wilroc schedule

Initially, Norm and Ross were looking at forming a reasonably affordable class of open-wheel sprints and super modifieds that would be compatible with a group running in Eastern Washington. The cars would be wingless, self-starting and have gasoline-powered steel engines. After much discussion, it was decided that if a class was going to be formed, it must fit in with the existing sprint car class running on the dirt at Cassidy Speedway near Nanaimo. In 1999, meetings were held, rules were formulated and the beginnings of a pavement class of sprint cars and super modifieds was initiated. The name of WILROC was proposed by past Super Stock Champion Ross Surgenor, and as the name was different from that of most other groups, it was adopted. A nine race schedule for 2000 was set up. There were six shows at Victoria and one each at Saratoga, Prince George and Williams Lake. In addition, members were given optional race dates with the Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association (NSRA) in Victoria and with the Washington Economy Sprint Car Organization (WESCO) in Saratoga. A few WILROC cars also travelled to the new Vernon, B.C. track for an exhibition show in September. In early 2000, the unfortunate news was received about the closure of Cassidy Speedway. This left quite a few Island Sprint Cars with no option but to convert the cars to pavement setups and run with WILROC. The first race on April 15^th at Victoria’s Western Speedway saw 10 cars in the pit area. At the end of the season, 16 cars had earned WILROC points and seven different drivers had won Main Events. All things considered, the initial year for the WILROC series was a tremendous success. Nanaimo’s Dave Emmerson emerged points champion driving the Dave Smith #22 sprint car; Nanaimo’s Britt Gillett was second in his #24 sprinter; and Nanaimo’s Darren Kennedy was third in the Norm Wilcox #21 roadster out of Victoria. The Annual General Meeting was held on November 18^th in conjunction with the year-end banquet and dance. At this meeting all proposed rules were discussed, adopted and then “frozen” until 2004. This was done to give stability to the group and promote steady growth. The rules were decided on by the car owners and agreed upon by a majority decision. The second year of WILROC’s existence began on a very positive note. The owner’s request for a ten race schedule was met with five in Victoria, three in Saratoga and one each at Prince George and Williams Lake. There were also two optional NSRA shows in Victoria that members were eligible to compete in. There were a possible 28 race cars available to run under the WILROC banner, but with the usual fiscal restraints, work and travel restrictions, only 20 managed to earn points during 2001. Still, for a second year club, the car count had well exceeded expectations. Also, judging from the fan reactions to our shows, we certainly did a good job and were improving with each performance. We lost two shows with rainouts, but the remaining eight saw four different Main Event winners. The season points champion was not fortunate enough to be one of the Main Event victors, but with consistent good showings, garnered enough points to be WILROC Champion. Duncan’s Darren Yates earned the number one spot with his #91 sprint car; Victoria’s Randy Vincent was second with his #2 sprinter; and Nanaimo’s Ron Lambert finished the year in third with his #99 sprinter. 2002 saw the WILROC series have three sanctioned shows at Victoria’s Western Speedway; 5 sanctioned shows at Saratoga Speedway; and one each south of the border at Spanaway, Washington and Tenino, Washington. There were also the two “optional” NSRA race dates at Victoria that members could enter. The car count continued to grow and the cars were being updated and more competitive. At the seasons end, Victoria’s Jeff Montgomery earned the top spot in Championship Points in his #33 sprint car; Victoria’s Randy Vincent was again second in his #2 sprinter; and Nanaimo’s Britt Gillett drove Dave Smith’s #22 sprinter to a third place finish. 2003 was again a banner year for the WILROC series. Our schedule included three sanctioned shows at Western Speedway, five at Saratoga, and a two-day show at Williams Lake. There was also the two “optional” shows at Western (one with NSRA and one with a group out of Eastern Washington). The U.S. cars failed to materialize for the Strawberry Cup, so it was solely a WILROC event. The capacity crowd were royally entertained as the WILROC racers put on a superb show throughout the night. Victoria’s Randy Vincent did a fantastic job winning the Main Event. At seasons end, Victoria’s Jeff Montgomery repeated as WILROC Champion in his #33 sprint car; Randy Vincent was again second in his #2 sprinter (the third year in a row); and newcomer Randy Price had a great season finishing third in points in his #19 sprinter out of Cobble Hill.