Green Acres, Ontario, Canada: the full story

This circuit operated 1958-1962. This thread aims to tell the story:

First event: Saturday 31 May 1958

The Goderich Signal Star

Thursday 5 June, 1958

Up to 120 mph

First Green Acres Meet

Draws 92 Sports Cars

With the opening of the Green

Acres track at Port Albert sports

cars swarmed like hornets around

Goderich over the week-end.

The formal invitation meet held

on Saturday was not open to the

public. The first public meet is

scheduled for July 5 when several

thousand spectators are expected

to be on hand.

Officials of the London Automobile

Sports Club were well satisfied

with the meet held Saturday.

They has expected 40 entries, but

92 cars took part in the competi-

tions. Many other sports cars were

driven to the track by observers.

Counting drivers, mechanics, ob-

servers and wives, there were

around 500 people at the closed

invitation meet.

The influx of people caused an

accommodation problem which

may become even more noticeable

at the next meet. Motels and

hotels were filled up, and a number

of visitors had to be billeted in

private homes.

The London club which organiz-

ed the meet, has a two year lease

on the Port Albert Airport pro-

perty, which is owned by Reg

McGee & Sons, of Goderich.

Speeds of up to 120 mph were

achieved Saturday on the

straights of the 2.2 mile course.

Corvette Wins

A Texan Glen Morrisett drove

a fuel-injection Corvette to victory

in the 20 lap feature event Satur-

day. He averaged 73 mph.

The Green Acres track is one of

the only two sports car tracks in

Ontario. Many drivers said the

Port Albert track felt faster than

the other track which is known as

Harewood Acres.

Cars seen at Port Albert on the

week-end were driven by sports

car enthusiasts from all parts of

Ontario and Quebec, as well as the

States of New York, Ohio, Florida

and Texas.

The makes of cars included MG's,

Austin Healeys, Triumphs, Cor-

vettes, Thunderbirds, Jaguars,

Porsches, Volvos, Lotus, Alvis and

custom made specials.

No Accidents

There were no accidents Satur-

day, though the track was wet at

times and there were some "spin-

outs."

Dave Carlson of Goderich, who

is a member of the London club

acted as flag marshal for the

races.

Rest rooms have been construct-

ed at the track and there is plenty

of parking space for spectators.

A refreshment booth will be oper-

ating at the first public meet.

There are pits for the cars and a

control tower.

Club members were appreciative

of the co-operation of the local police

as none of the drivers were pinch-

ed for buzzing through Goderich

without mufflers.

In the feature event on Saturday

second place was won by Dennis

Coad, of Oakville, in a Lotus, and

third place went to Trent Jarmain (sic),

of Detroit, Mich., who drove a

Thunderbird.

Competition driving causes

plenty of extra wear and tear on

engines and tires, so the mechanics

who came with the racing teams

were kept busy at the track. A

few of the racing cars with motors

needing attention were brought

into Goderich where they were

"torn down" at the garage oper-

ated by Len Watson and H.C.

MacPhee.

The garage was a hive of ac-

tivity until midnight Saturday.

The engine of a Porsche, a German

built sports car, was left here and

is being overhauled this week.

With motels and hotels filled up,

Mr. MacPhee scurried around and

found accommodation in private

homes for at least 20 sports car

drivers, their wives and other

tourists who arrived on the week-

end.

END

Edited by Rupertlt1, 12 August 2021 - 06:08.

Yes green Acres was an important part of Canadian racing in the late 50s. Some brief mention of the circuit appeared here a few years back, but not too many are familiar with it. I am because it was near home and I was introduced to a lifetime of racing about 57 years ago All the early chargers of the Canadian scene appeared here, Ryan, Heimrath, Bradley, Bartels, Grant  Clark and so on.

A highlight was the Sadler team, early formula libre Sadlers driven by Danny Shaw and Bill himself. The track being close to the US border

was well situated to attract American runners . Mosport opening in 1961 led to the track's demise, as it did for other Ont airport circuits. The difference between Green Acres and Mosport was dramatic, a whole new universe in terms of circuit and international drivers,

Still Green Acres was an important step along the way. Today it is a pasture field, but for many years a shed roof there still advertised the Great Lakes trophy Races.

D28: Thanks. Do you have any pics, programmes, results etc?

