The Vintage Racing Club of BC (VRCBC) was established in 1976 by a group of Vancouver-based friends as a way of sharing with others their enthusiasm for motor racing, and their appreciation of the great vintage racing cars of bygone days. The VRCBC’s competition philosophy is to encourage participation, sportsmanship and the display of the vehicles in their natural state, on the race track. There are no prizes or trophies, merely the great enjoyment of driving and watching well prepared vintage racing machines at speed.
VRCBC members raced at the famous Westwood track from 1976 until it was closed in 1990. Since then the Mission Raceway Park Road Course has been our home track. Our season typically runs from early April until mid-October. The major event of our season is the Historic Motor Races, renamed the British Columbia Historic Motor Races (BCHMR) in 2010. This multi-day event, exclusively for vintage racing cars is held during mid-summer and attracts many entrants from other provinces and the United States. All of the season’s races, including the BCHMR are part of the Club’s annual Rivers Edge Vintage Series (REVS), which rewards car preparation and participation, rather than finishing position.
Club members also regularly participate in events put on by the Society of Vintage Racing Enthusiasts (SOVREN) at race tracks in Washington and Oregon. And many SOVREN members come north to race at Mission.
The Club’s biggest and most successful event to date was held in July 2009. We combined our regular Historic Motor Races with a very special celebration of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Westwood track in 1959. The Westwood50 Committee sponsored many special events over the weekend, including a great banquet, honouring many of the individuals who had contributed so much to the success of the much-missed race track.
Over the years the membership has grown. About 20% of the members are active racers. Many of the others are former racers or long time enthusiasts. The common theme is a love for the racing and sports cars of the past and enjoyment in seeing them in operation.
