VRCBC Vantage Winter 2008-2009 VANTAGE Winter 2008-2009 President’s Message Well everyone, thank you VRCBC Tech. We averaged for a very fine year. It has about 14 cars over each of been my pleasure to be your the five regular events. president and I thank you all This year’s overall for your patience with me in champion is Roger Flescher, my “Novice” year. My who worked very hard to particular thanks to Evan unseat perennial winner Ivan Williams who has kept me Lessner. Congratulations out of major trouble, as well Roger! as all members of the Historics: August 16 and Executive. So here are the 17: Germania Theme: Ian highlights: Woods in charge highest Membership: ably entry in recent times; 92. shepherded by Stan Guy, Highlights were Al Ores hovered around 100 Race, Red Baron, Kees members this year of which Nierop, Hans and Franz, about 35 are active and announcers, anthems, car of the club in some capacity about 25 race with us, and/or corral, track tour, new track and has become a premier SOVREN. New brochures configuration. We faced a event have been produced (photos direct conflict with Monterrey Year end Gala: by Paul Bonner) and are dates and many, many, local Saturday, November 22 at assisting in getting out the events which eliminated the Delta Town and Country. word about our club. several regular entries. Paid Thanks to Bob Smith as key Meetings: We usually Gate was down by about 50 organizer. alternate between a folks. Maybe too hot Next year: The member’s home and a Saturday- 36 degrees. Westwood 50th Anniversary restaurant. Particular thanks Experiment of raising Year. to those members who have eligibility to 1988 (from Several cars have been shared their hospitality with 1974) for Sports racers and bought locally by folks who us many times. Highlight Formula cars had little effect intend to join us. Increased venue was the Museum of except for Formula V which participation is expected so Flight- thank you Randy doubled their numbers and we are looking forward to a Custer. made up for the date conflict banner year in 2009. Website: www.vrcbc.ca losses. continues to grow thanks to Kudos to SCCBC, CACC, Michael Zbarsky. It has been and META. VRCBC could not In This Issue: enhanced significantly by put on an event like this President’s Message 1 VRCBC Annual Gala 2 Tom Johnston’s and Mike without strong support from REVS series winds up 3 Tate’s continuation of the this group. Indeed we thank The Future of Motor Sport 4 Vantage Newsletter. them for the support at every Tate á Tate 6 REVS Series: 2008 has race. Despite some Pioneers Inducted 8 Market Place 9 been the most active year to staggeringly high costs- Tom’s Photo Page 10 date, races taking place on track, ambulance, tent, we Canada’s only F1 car 11 CACC weekends. Randy broke about even on a Photo Caption Contest 12 Custer and Marc Ashbrook $40,000. budget. This About VRCBC 12 gave us our first year of involved almost all members Vintage Racing Club of British Columbia, 2132 Everett Street, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 7R9 Tel: 604 795 0618, Fax 604 853 5085, Email: [email protected] www.vrcbc.ca VRCBC Vantage Winter 2008-2009 Page 2 VRCBC Annual Gala and Awards Ceremony Vintage Racing Club of British Columbia, 2132 Everett Street, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 7R9 Tel: 604 795 0618, Fax 604 853 5085, Email: [email protected] www.vrcbc.ca VRCBC Vantage Winter 2008-2009 Page 3 REVS Series Winds Up REVS Winner: Roger Flescher at the office in his Sunbeam Tiger (Paul Bonner photo) Vintage Racing Club of British Columbia, 2132 Everett Street, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 7R9 Tel: 604 795 0618, Fax 604 853 5085, Email: [email protected] www.vrcbc.ca VRCBC Vantage Winter 2008-2009 Page 4 The Future of Motor Sport as we know it Tom Johnston We keep hearing that However, it is OK; the SUV is Such festivals draw motor sport is the biggest a hybrid (albeit with a 5-litre crowds but do they create sport in the world but V8) enduring motor sport fans, I somehow things do not seem think not. to be going very well around The greying of the here. sport and growth of Creeping loss of Molson Indy Vancouver vintage racing facilities ends, Westwood gone, A couple of years ago I Most motor sport facilities Langley Speedway, closed took one of my old cars to a were built in remote areas but still there. vintage race at Mosport. near major cities. The cities Attempts to build new What I found was the same grow and inevitably, the motor sport venues in the guys racing the same cars as tracks are closed due to Vancouver area struggling at they did forty years ago. traffic or noise complaints. best, the same in Seattle, Some even had the same Ironically, the growth of the Race City in Calgary is wives (pit popsies