Saturday 5 July 1958

The Goderich Signal Star

Thursday 10 July, 1958, Page 1:

More Than 2,000 Watch

Port Albert Auto Races

With well over 2,000 people

watching, 120 sports cars—valued

at more than $500,000—vied for

trophies in a daylong program of

racing at the Green Acres circuit,

Port Albert, on Saturday.

A Detroit driver Richard Wolfe,

escaped injury in the only serious

accident of the day. Going at 80

mph down the straight, he was

blinded by water.

Wolfe's Triumph TR-3 left the

track, slid in the wet grass, hit

the shoulder of another roadway

nearby, then flipped.

The body of the $3,000 car was

wrecked but the driver was not

hurt, thanks to a seat belt and roll

bar. There were other TR-3's in

the race, but Wolfe's was the only

one with a roll bar.

It was expected that he would

be able to salvage the frame and

engine of the car.

Next Races

The next sports car races at

Port Albert will be on August 28.

Mayor Allan Johnston, of Lon-

don, was present for the official

opening of the 2.2-mile track,

which is on the Port Albert airport

property owned by Reg. McGee &

Sons. Mayor Ernie C. Fisher, of

Goderich, was also in attendance.

"The weather held off over half

our expected crowd." said Dave

Carlson, of Goderich, a public re-

lations officer of the London Auto-

mobile Sport Club, which spon-

sors the races.

Gate receipts indicated that well

over 2,000 people did attend, and

the club expected to clear enough

to cover most of the expenses it

has incurred so far.

Altogether, the club has spent

about $2,500 on construction at the

track. This amount includes about

$1,000 for two and one-quarter

miles of fencing.

The races got underway in the

morning. The rain held off until

around 5 p.m. Despite the heavy

downpour, the races continued

until all events were finished, but

visibility was poor at times.

The competition drew cars from

various parts of the U.S., Ontario,

Quebec and as far west as Winni-

peg, Manitoba.

Top Driver

The Green Acres Trophy was

won by London's Ed. Leavens, who

drove a Corvette in the feature

event of the day. Second place

was taken by Lieutenant Les Mor-

risett, U.S. Navy, Detroit, driving

another Corvette.

Detroit's Rich Lyeth, third place

winner in the 20-lap feature event,

lost time when he ran out of fuel

in the 17th lap. He was driving

a big Ferrari powered by a Cor-

vette engine.

All three of these cars were able

to hit 130 mph down the short

straight in front of the control

tower. Their average speeds were

much lower, of course, as there

are a hairpin turn and other tricky

curves in the track.

There is no prize money at

stake, but several trophies were

awarded to winners of races and

special classes.

Three refreshment booths, in-

cluding one operated by Goderich

Kinette Club, were on the grounds.

U.S. drivers said that the track

was one of the best they had ever

raced on. One of the Canadian

drivers, Milton Wright, of Orillia,

commented: "This track is good,

and it is quite safe in comparison

with some others."

Large numbers of the sports cars

were seen around Goderich over

the week-end. One club official

estimated that the visiting racing

teams spent at least $10,000 while

in town on parts, gasoline, meals,

accommodation etc.

All Accommodated

A list of private homes was

ready to look after visitors need-

ing overnight accommodation, but

it wasn't necessary to call on many

of these. Motels and hotels were

crowded, and some of the visitors

brought their own tents or trail-

ers.

On the homeward journey from

Port Albert, some of the sports

cars went around by Benmiller to

avoid passing through Goderich.

The reason was that word had

gone around that Goderich Town

Police had? detained a couple of

drivers police thought were mak-

ing unnecessary noise with their

cars.

An XKSS Jaguar was probably

the fastest car on the track Satur-

day, but it didn't win a race. It

was driven by Ron Stewart (sic), a 50-

year-old duck farmer from New-

market.

The Jaguar displayed tremend-

ous acceleration on the straight,

but lost time on turns, spinning off

the track sometimes. It was the

first time Mr. Stewart had driven

the Jag in competition.

END

[Notes: The Newmarket duck farmer was Don Stewart. Keyword: Chevrolet.]

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 12 August 2021 - 06:26.

D28: Thanks. Do you have any pics, programmes, results etc?

