A Celebration of Life for Frank Perry will be held on Saturday, January 24th 2026 from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the SVI Rangers Station located at 3498 Luxton Road.

We are very saddened to learn of the recent passing of former car and engine builder, car owner and club official Frank Perry and we offer our sincere condolences to his wife Vicky and family and Frank’s many friends.

Born in Saskatchewan and then moving to Vancouver Island in Gordon Head, Frank as a teenager became interested in cars and mechanics which led to an attraction to auto racing where he made the acquaintance of the racers and racing fans who worked at Vantreight Farms. Their many conversations about cars and auto racing made Frank decide to get directly involved, and he set about preparing a 1950 Meteor two door sedan to race in the Jalopy class for the 1965 season at Western Speedway. With Vantreight employee Albert Smith behind the wheel and Bernie Maggoria lending his sign painting talents and white Ford pickup truck to tow the racecar to both Victoria and Nanaimo tracks, the boys ended up in eighth spot in that year’s points standings. For the following 1966 season, Frank built up a 1953 Ford for the Stockcar class which Albert guided to a sixth place season end finish. 1967 saw yet another ’53 Ford and a fifteenth place points finish which was not so bad considering that that year there were sixty-five registered cars in the Stockcar division. Frank also served this season and the following one as Technical Man for VITRA (the Vancouver Island Track Racing Association).

For 1968, Frank teamed up with Ross Surgenor and they fielded a 1958 Ford for the newly-formed Super Stock division. Frank had by now become especially talented at building engines and this car was no exception with him creating this racer’s 352 cubic inch V8 engine with lettering on the car’s front end proclaiming, “Power by Perry”. The combination of Frank’s engine expertise and Surgenor’s superior driving skill got them number one in the year-end points standings of the InterCity Super Stock circuit which included Langley Speedway. Not content to rest on their laurels, they followed this up the following year with another Season Championship, this time in Western Speedway’s Late Model Stockcar class. For 1971, they upgraded the ’58 Ford’s body with one from a 1968 Ford Torino. which they first ran at Western followed by various tracks throughout the Pacific Northwest for the next three seasons at Open Competition events. Highlights of this time included winning the inaugural Canada 200 at Western in 1972 and placing third in points in the Pacific Northwest NASCAR Late Model Sportsman division as well as winning the International Drivers Challenge Series for Super Stocks in 1974.

We are proud to announce our 2026 Inductees who will be: Lois Pollard Grant, Glen Creed and Jeff Bird. 

The 2026 Pioneer award recipients will include: Sharon Constantine, George Graham and Paul Hargraves.

The ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 11th 2026 at the Elements Casino and we will provide more information as it becomes available.

Our heartiest congratulations to 1984 Inductee Gary Kershaw for his forthcoming induction into the “Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame” as a member of the “Class of 2025”!

Gary joins previous local CMHF inductees including Billy Foster (1993), Grant King (1999), Roy Smith (2002), Jack Smith (2005) and Dick Midgley (2022).

Here is a link to the CMHF website: https://cmhf.ca/2025/10/28/canadian-motorsport-hall-of-fame-announces-class-of-2025-inductees/

In 2016, Daryl Crocker stepped into the role of General Manager at Western Speedway, quickly making his mark on the organization. He revamped the Speedway’s schedule, forged new business partnerships and strengthened car counts across all classes. That inaugural season featured exciting new events including the Opening Night of Mayhem, a three-day Monster Truck weekend with a Sunday matinee for children and the debut of the annual Crazy Train Stunt Productions car jump season finale. To support these developments, billboard advertising space was expanded and the Claimer class was reintroduced as a North American-made four cylinder option which provided an affordable entry point for new racers.

Daryl’s leadership fostered a noticeably-positive racing community, creating a welcoming environment where everyone felt at home. This sense of belonging resonated deeply, laying the foundation for lifelong relationships among racer, families and friends.  In subsequent years, Daryl continued to enhance the Speedway’s offerings. He further expanded billboard space and strengthened business relationships while also making substantial improvements to the facility. In 2018 he introduced “Hangover Breakfasts” for race teams during two-day events which fostered camaraderie among participants. The 2019 season season brought significant enhancements to the track’s infield which included new concrete pads throughout the pit area as well as the exciting debut of a racecar parade through the streets of Langford.

The 2020 season was marked by the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic leading to the Reg Midgley Canada 200 becoming the only event of the year. Despite these difficulties, the race gained national attention through it’s broadcast on CHEK-TV. The popularity of this coverage continued to grow in the following years. With 2021 came further challenges including a shortened season due to the ongoing pandemic coupled with the heartbreaking announcement that the property Western Speedway occupied would be sold to a developer, signalling the end of an era for the beloved venue.  In response, Daryl took action by forming a non-profit organization, VISSA (Vancouver Island Safe Sport Association), dedicated to finding a new location for Langford’s cherished speedway. Following it’s closure, he organized the dismantling and storage of the grandstands, ensuring they could be reassembled at a future site.

Darryl remained actively involved in the racing community managing the Late Model class and providing trackside parts and tire sales to support racers at Saratoga Motorsports Park. His dedication and leadership have left a lasting impact on the Speedway and it’s community nurturing a spirit of connection that will endure for years to come.

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”.