The Victoria Auto Racing Hall of Fame will enshrine new members to its ranks this weekend.
Inductees for the blue blazers include David Morris, the late Jerry Ferrie, Ken Emerson and George Wade.
A pioneer in the Victoria Racing HOF is an individual who makes outstanding contributions, provides services or shows exceptional dedication to the sport.
This year’s recipients of the Pioneer Award are Bill Munroe and Sherri Conway. Conway is a member of the Wilroc Sprint Car Club and is the past president of Wilroc series.
President of the Victoria Auto Racing Hall of Fame, Neil Montgomery, said Munroe worked at the speedway and has been tinkering with cars since the ’70s.
The blue blazer inductees have colourful careers in racing and here are a few highlights for each.
Morris fell in love with racing at nine years old and at 17 won his first trophy dash in a 1957 Pontiac with a 261 cubic inch six cylinder that he got from Nanaimo Auto Wreckers for $75. He drove for Bob Powell and Morris was crowned Western Speedway’s Stock Car Champion, earning a trip to the Daytona 500, but he gave the trip to Powell who owned the car.
Wade made a 46-year career out of auto racing and was the race director at Western Speedway for 19 years. He was crew chief for his nephew, Lance Wade, and in 1991 the team won the inaugural Montana 200. Morris also worked crew chief on the Wade Racing NASCAR Winston West car taking a trip to Indianapolis Speedway for the NASCAR Brickyard 400 in 1994.
Ferrie had a great start with a catchy name, and he started a bread toss to fans after each race, a tradition that has continued today.
He started with ’54 Ford Jalopy, and won his first Main Event and Dash and fourth in the heat in 1976. He went away from racing for a while, but was back on the track in 1995. Ferrie passed away doing what he loved, racing at Western Speedway, after suffering a heart attack while driving his last race in September 1996.
Emerson began his 50-year hobby while competing at Van Isle Drag Ways in the late ’60s and early ’70s in his 1965 Corvette. He worked crew for 26 drivers over four continents and 41 tracks.
He has exhilarating memories of changing an engine half an hour before starting a race in Riverside, CA and working until 4:30 a.m. at Las Vegas Motor Speedway changing the engine to send a car to Japan for a race. Emerson loves to share his knowledge with younger racers and is always keen to lend a hand.
The 2018 induction ceremonies take place on Saturday, April 7 at the Hall of Fame under the grandstands at Western Speedway on Millstream in Langford.
The event is open to the public and tickets are $10 per person. Tickets include light refreshments, a souvenir program and a chance to mingle with past and present HOF inductees. Doors open at 1 p.m. and presentations start at 2 p.m.
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