 

 

Only memories I'm afraid, programs were none too elaborate. However, Racing sportscars site , which I assume you are familiar with does have entry lists and some results.

I just accessed the site for some refreshing on the Sadler specials, here is one link to site:

http://www.racingspo...1959-05-30.html

Edited by D28, 31 March 2016 - 17:00.

D28: I contributed much of the Green Acres (and other) material to Racing Sports Cars - but am always on the lookout for more! RGDS RLT 

That is great news, I was most pleasantly surprised to find so much data there. You have done a good job. 

The only other site I have accessed for early Canadian results is wsrp.cz. they have data only back to 61 and nothing for Green Acres.

Wouldn't it be great to stumble on some of those programs at a yard sale! Not too likely after all this time.

D28: PM me with your email address - I have electronic copies of sundry stuff. RGDS RLT

Green Acres was before my time.  If it closed in 1962, I was only 13 years of age and quite distant in Bowmanville.

In scanning the Entry List html available on the Racing sportscars site, I saw a lot of names that I recognized from my early days of spectating at Mosport.  One that jumped out at me was Gordon Harrison.  I have to think that this was the self same chappie who went on to marshal with the CRCA and who was so sadly run down by Jerry Grant in the 1966 running of the Player's 200.  It's only a couple of months from being 50 years ago.

RIP, Gordon

And, indeed, RIP, Jerry.

Saturday 29 August 1959

The Goderich Signal Star

Thursday 3 September, 1959:

HOT WEATHER HURTS

Fast Field Sport Car

Racers Thrills Crowd

One of the finest fields London

Automobile Sport Club ever lined

up for its car races was witnessed

at the Green Acres Circuit here

on Saturday. Despite this fact, the

crowd of spectators was smaller

than usual-about 1,000. The in-

tense hot and humid weather was

credited with being a major factor

in the diminished attendance. But

the crowd present was an enthusi-

astic and appreciative one which

horn-honked and cheered loudly

as the speedy cars roared around

the laps of the track.

Placing among the first three in

every race in which they participat-

ed, Francis Bradley, of Scarboro,

Bob Clift, of Pontiac, Mich., and

Bob Davidson, of Buffalo, N.Y.,

walked away with the lion's share

of the trophies presented.

Bradley, driving a 1959 RSK

Porsche, snared three first over-

all, leading all the way in the

three biggest races of the day.

Clift, of Pontiac, was his closest

competitor, driving a big white

Corvette. Bradley's car was pre-

pared for European racing at Le

Mans, France, but was sent to

Canada instead. The Porsche

snaked around the course at a

speed of 80 m.p.h.

Davidson, of Buffalo, drove an

Elva to take second and third

honors.

Clift was never too seriously

threatened in the 12-lap event for

sports cars over 1,500 ccs. Les

Morrisett, a Texan stationed at

Grosse Isle naval base near Detroit

placed third in this class.

Kitchener pilots outclassed those

from London in the go-cart racing.

Cal Nipziger, of Waterloo, took

first place in the first adult event.

Jock Hunt, of Kitchener, was first

in the adult wind-up. The child-

ren's obstacle race went to Paul

Lattern of Kitchener.

Although a number of mix-ups

occurred during the day's program

no one was hurt.

The overall results were:

Race 1—Francis Bradley, Scar-

boro, RSK Porsche, 67 mph; Bob

Clift, Pontiac, Mich., Corvette; Bob

Davidson, Buffalo, N.Y., Elva.

Race 2—Bryan Rowntree, Scar-

boro, twin cam M.G., 72 mph; Harry

Entwistle, Hamilton, twin cam M.G.;

Don Chambers, twin cam M.G.

Race 3—Frank Hooper, Toronto,

Austin Healey 100-6, 75 mph; Grant

Clark, Toronto, Austin Healey 3000;

Ray Liddle, Toronto, Triumph TR-3.

Race 4—Klaus Bartels, West Hill,

Porsche Super 90, 70 mph; Ted Good-

win, Grand Rapids, Mich., Simca;

Brock Farrow, Toronto, Porsche.

Race 5—F. Bradley, 78.6 mph;

Davidson, John Headon, Cooksville,

Mark IX Lotus.

Race 6—Clift, 78 mph; Bill Brad-

ley, Detroit, Elva; Les Morrisett,

Grosse Isle, Mich., Corvette.

