Viewing Object

Object Description

Object Name

Yearbook

Object ID

2015.039.016

Title

2nd L.A.R.A Year Book.

Date

1969.

Description

A light blue softcover year book titled "Second Annual L.A.R.A. Year Book." The words "Second Annual" are in white at the top. Below is the coat of arms for the track. It has two black and white checkered flags on either side, a diagonal black bar down the middle, with a blue winged tire and a blue car. A banner above the coat of arms reads "L.A.R.A." At the bottom of the cover it reads "Year Book / 1969." The name "Reg Royle is written in the upper left corner in pen. There is a black mark in the lower right corner. The back is blank and grey, while the spine is black. This book is a yearbook for the Langley Auto Racing Association. The book consists of photos of the cars with their drivers bios, advertisements and an introduction by Donna Firth.

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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Argus v4.4.2.32 - Langley Centennial Museum