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NEWS: Bids open for Metchosin service auction A5 DRIVEWAY: Tugging the tails of top-selling trucks A12 HOMEFINDER: Suites convince some, not all buyers A25
Langford fatality reignites anger over stretch of road Page A3
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NEWS GAZETTE
Friday, February 28, 2014
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Speedway Hall of Fame races to 30 Kyle Wells
your life,” said 1996 inductee Neil Montgomery, who started racing at 16 thanks to a consent form signed Western Speedway’s Hall of Fame by his parents. “It’s been a race area is celebrating 30 years of recogniz- forever.” “I just remember seeing as a kid ing some of the greats of local racing, who are in turn looking back at the all these modifieds and stuff parked storied history of the track and auto on the side of the road,” said 2006 inductee Rockie Collins. “I turned 17 racing in Langford. Dave Cooper was among the first and as soon as I could got a race car.” Richard Graham, a 2007 inductee inductees entered into the Hall of as an owner, said family can Fame in 1984. Cooper play a part too, as his father started racing in 1941 at was a driver in Vancouver, the old Langford speedfirst for sport and later for way, located where Ruth profit, running rum across Kind elementary now sits. the border by boat into the “It was one of the first U.S.A. during prohibition. tracks paved in Canada,” “It’s always been there,” Cooper said. “There were Graham said. “The first (race lots of dirt tracks, but not car) I had, my mom and dad paved ones. … We had a didn’t even know I had. … I lot of fun there.” kept it in a garage about three The circuit closed Kyle Wells blocks away, I couldn’t tell down in 1949 and around anybody anything because I 1953 Western Speedway Reporting was only about 13 or someopened up, though it was thing.” a dirt track at the time. 2014 is Joe Macmurchie’s year, as Cooper went on to win big as a stock and sprint car driver in the late he is inducted into the hall of fame for 1950s and, as a plumber by trade, his work both as a driver and a crew actually did all the plumbing for West- member over the years. “It’s quite a privilege and an honern Speedway when it was built. When the Hall of Fame started up our, for sure,” Macmurchie said. “I and Cooper was announced as an grew up with a wrench in my hand. If inductee, he said it was a wonderful you asked me when I started racing, I have no idea. I raced every kind of surprise. “I was dumbfounded, I couldn’t car you can imagine, and airplanes. believe it,” he said. “It’s very nice, I’ve Anything with a motor on it.” Growing up in Cordova Bay, Macenjoyed it.” Cooper spoke to the Gazette along murchie developed a love for the with six other past and soon-to-be mechanics of vehicles, as well as for inductees from various eras of the driving as he raced the streets of Victoria. track’s history. “Driving on the street meant racing All the inductees agreed auto racing is a intrinsic part of Langford’s back then, you didn’t worry about identity and that the spirit of the com- having a race track. Drag strips and munity is in part what got them into race tracks came later.” racing in the first place. “It’s was just kind of the thing you Please see: did when you lived in Langford, all Langford a racing mecca, Page A6
News staff
Charla Huber/News staff
Give me an “R”! Westshore Rebels cheerleading coaches Laura Jaundrew and Carly Champoux hoist veteran mini cheerleader Ashton Fong, 7, in the air. Shyla Tenhave, 9, front, is excited to join the Rebels mini cheerleading squad this year. See story on Page A2.
Westshore Dental’s newest addition
Dr. Lien Neale
W e are thrilled to welcome Dr. Lien Neale to the Westshore Dental family. She recently moved to Victoria from Alberta with her husband and 4 teenagers to enjoy the beauty and climate that the west coast is famous for.
152-2945 Jacklin Rd •
250-474-2296