Race 7—Ed Leavens, London, 3.4

Jaguar, 70.5 mph; Ernest Graf,

Toronto, Porsche Volkswagen;

Grant Clark, Austin A-95.

Race 8—F. Bradley, 75.1 mph;

Clift, Davidson.

END

[Frank Hooper was a nom de course for Fred Hayes, who wished to conceal his involvement.]

RGDS RLT   

Edited by Rupertlt1, 12 August 2021 - 07:09.

Saturday 9 July 1960

The Goderich Signal Star

Thursday 14 July, 1960:

Feature to Ryan

At Green Acres

(By the Canadian Press)

Despite a record breaking per-

formance at Green Acres circuit

Saturday, Peter Ryan, of Mont

Tremblant, Que., failed to pull

ahead in Canada's sports car

racing championship.

The 19-year-old speedster col-

lected a resounding win over

40 cars in a modified Le Mans

feature, but Canadian Racing

Drivers' Association officials

said the win will not count to-

ward the title.

They said the race was open

to cars of all displacements and

championship points can only

be given in a race of cars in

the same class.

In the one race that did count

Ryan was over-eager in a tight

S bend, slammed a hay bale

with his KRS 60 Porsche and

lost control. Toronto's Francis

Bradley sped into the lead and

held it to the finish.

A crowd estimated at 4,500

watched the day's program of

eight races which had a record

entry of 137 sports cars from

Ontario and Quebec, and New

York, Ohio and Illinois. Ideal

weather conditions favored the

sponsoring London Automobile

Sports Car Club for its third

annual event.

END

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 12 August 2021 - 06:46.

Saturday 23 August 1958

The Goderich Signal Star

Thursday 28 August, 1958

Sports Car Races

The sports car races at the

Green Acres circuit at Port

Albert on Saturday saw Wil-

liam Bradley from Ohio take

first place in the one-hour Le

Mans event. In the Formula

libre 10 lap race, Ed Leavens

of London, took first while in

the Production Over 1300 CC

class event, Ken Edwards, of

London, placed first. Peter

Eastick, of London, was first

in the Modified Under 1300

class? Competing were cars

from various parts of Ontario

and from several states south

of the border.

END

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 12 August 2021 - 06:31.

There is nothing left of the Green Acres circuit, but it shows up well enough on Google Earth:

https://www.google.c...b33bbb4a3e9ab80

RGDS RLT

Small Torque, August 1960, Pages 20-24

MIDSUMMER TROPHY RACES

BY W.D. Arad (Publicity Director for LASC)

The third Annual Midsummer Trophy Races for sports cars took

place Saturday, July 9th, at GREEN ACRES Circuit. The organizers,

the London Automobile Sport Club, came up with a Championship

event which provided the 1500 spectators, and the record 133 entries,

with an outstanding day.

Race by race highlights included:

Race 1--The speed of the DKW powered Elva Formula Junior

driven by Frank Adams of Toronto, Ontario.

The contest between young Peter Ryan of Mont Tremb-

lant, Quebec, and Francis Bradley of Toronto. Both drove Porsche

RS-60's.

Race 2--The enthusiam of Ross de St. Croix of Montreal who

drove all Friday night to get to the meet. He gained a second

overall in this race.

The venerable "T" series MG's of Al Tucker, and Frank

Mount of Willowdale, Ontario took easy 1st and 2nd in class.

Race 3--The Porsche Speedster driven by Ludwig Heimrath

followed by fellow Torontonian Ben Pon's Porsche Carrera and a

similar vehicle driven by Klaus Bartels of West Hill, Ontario

captured all three overall and class positions.

Race 4--The class 3 NSU Sport Prinz of Toronto's Ron Ramsay

proved once again that it isn't how fast you go but whether you

finish or not by taking 1st in class 5.

The beautifully proportioned Lotus Elite driven by

Harry Entwistle of Cooksville, Ontario and Alan Robson of Hamil-

ton, Ontario followed the Lotus Club of Glen Baldwin, Birmingham

Michigan, across the finish line. Both took 1st in class honours

and the Elite led all the other cars in its class by 5 positions.

Race 5--Peter Ryan, pushing hard to stay ahead of Francis

Bradley, spun out twice and let his rival get his first overall

win of the day.

