BRUCE PASSMORE

1989 INDUCTEE

* Bruce and his family moved to Victoria in 1945 from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

* In 1946 he got himself involved with an old race car. That year he wound up driving it in the two scheduled race meets at Victoria's Langford Speedway.

* 1947 saw Bruce mortgage everything so that he could purchase Langford Speedway. In preparation for running every Saturday night, Bruce built additional grandstands, repaved the track, installed an electric eye timing device and commissioned the building of six new race cars for the 1947 season.

* A true success story, Bruce scheduled 17 events and had an attendance figure of over 40,000. Not bad for a 25 year old! As a testimony to his abilities, he amassed a $30,000 race track, a $40,000 apartment block and a yellow convertible in two years.

* Bruce owned and operated Langford Speedway for the next three years. He promoted many international events and had his racetrack billed as the only big car paved facility on the West Coast. By the name drivers from the U.S. that were attracted to race here, he certainly lived up to that reputation. Langford Speedway also had the distinction of being the first paved race track in Canada.

* Even with the added grandstand capacity, the opening race of 1947 saw an overflow crowd. This was the largest crowd since the Speedway opened. Incidently, the admission charge was $1.00 in 1947.

* In addition to the ever-popular Big Car (Sprint) races, Bruce promoted a Stock Car race on July 1, 1948 and also promoted a Tin Lizzie (Model T) race on that same date. The Stock Car Main was 50 laps and the Model T Main was 25 laps. Another attraction Bruce brought in was the 6th place finishing car from the Indianapolis 500 (Leo Dobrey's "City of Tacoma").

* Bruce also kept his hand on the steering wheel. He raced his own stock cars at Shearing's Speedway and then at Western in 1952.

* He retired from the sport to devote his time and energies into his newly- acquired business, Speedway Motors. This was the oldest Volkswagen dealership in Canada.

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Bruce seated in one of his first Sprint Cars

Logo for Bruce Passmore's Langford Speedway

Original Langford Speedway artwork

Copy sample of Langford programme

Another sample of Langford programme

Programme photo--Bruce congratulates Pike Green

With driver Vern Bruce & owner Jack Smith

Bruce (L), Les Wallashin, & Don Olds (driver)

1978 Golden Wheels Banquet with Laura Hoy

May 1987 Photo portrait

1989 HOF Induction--Bob Allison (L) & Norm Wilcox (R)

With son Roy at new Speedway Motors