MIKE FRENCH 2023 INDUCTEE

Mike French started his race driving career in Western’s “Island Series” Stockcar class in 1978 driving a #33 1970 Chevy Malibu. With forty-six cars registered in this class that season, competition was keen but Mike made his presence be known winning both Rookie and Sportsman of the Year awards.

In 1980 he won the road course race at Western, one of only two years that this particular competition was held.

During the first half of the 1981 season, at the wheel of his #33 1980 Camaro Late Model, Mike had four main event wins in a row including the Mid-Season Championship which prompted newspaper headlines such as “Is French Invincible?” and “Runaway Champion”. At the end of that year he had collected the Overall Points Championship, VITRA Driver of the Year, Championship Race winner, Mid-Season Championship race winner, Billy Foster Memorial race winner, Sportsman of the Year, Corby Cup for most main events (6), Best Appearing Car, Late Model Series track record (at 18.85) plus five fast times, four trophy dash wins and four heat race wins.

During 1983 and 1984, Mike drove for Cal Oliver in the Sportsman Series at Washington’s Yakima Speedway, moving to the Super Stock division in the mid 1980’s in his #66 Pontiac Firebird. He finished second in the seven race International Series between Western and Port Angeles Speedways as well as a second in that year’s Canada 200 at Western. He then tried his hand in 1986 at a NASCAR Northwest series race at Western and finished eleventh out of twenty-three starters.

He then joined the NASCAR Winston West series for the 1989 season in his #14 Oldsmobile and at his inaugural race at the high-banked Bakersfield Speedway in California he started at the back of the pack and managed a tenth place finish out of twenty-four starters. Mike ran a total of eight races between 1989 and 1991 which included four top ten finishes, the last one being a ninth place at the Motorcraft 500 at Evergreen Speedway. During these years he competed with drivers who included Bill Elliot, Roy Smith, Herschel McGriff, Chad Little, Ron Eaton, Sterling Martin, Butch Gillialand and Bill Schmitt while running at tracks in Washington, Oregon and California.

Throughout the years, Mike was also a crew member, mechanic and also a spotter for various drivers on the NASCAR West series with cars owned by Dick and Judy Midgley while racing throughout the western and mid USA and as far away as Texas. During his driving days he competed on many tracks including Western, Nanaimo’s Grandview Bowl, Port Angeles, South Sound, Skagit, Evergreen, Portland, Redwood Acres and Bakersfield in many different classes which included Stockcars, Super Stocks, Sportsman, Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, NASCAR, Old Timers and Dwarf Cars.

In 2010, Mike’s brother Ron purchased a WILROC Non-Wing Sprintcar and Mike became his crew chief for the next three seasons. They recorded three top five points championship placings before selling the car at the completion of the 2012 season.

Mike then took a couple of years off following which his son Brandon decided to try his hand at racing in the Island Dwarf Car series and again Mike took on the role of crew chief. Halfway through 2015, a second car was added which brother Ron drove. Between the two cars in two years they won five main events, had twenty top five finishes, twelve fast times and three championships. With Mike on the wrenches and Brandon driving they then moved to WILROC Non-Wing Sprints for two seasons capturing the all-time track record for the class on June 1, 2018 with a lap of 15.609. Mike continued as crew chief for Brandon on a Winged Sprintcar, Dwarf cars and Late Models as well as offering help and advice to many fellow competitors.

In 2022 with the imminent closure of Western Speedway, Mike purchased a Late Model “Keg Series” car in which he was able to complete against his son Brandon in the final race of that final season which was also the last race ever at Western. Mike completed that final race in tenth place.