Race 6--Ralph Durbin of Detroit, Michigan, brought the Arnolt-

Bristol Bolide from the factory at Warsaw, Indiana, for the first

time that the Sebring car had ever competed in Canada. Driving

faultlessly he led the AC Bristol of Ray Liddle, Toronto, and the

Bristol powered Frazer-Nash of B.A. Miske, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio,

and was placed third overall, 1st in class. Anthony Bigda and his wife

got their first taste of competition and victory. This Wyandotte,

Michigan couple constructed a fibreglass bodied Corvette Special

which not only drew praise for its finish but also took a first

in class.

Race 7--The driving of Chris Christenson, Grand Rapids, Mich.

which combined with a Valiant effort (pun intenaded) to take first

overall honours. His elaborately pin striped helmet and red

painted fender tops drew much comment.

The sight of Scarboro, Ontario's Ernest Graf, wheeling

his "slightly" modified V.W. with Porsche engine to a 4th overall.

Race 8--Ryan and Bradley still dueling. Ryan broke last year's

lap record by 10 MPH with a sizzling 90.13 average. Ryan's time

of 1 minute 18.7 seconds for the 1.97 mile track, shattered last

year's record set by Bill Sadler of St. Catharines.

Boris Janda, Scarboro, Ontario, pushed the Hollings-

head Lola to 4th overall, coming well ahead of the rest of his

class.

The astonishing driving of GM test driver Bob Clift,

Pontiac, Michigan, placed his Corvette 1st in class and 3rd overall.

The next event at GREEN ACRES will be held on August 27, 1960.

PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF THE MIDSUMMER TROPHY RACES, JULY 9, 1960

Trophy Winners

Race 1 - 10 laps - 2 heats--Formula Libre, Canada Class & Formula Junior

28 Finishers, Winning car average speed - 88 MPH

1st Overall,   Porsche RS60, Peter Ryan, Mont Tremblant
2nd Overall,   Porsche RS60, Francis Bradley, Toronto
3rd Overall,   Lola Climax,  Boris Janda, Scarboro
1st Formula Junior, Elva-DKW, Frank Adams, Toronto
2nd Formula Junior, DKW Special, Ed Leavens, London
3rd Formula Junior, Gemini Mk 2, D. & E. Hennessey, Burlington
1st Canada Class, Grainger Special, J.E. Jensen, Toronto

Race 2 - 12 laps - 1 heat: Production and Improved Production MG's

19 Finishers, Winning car average speed - 77 MPH

1st Overall & 1st in Class, Twin Cam, Al Pease, Toronto
2nd Overall & 2nd in Class, Twin Cam, Ross de St. Croix, Montreal
3rd Overall & 3rd in Class, Twin Cam, Don Chambers, Toronto
4th Overall & 1st in Class, Push Rod, Kent Harris, London
5th Overall & 2nd in Class, Push Rod, John Cordts, North Bay
6th Overall & 3rd in Class, Push Rod, Charles Wilkinson, Hamilton
11th Overall & 1st in Class, T Series, Al Tucker, Willowdale
12th Overall & 2nd in Class, T Series, Frank Mount, Toronto

Race 3 - 12 laps - 1 heat:--Century Class, Production and Improved Production

Austin Healeys, Triumphs, Morgans and Porsches

18 Finishers, Winning car average speed - 79.7 MPH

1st Overall & 1st in Class AH 3000 Grant Clark, Georgetown
2nd Overall & 2nd in Class AH 3000 Bryan Rowntree, Scarboro
7th Overall & 3rd in Class AH 100 Mike Quantrill, Toronto
6th Overall & 1st in Class TR3 Bruce Peck, Toronto
9th Overall & 2nd in Class TR3 Bill Griffiths, Toronto
15th Overall and 3rd in Class, TR3, R.M. Hyslop, Windsor
3rd Overall & 1st in Class, Porsche Speedster, Ludwig Heimrath, Scarboro

Race 4 - 12 laps - 2 heats:--Production and Improved Production Sports Cars

Classes 1-9 inc.

