For No Reason. While There Were Few Race Tracks Anywhere in the World
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Rain They didn’t nickname it “Wetwood” Storms charged with moisture rolled in for no reason. While there were few off the Pacific Ocean and when they race tracks anywhere in the world as bumped into the mountains, they Rain Trained scenic and pleasant as Westwood on a dumped their moisture, usually on sunny Vancouver day, it wasn’t always Westwood. Frank Allers, who that way. In fact, it rained quite a lot! Westwood regulars, by necessity, drove my cars for The track was built on a moun- became experts in the rain or on any years, could be tainside in what was in reality the other slippery surface. Many did ice counted on to be Pacific Coast rainforest. Why do you racing in the winter. the fastest in any think the area has such large trees? wet sessions in all the pro Atlantic races we did together. Why? Of course, all of those laps at Wetwood! Ric Forest in his March 722 Formula B Car, 1972 (Tom Johnston) LAP 2 The Circuit 37 Frank Allers in the Author's Johnston JM6, 1985. This was one of the few domestically built Formula Atlantic cars. (Tom Johnston Collection) 38 WESTWOOD LAP 3 32 Years of Racing 39 Three Decades This section lists significant events that others may have different opinions. the order in which the events are occurred at the circuit over its 32 I have broken the 32 years into displayed other than chronology. seasons of operation. The decision three decades for better organization. regarding what to include is mine: There is no particular significance to It Wasn’t all Guys! There were plenty of women drivers, workers and officials. (SCCBC Archives) 40 WESTWOOD Stars of Decade 1959 to 1969 1958 • December 6: Sod-Turning Ceremony. 1959 • July 26: Westwood opens for business with possibly its largest crowd ever; Pete Lovely sets first lap record, 1:25.7, in a 1500cc Lotus 15. 1960 Sports Racing Cars Formula Junior Mercedes 300SL Bob McLean • May: Olivier Gendebien, famous Le (All SCCBC Archives) Mans winning—driver comes to Westwood and pronounces it to be 1963 1967 one of the top four circuits in the • BC Automobile Association donates • August 20: Author Tom Johnston first the pedestrian bridge. competes at Westwood, winning his world. class, edging out local hot shoe Mike • July 24: First major event, the 1964 Eppie Wietzes crashes the brand-new Gee by a hair. Westwood International 200, won by • Pete Lovely and Jack Nethercutt in a Cooper-Ford in practice for the 1968 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. Player’s Pacific; teammate Ludwig • October 19: SCCBC runs a 10-hour Heimrath finishes third and goes on endurance race, The Province 10 • October 30: First season-ending to win the Canadian Championship. Hours of Endurance, the longest race endurance race run, 5 hours, won by 1965 in Canada. Of course it rained the Bob Constabaris and Jerry Barber, whole time. Winners were Wade with two cars (allowed), an AC Bristol • September 17: First Pepsi Pro race, won by Chuck Parsons in a Genie. Carter and Milt Davis in a Porsche and a Porsche. 911S, who covered nearly 700 miles. 1961 • Popular Westwood driver Bob McLean 1969 • Westwood Karting Association (WKA) wins Canadian Driving Championship. • June 29: The first major pro race for formed. 1966 formula cars, a round of the Gulf • June 11: Karting circuit opens. • April 3: Bob McLean Memorial Races. Canada Series, won by Eppie Wietzes (After winning the Canadian Cham- in a Lola T142. 1962 pionship, McLean tragically died The first Province 500 endurance • May 6: First Player’s Pacific, won by racing a Ford GT-40 at Sebring, • race. Stan Burnett in his Burnett Special. Florida.) LAP 3 32 years of Racing 41 Three Decades Stars of Decade 1970 to 1980 1970 • September 20: The first professional Formula Ford race, won by Pierre Phillips of Portland, Oregon, driving a Lotus. 1971 • Pepsi Pro Race converts to Formula Ford. Formula Ford SCCA Nationals NASCAR Al Lader • Westwood Towers opens. (Tom Johnston Collection) (SCCA) (Tom Johnston) (SCCBC Archives) • Player’s Centennial Race of 1974 1977 Champions. • May 26: Allan Lader wins the first • June 5: First Trans-Am race at • Arleigh Pilkey, Westwood pioneer, professional Formula Atlantic race. Westwood, won by Peter Gregg in a passes. Porsche 934 Turbo. • July 14: 15th anniversary celebrated. July 17: Future world driving 1972 • July 27: Four-hour Pro Enduro won by • • Driver Marty Loft sets the Formula Ken Coupland and Bob Beauchemin in champion Keke Rosberg wins the Ford record at 1:11.4 and it is not a Chevron B16. Labatt’s Formula Atlantic race in a beaten for a very long time. Chevron B34 Cosworth BDA. • Honda/BF Goodrich series for Honda 1978 1973 Civic sedans begins. • July 8: The first NASCAR stock car • CASC National Runoffs (Canadian event at Westwood. 