Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

General Discussion about the 510 Club of BC
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510-Trevor
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by 510-Trevor »

You guys should make the trip east to Calgary next season. Its going to be the last year for Race City http://www.racecity.com/index.php?optio ... e&Itemid=1 before it gets turned into a holding pond for the city dump's runoff.
There are lots of different track days + vintage class races on all Road Race weekends. Or if you have the $$, you can take a shot at driving one of Allen Berg's formula school cars http://www.allenbergracingschools.com/
I plan to run the Solo I season again next year.
1972 Yellow 4dr
bigjim5551212
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by bigjim5551212 »

there are some awesome pictures there. I think Toivo built his own motors. At that time of Rotary development, there were several camps. There was the Tekam Group, with Barry A, and Takashi. Then there was Toivo, and then there was us Cando/Westcoast Hotrods. Vance had his motors built by JLC. Vance did win the Canadian Championship with a Brian Berg engine though. In the early days of rotaries, Randy Bach built his own motors, rummaging thru Barry Allens throw aways and building a motor that way. The engine I built for my RX7 was done that way. It ran well.
"He forgot more than what i know about a Datsun"
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bertvorgon
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by bertvorgon »

Just to clarify, Brian Berg ran TEKAM built engines, but his car was run and based out of Specialty engineering. Brian Berg did not build engines.
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty" - Peter Egan

Keith Law
1973 2 Door Slalom/hill climb/road race / canyon carver /Giant Killer 510
1971 Vintage 13' BOLER trailer
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by bigjim5551212 »

thats interesting to know. I probably knew that a long time ago. The rules in the east were more restrictive than what we had here, and only Brian Berg had a good engine that was suitable.

now in the east, its "run what ya brung" like 240SX with Chevy V8 power
"He forgot more than what i know about a Datsun"
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bertvorgon
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by bertvorgon »

Morning World,

Dipping into the Bert Vorgon archives, I came up with these pictures, again at Westwood. I remember the TEKAM car was called OTAR, kinda a play on rotary in reverse. It had the decal on it with the cross through the piston, that was pretty funny. The "shop" wars were inteseting, made for some great battles and rivalry.

Speaking of Easterners ,I also remember the great drivers meeting, during the GM Challenge years. The Eastern drivers were pretty dirty in their driving tactics, running some of our guys off the track. I can still see Vance standing up at the drivers meeting, and in NO uncertain terms, stating that if ANYONE ran him off the track...he would be WAITING for them on the next lap.

The picture of Brians car in the pits, with the hood up, is when those bloody Michelin Race Radial tires exploded on his car, taking out the front suspension. They put Georges Kruzekamp off the track too. I ran them at the Whistler Hillclimb, but had no problem as I never got them hot. I even drove them up to Whistler, one of the most fun drives I ever had on that highway, real race tires on the street.
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Brian's car, hood up, suspension wrecked
Brian's car, hood up, suspension wrecked
Starting grid with Traceys car, Brian Berg
Starting grid with Traceys car, Brian Berg
The Specialty pits at Westwood, and Georges killer 510, notice the brakes
The Specialty pits at Westwood, and Georges killer 510, notice the brakes
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty" - Peter Egan

Keith Law
1973 2 Door Slalom/hill climb/road race / canyon carver /Giant Killer 510
1971 Vintage 13' BOLER trailer
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by bigjim5551212 »

wow, Georges Kruezkamp is a boy. That is when 510s were disposable, and if you needed another you found one at ICBC or someones back yard.
"He forgot more than what i know about a Datsun"
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defdes
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by defdes »

Wrenchin' in hot pants...gotta love the 70's.
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rnorrish
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by rnorrish »

70's?! that was the late 80's!

the 86 sticker on the door was from Expo '86, and the track closed in '90.
richard norrish
'68 'goon resto / '71 ice racer / '72 'goon project / '70 4-door rust pile / '67 520 project
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defdes
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by defdes »

Like I said....gotta' love the 80's, wrenchin' in hot pants!
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bertvorgon
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by bertvorgon »

I shoulda posted the year, that was 1987. That is my car in the pits too, when I got sponsorship from National Tire. I got that in 1987 for sure, and I still have those 15" Riken's to this day. I was 37 that year.
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty" - Peter Egan

Keith Law
1973 2 Door Slalom/hill climb/road race / canyon carver /Giant Killer 510
1971 Vintage 13' BOLER trailer
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bertvorgon
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by bertvorgon »

I found this picture while cruising through my album. 1984, my car fresh out of the shop after getting the flares done. That is a 1978 510 I bought for my Mom and Dad, which they drove for another 10 years. The blue 1970 auto was my wife's car. The gold Panasports got painted silver later, and we put 8" on the rear of my and Tracey's car.

While not directly related to Westwood...it was because of Westwood my car was in the body shop :lol:
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scan0006_800x563.jpg
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty" - Peter Egan

Keith Law
1973 2 Door Slalom/hill climb/road race / canyon carver /Giant Killer 510
1971 Vintage 13' BOLER trailer
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bertvorgon
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by bertvorgon »

I know this is really getting off topic for Westwood, but in looking at these pictures again, it brought back the memories of the heyday of slaloming in B.C..

There was a point, where fully sanctioned street races were held, one of which was in Bellingham, Washington. This was the closest I ever got to what huge racing events would be. We got to race right thought the downtown streets of Bellingham, with literally thousands of spectators! What a rush it was!!! Weird thing too...blasting down the streets...blowing through RED lights, huge fun. We did that for a few years. At the same time, the town of Squamish welcomed us with open arms. Big solo right down the main street, and around the block. We would stop for the arrival of the tourist steam train. Byron let me drive one of his cars one year, interesting to drive an NA car.

Along with that came the Hillclimb years, with Whistler/Blackcomb opening their doors to us. Back then, they had NO other summer activities, the place was DEAD! NO golfing, NO mountain Biking, only the odd hiker. We took the place over on those weekends, we could get a room for 35.00 a night. Late night partying, creeper races down the hills. We would have a hillclimb on the Saturday, then a slalom on the Sunday, in the upper parking lot. I'm going to write an article covering the hillclimb years, it was a defining time for me, and cemeted a lot of friendships that last till this day.
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Bellingham Gran Prix, circa 1987-88
Bellingham Gran Prix, circa 1987-88
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty" - Peter Egan

Keith Law
1973 2 Door Slalom/hill climb/road race / canyon carver /Giant Killer 510
1971 Vintage 13' BOLER trailer
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CP
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by CP »

Just looking through the picture gallery of the 50th Anniversary website and see the last car to cross the finish line at Westwood was a 510. (not sure if this is a good thing or not) I seem to recall this car on my visits to Westwood and I wonder where all these cars are now. Any history on this one?
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bertvorgon
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by bertvorgon »

Can you post a link to the picture? I tried looking, but found no specific reference to a picture of a race end.
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty" - Peter Egan

Keith Law
1973 2 Door Slalom/hill climb/road race / canyon carver /Giant Killer 510
1971 Vintage 13' BOLER trailer
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Re: Speaking of Westwood... (Kinda not 510 related)

Post by CP »

I cant get the link to that specific picture. When you go the the site, http://www.westwood50.org It's about the 92nd picture if you scroll through all of the photos. Sorry, can't get it better than that.

Cliff
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