31 Finishers, Winning car average speed - 76 MPH

1st Overall & 1st in Class 9, Porsche Speedster, Ludwig Heimrath, Scarboro
2nd Overall & 2nd in Class 9, Porsche Speedster, Ben Pon, Toronto
3rd Overall & 3rd in Class 9, Porsche Carrera, Klaus Bartels, West Hill
11th Overall and 1st Class 8, Lotus Elite, Harry Entwistle, Cooksville, Alan Robson, Hamilton
16th Overall & 2nd in Class 8, Alfa Romeo G. Spyder, Philip Seven, Flint
17th Overall & 3rd in Class 8, T Series MG, Al Tucker, Willowdale 
10th Overall & 1st in Class 7, Lotus Club, Glenn Baldwin, Birmingham
13th Overall & 1st in Class 6, AH Sprite, Reg Britton, Sarnia
14th Overall & 2nd in Class 6, AH Sprite, John Merriman, Toronto
15th Overall & 3rd in Class 6, AH Sprite, Dick Shelton, Willowdale
31st Overall & 1st in Class 5, NSU Sport Prinz, Ron Ramsay, Toronto

Race 5 - 12 laps - 1 heat:--Modified Sports Cars Classes 1 to 9 incl.

Combined Classes of Formula Junior & Canada Class

17 Finishers, Winning car average speed - 87.5 MPH

1st Overall & 1st in Class 9, Porsche RS60, Francis Bradley, Toronto
4th Overall & 2nd in Class 9, Porsche RS60, Peter Ryan, Mont Tremblant
5th Overall & 3rd in Class 9, Cooper Monaco, H.J. Hartman, Dearborn
11th Overall & 1st in Class 8, Elva-Alfa, Bill Bradley, Detroit
7th Overall & 1st in Class 7, Lola-Climax, Boris Janda, Scarboro
2nd Overall & 1st in FJ, Elva-DKW, Ed Leavens, London
12th Overall & 3rd in CC, Canada Class, John Jensen, Toronto

Race 6 - 12 laps - 1 heat:--Production, Improved Production and Modified Sports Cars,

Classes 1 to 15 Incl.

23 Finishers, Winning car average speed - 83.4 MPH

1st Overall & 1st in 14P, Chevrolet Corvette, Bob Clift, Pontiac
14th Overall & 2nd in Class 14P, Jaguar 140 MC, John T. Barton, Detroit
17th Overall & 3rd in 14P, Chevrolet Corvette, D.G. Billies, Toronto
16th Overall & 1st in Class 14M, Corvette Special, Anthony Bigda, Wyandotte
2nd Overall and 1st in Class 12P, AH 3000, Grant Clark, Georgetown
6th Overall & 2nd in Class 12P, AH 3000, Bryan Rowntree, Scarboro
8th Overall & 3rd in Class 12P, AH 100-6, Frank Wade & Ted Bartlett, Flint
3rd Overall & 1st in Class 10P, Arnolt-Bristol, Ralph Durbin, Warsaw, Indiana
4th Overall & 2nd in Class 10P, AC Bristol, Ray Liddle, Toronto
5th Overall & 3rd in Class 10P, Frazer-Nash, B.A. Miske, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Race 7 - 20 laps - 1 heat: -- Sedan Race

11 Finishers, Winning car average speed 76.2 MPH

1st Overall & 1st in 12P, Valiant, Chris Christenson, Grand Rapids, Michigan
2nd Overall & 1st in 9M, Volvo PV544, Jerry Polivka, Scarboro
3rd Overall & 2nd in 9M, Volvo PV544, G. Schon, Scarboro
4th Overall & 3rd in 9M, V.W.-Porsche, Ernest Graf, Scarboro
11th Overall & 1st in 8M, V.W., Dick Harper, Toronto
7th Overall & 1st in 6M, Austin A-35, Joe Taylor, Toronto

Race 8 - 30 laps - 1 heat: Midsummer Trophy Race, Invitation only.

