JOHN COPP 2014 INDUCTEE

As a teenager growing up in Vancouver, John Copp took an early interest in racing often sneaking off to Burnaby’s Digney Speedway. He decided in 1951 to get more actively involved and prepared a 1929 Pontiac. Unfortunately his racing career ended before it began as he was unable to get his parents to sign his permission slip.

But twenty years later, a chance meeting with Roy Haslam and Denny Rand started a long and active relationship with the local auto racing community beginning with John providing sponsorship for Roy’s 1967 Chevelle Super Stock through his local business, Garden City Auto Sales, in 1973. The following season, John also gave financial assistance to Terry Forsyth and later on Bill Price.  This included sponsorship for off-Island Open Competition events and acting as a Western Speedway event and lap sponsor, all of which made Garden City’s name well known during the 1970’s and ’80’s.

When his sponsored cars travelled off the Island, John and his family travelled with them to events in BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan and US tracks including ones in Washington State, Oregon, California, Nevada and Minnesota. The teams returned with many first place finishes and new track records which made John very proud although he did like competing at Western Speedway most of all including the International Drivers Challenge (IDC) and the annual Canada 200. John provided a memorable evening for Western’s fans the time he fielded a new white Open Competition Camaro for Roy Haslam and put Gary Kershaw in the black Camaro which Roy had previously driven which was a great fan draw, adding to the competition and contributing to a good evening of racing.

After Garden City Auto Sales became Garden City Suzuki, John found a new avenue of participation and for two years he supplied his son Steve and Roy Haslam with Suzuki 4X4’s in which they competed in the Boomerang 250 off road competition in Nanaimo and brought home first place trophies in their class.

In later years, John attended Western to watch his son Steve race Stockcars and Late Model Stocks and his grandson Trevor who competed in GoKarts and Hornet class racers.

Following his active involvement, John retained relationships with many of the people he had met during his racing days and today is remembered by them as an imposing yet approachable man with a strong handshake and long thick cigars whose support for auto racing was greatly appreciated by many in the community.