Barb had always been a bit of an “adrenaline junkie”, a girl that liked powerful things. First with horses and later with guys who had hot cars. From the first time she went to Western Speedway at the age of fifteen, Barb was hooked. At the ripe old age of eighteen, she met Ken Jay who was competing at the track and in 1966 she married him.
Discovering that a lot of the wives and girlfriends of racers felt left out, Barb took that information to her good friend Susan Biggs and said, “What do you think about starting a club for the girls that makes them feel included, supportive and helpful but not interfering?”. Between Sue and Barb they phoned at least one girl on every pit crew and told them about the idea and when the first meeting would be held. There followed a meeting with Reg Midgley in order to run it by VITRA (the “Vancouver Island Track Racing Association”) and as of October of 1967 they became “VITRA’s First Ladies”. Barb was twenty years old. It wasn’t until 1970 that the new club was recognized at that season’s annual banquet at which their first three presidents (Sue Biggs, Eileen Currier and Barb Handysides (Jay) ) were presented with a beautiful bouquet of roses and also a gavel which Barb still has. With the help of Marion Currier, Barb designed the First Ladies crest and the membership voted to wear white pants and black jackets similar to the ones worn by VITRA members.
It was the purpose of the First Ladies club to plan dances and other social functions for the benefit of the racing clubs which they did, along with so much more. They held Tupperware parties and other fund raisers which went to good causes which included helping a needy family which was a member of the local racing community, decorating floats for the annual Victoria Day parade and driving the Speedway’s pace car in the Oak Bay Tea Party parade (which was scary as the car’s engine kept overheating!). In addition, the girls sold programs at the track as well as photos taken by Barrie Goodwin and racing publications including Racing Wheels and Piston Post (whom Barb later worked for) and also VITRA key chains. The club also held Christmas parties for the children of racers and made donations to the Colonist 500 club, the Salvation Army, Santas Anonymous and the Lions telethon. They also worked the Speedway’s back gate and some of the club’s members became Lap Recorders.
At one of the club’s meetings with Reg Midgley, they asked if Western could bring back the Powderpuff races which was something that Barb really wanted to participate in but by the time the track finally said, “Yes”, Barb found herself pregnant and not able to enter. But if she had been able to, she’s sure she could have beaten Wendy Surgenor.
In 2014, VTRA First Ladies were inducted into the Victoria Auto Racing Hall of Fame in the Pioneer category following which Barb spearheaded the group that designed and set up the club’s display in the Hall of Fame’s museum. She also found sponsors to help with some of the items needed for the display and said that it was great to be able to reconnect with so many people she had known back then.
On a more recent note, for the past three to four years Barb has been delighted to be part of the Silent Auction and Door Prize committee for the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and also for getting Rogers TV to record and televise the events.
In Barb’s words, “I feel very blessed and proud to have been a part of this amazing group of ladies and all that we have accomplished over the years”.
