Photograph of Brad Baerg in his #4 modified sportsman approaching the track at the Langley Speedway.

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salishan Place by the River currently maintains a collection of over 9000 photographs, 2000 archival documents, 9000 objects, 500 works of art, and 300 oral history recordings. This collection, spanning hundreds of years, is a wonderful window on the past and present life of our community.

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Object Description

Object Name

Print, Photographic

Object ID

2015.039.490

Title

Photograph of Brad Baerg in his #4 modified sportsman approaching the track at the Langley Speedway.

Date

1969.

Description

Photograph of Brad Baerg in his #4 modified sportsman approaching the track at the Langley Speedway in 1969. Brad's photographed sitting in his vehicle waiting to drive onto the speedway track while two men are talking on the driver side of the vehicle. Brad's vehicle is painted a light blue with white paint used for the sponsors and racing number. The vehicle has the following modifications: glass removed from windows, roll cage in cabin of vehicle, wheel well cut to fit large profile tires and brake lights removed. The racing number #4 is painted white with a orange outline, the number is on the passenger door and over the rear brake lights. On the side of the vehicle near the rear wheel is "Mobile Welding Service" with "For free estimates phone George 594-1663". A man on the left is wearing a yellow shirt and white pants and is approaching the other man standing beside the driver's window. The man standing beside the driver window is wearing sunglasses, white hat, white shirt and white pants. The speedway and tree line can be seen in the background.

People/Subject

Langley Speedway

Langley Speedway opened on June 13th, 1965, under original owner Craig Frazer. In 1969 the Vancouver-Fraser Park District (now the Greater Vancouver Regional District) bought the track and surrounding area with the intent to create a park. Frazer obtained a 10-year lease and continued to run the track until Gordon Hemrich took over in 1977. After the 10-year lease expired in 1979 the track came under increasing pressure from local governments. The lease periods became shorter and shorter with each renewal and there were more restrictions on numbers of dates, hours of operation, etc. The Lower Mainland Oval Racing Association took over operation of the track in 1980 and changed the name to Action Raceway. Finally, at the end of the 1984 season (September 15th), the racers were refused a new lease and the track closed.

A wide variety of cars ran at Langley over the years. In the 1960's there were Early Late Models, "A" Modifeds, "B" Modifieds and "C" Modifieds. During the 1970's there were Limited Super Stocks, Claimers, Open Competition and Modified Sportsman. In the final years there were Late Models, Super Stocks, Street Stocks and Bombers.

Numerous touring series also stopped at Langley. The NASCAR Winston West Series appeared a number of times. Hershel McGriff won the 150 lap races in 1971 and 1972, Ron Eaton won the 100 lapper in 1978 and there was another race on July 18, 1981. The NASCAR Late Model Sportsman series appeared regularly in the mid-1970's. There were also Canadian American Modified Racing Association (CAMRA) events and the International Drivers' Challenge (IDC),

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