmy were one of the best shows we saw today. And we saw a lot of em...Super nice door prizes, good dark beer from a tap and too many neat old geez-tyes than I could take in...We'll be forwarding a CD of all the photos we took to the Society. Copies will probably be available. More when we know.