had cities is greatly due to the reported in trouble. become grannies). Vintage mobility made possible by Most racing circuits are racing is about old guys the automobile. under challenge for noise or recalling their youth (as it is An interesting aspect of traffic by neighbours, Laguna in my case), or somebody this is the return to Seca, Sears Point, Portland else’s youth. It is a lot of fun, popularity of airport circuits. International Raceway, wonderful camaraderie, a Many cities have airports that Pacific Raceway, and Mission dramatic spectacle, the cars are well inside of the city. In Raceway. Maybe what is are being exercised, BUT IT the same way that racetracks happening here is an IS NOT REAL RACING. have been swallowed up by indicator of the future of This is particularly growing cities. Airports are motor sport in general. noticeable in the Hot Rod under threat too, but they community; it has become a seem to have been more WHY? hobby for sixtyish guys. successful in staying in place. The automobile is Off the streets and on to the falling from favour The festival rather airports (again). The all the In years past, than race apples in one basket automobiles were seen to be NASCAR and Champ Car situation. wonderful things. They gave have both come to the everyone freedom and realization that the festival Sanitization of the mobility by allowing type events draw more sport; movement out of the busy paying customers than the Ernest Hemmingway is city to a life in the dream traditional races. Exit polling credited with saying “There home in the suburbs. Today, at this type of event reveals are only three real sports: those suburb dwellers (and that only about one quarter mountain climbing, bull- the remaining city dwellers) to one third of the attendees fighting, and automobile regard the automobile as an has any idea of what is going racing”. I presume he meant evil, polluting, non-green on. In July of 2005 on the that they are the only sports monster, and events weekend that was to have where you could easily be involving motor sport to be been the Molson Indy, were killed while participating. By politically incorrect. Where I the hotels deserted? No, the that definition, auto racing is live I see suburban former race fans were off no longer a real sport. No housewives driving their two- doing something else (that one would argue against ton SUVs taking the kids they may not have safety in any sport, but the three blocks to school. understood either). reality is that very few people Vintage Racing Club of British Columbia, 2132 Everett Street, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 7R9 Tel: 604 795 0618, Fax 604 853 5085, Email: [email protected] www.vrcbc.ca VRCBC Vantage Winter 2008-2009 Page 5 are killed or even injured in hindsight we now see that BE REAL RACING. traditional racing these days, the era was horrifically much less the new dangerous. There is an Olympic sport generation of, drifting and called Biathlon, which traces tuner cars. So what does the its roots back to Many new racetracks are future hold? Scandinavian winter warfare. being built principally for a A hundred years ago Many other sports have TV audience, certainty the there were millions of horses similar backgrounds, fencing, cost per ticket for Formula 1 in North America, they were boxing, and many equestrian races exclude all but the used in agriculture, sports. That is the future of wealthy. transportation and industry what we call motor sport Many new tracks are and were a critical part of the today. It will still be there but being constructed as private economy. Today there are IT WON’T BE REAL clubs similar to golf and substantially fewer horses, RACING country clubs where guys for the most part; their roles with $100 haircuts can drive are in sport, entertainment, their expensive sports cars in leisure activities or as pets. such as way that would land There are still horse races them in the slammer on a but you can wonder how well public highway, but doing it they would be attended if Note: This article was in safe and politically correct there was no betting. published in Western Driver a way. In the same way, one few years ago. I don’t think Many enthusiasts think of hundred years from now, much has changed. the 1950s and 1960s as the there will still be cars and Tom golden age of motor sport, in even car racing but IT WON’T Below: The Last Molson Indy Vancouver, did anyone notice it was gone? Vintage Racing Club of British Columbia, 2132 Everett Street, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 7R9 Tel: 604 795 0618, Fax 604 853 5085, Email: [email protected] www.vrcbc.ca VRCBC Vantage Winter 2008-2009 Page 6 Mike Tate’s ‘Tate á Tate Old Farts and Lots of Fun Where has it gone? When to touch that subject .