1975 amateur road racing championships) • Name Mountain High Racing held at Westwood. • October 7: Author Tom Johnston introduced. drives his last race ever, debuting the 1979 prototype JM2 sports racer in the • May 11: The first SCCA National • June 3: Champagne Motor Sport season-ending Province 500, crashing event run at Westwood; this was also Weekend: 20th anniversary on the third lap (he continues, to the first SCCA National ever run celebrated. outside of the US. 1980 finish 20th). 1976 • June 1: Jacques (l'Oncle) Villeneuve • May 30: Marty Loft wins Player’s wins Formula Atlantic pro race. Pacific in a March 76B. 42 WESTWOOD Stars of Decade 1981 to 1990 1981 • First Historic Weekend event run by Vintage Racing Club of British Columbia (VRCBC). 1982 • Tommy Phillips, son of Pioneer Westwood racer Pierre Phillips, wins CKLG/MCL pro Atlantic race in a Ralt Player’s/GM Honda Series Formula Atlantic Frank Allers RT4. (Frank Allers Collection) (Frank Allers Collection) (Tom Johnston) (Frank Allers Collection) 1983 • May 21: Michael Andretti turns fastest 1987 1990 lap ever at Westwood, 0:58.795, in • First season of the very popular • July 8: “The Last Race”:10th annual Player's/GM Motorsport series for Historic Races. qualifying for the Formula Mondial (Atlantic) race, in a Ralt RT4 Chevrolet Camaros and Pontiac • August 5: Mark Dismore wins the last Firebirds. Cosworth. Player’s Pacific and last Formula 1984 1988 Atlantic race driving a Swift DB4 • July 22: Silver Jubilee, 25th • Westwood Fund to improve the track Toyota. started. Anniversary Weekend. • October 8: The last race ever at 1985 1989 Westwood, a 7-hour endurance race • July 21: First Gilles Villeneuve • SCCBC fails in attempt to build a new won by brothers Ross and Gord facility in Maple Ridge. Bentley driving their self-built sports Memorial Weekend. racer. 1986 • February 8: Deadline for proposals to purchase Westwood Plateau. • July 20: Local driver Frank Allers has his debut Formula Atlantic race in the • August 6: Hiro Matsushita sets Keen Engineering Johnston JM6. ultimate lap record during Toyota Atlantic race, 0:59.705, in a Swift DB4 Toyota. LAP 3 32 years of Racing 43 Big Races Over the years, events came and went, The Player’s Pacific was usually (not Formula Ford. but there were some that seemed to always) held in the spring. The last The third event that seemed to have continue. Player’s Pacific was run on August 5, lasting power was the traditional The Player’s Pacific, first run in 1990 and was a round of the Player’s season-closing endurance race. Most 1962, was probably the biggest event Ltd. Toyota Atlantic Series. commonly seven hours in length (it was at the circuit. Initially the race was part An event often held later in the ten hours one year), it was, for a long of Canada’s national championship for season was also a major professional time, Canada’s longest road race. For road racing. The first events were for race. Initially called the Westwood many years it was known as The Group 6 sports cars (later known as International, it had various names, the Province 500, as it was sponsored by Can-Am cars); later ones were for most well known would be the Pepsi the Vancouver Province newspaper. various single-seater formulas, the Pro. Similar to the Player’s event, it The Enduro, as it became known, was best-known being Formula Atlantic. was initially for Group 6 cars; later it usually run on the Sunday of the became a mixed event including Thanksgiving long weekend. Program Covers from Big Westwood Races. From left: Player’s Pacific, 1989; Pepsi Pro, 1974; The Province 500, 1971. (SCCBC Archives) 44 WESTWOOD Racing Series Events at Westwood Canadian Driving Championship Trans-Am popular with the fans, especially since There was, for many years, a Canadian By the mid 1970s, the real Trans-Am local driver Frank Allers dominated the Driving Championship for road racers. came to Westwood, running races for series in the west. Almost every year one or more rounds several seasons. of the championship were run at the Honda Michelin Series/Honda BF Westwood circuit. NASCAR Goodrich Series From 1961 to 1968 the champion- NASCAR has always had a presence in A series similar to the Player’s/GM ship was run for sports racing cars and the US Pacific Northwest and Western except all the cars were Honda Civics. was backed by Imperial Tobacco under Canada. Initially their Western Grand Initially the cars all ran BF Goodrich their Player’s brand, called the Player’s National Series, and later their Winston tires, later Michelins. Challenge Series. West Series, would make frequent In the years 1969 and 1970, Gulf appearances at Canadian tracks in- Canon Yokohama Challenge Canada sponsored the series, now for cluding, for a few years, Westwood.