33 Finishers, Winning car average speed 87.5 MPH

1st Overall & 1st in Class 9M, Porsche RS 60, Peter Ryan, Mont Tremblant
2nd Overall & 2nd in Class 9M, Porsche RS 60, Francis Bradley, Toronto
3rd Overall & 1st in Class 14P, Chevrolet Corvette, Bob Clift, Pontiac
4th Overall & 1st in Class 7M, Lola-Climax, Boris Janda, Scarboro
6th Overall & 1st in Class 12P, AH 3000, Bryan Rowntree, Scarboro
9th Overall & 1st in Class 9P, Porsche Speedster, Ludwig Heimrath, Scarboro
11th Overall & 1st in Class FJ, Sadler FJ, Vic Yachuk, St. Catharines
14th Overall & 1st in Class 7P, Lotus Club, Glenn Baldwin, Birmingham
15th Overall & 1st Class 8P, Lotus Elite, Harry Entwistle, Cooksville, Alan Robson, Hamilton
20th Overall & 1st in Class 8M, Elva-Alfa, Bill Bradley, Detroit
22nd Overall & 1st in Class 6P, AH Sprite, Walter Mackay, Richmond Hill

END

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 12 August 2021 - 06:32.

The Globe and Mail, 29 Aug, 1960:

Clark Loses Victory

Two Disqualifications

In Green Acres Meet

By BILL WORDHAM

Globe and Mail Reporter

Goderich, Aug 28—Two fine

drives were wiped out by dis-

qualifications at the final Green

Acres sports car race meeting

of the 1960 season yesterday.

Grant Clark, who has come

to look upon victory in the

Century Class event as his

private property, drove his Aus-

tin Healey 3000 at an average

84 mph from the back of the

pack to win the race only to be

disqualified for leaving the

track with all four wheels and

re-entering the race without

stopping. Second place Klaus

Bartels in a Porsche Carrera

was ruled out on the same

grounds.

The victory went to Ludwig

Heimrath (Porsche Super 90)

who had finished third.

Ironically, it was Clark who

benefitted from a similar dis-

qualification which cancelled

out newcomer Trent Jarman (sic) of

Rochester, Michigan, who drove

a hybrid Valiant-engined Lotus

in first place in the over-1600-

cc event.

Peter Ryan scored two vic-

tories in his RS 60 sports-racing

Porsche to tie his old rival

Frank Bradley with 250 points

in the driving championship.

Bradley was forced to retire his

RS 60 early in the day after a

slipping clutch caused damage

in the cam shaft drive.

One of the outstanding per-

formances of the meeting, was

that of Boris Janda, who guided

the sleek Hollingshead Lola out

of the pack in the 30-lap Le

Mans open race to clinch his

third second-place of the after-

noon. Janda, a former Volvo

driver, took over the Lola for

the first time this year and has

shown steady improvement.

The overall results were:

Formula Libre—1. Ludwig Heimrath,

Porsche RS 60; 2. Boris Janda, Lola;

3. John Headon, Lotus Mk IX. Formula

Junior—1. Frank Adams, Elva-DKW;

2. Ernie Hennessey, Gemini; 3. Ralph

Durbin, Sadler FJ. Canada Class—1. Al

Souter, BS MK2; Harry Woodford,

Scavenger; 3. Ron Evans, Crossley

Special.

Production and Improved MGs.—1.

Al Pease, Twin Cam; 2, Don Chambers,

Twin Cam; 3. Frank Mount, MG-TC.

Century Class—1. Ludwig Heimrath,

Porsche Super 90; 2. Bryan Rowntree,

Healey 3000; 3. Milt Wright, Healey

3000.

Sports Cars up to 1,600cc.—1. Klaus

Bartels, Porsche Carrera; 2. Ben Pon,

Porsche Carrera; 3. Al Pease, MGA

Twin Cam.

Modified Sports Cars up to 1,600cc.

—1. Peter Ryan, Porsche RS 60; 2.

Boris Janda, Lola; 3. John Headon,

Lotus Mk IX. 

Sports Cars over 1,600cc.—1. Grant

Clark, Healey 3000; 2. Bryan Rowntree,

Healey 3000; 3. Jern Rederstoff, Cor-

vette.

Sedans.—1. Jerry Polivka, Volvo; 2.

Gene Christiansen, Valiant; 3. Ernst

Graf, Porsche-VW.

Le Mans(30 laps open)—1. Peter

Ryan, Porsche RS 60; 2. Boris Janda,

Lola; 3. Trent Jarman, Lotus-Valiant;

4. Jack Moore, Corvette; 5. John Head-

on, Lotus Mk IX; 6. Ludwig Heim-

rath, Porsche Super 90.

END

[Note: He is Trant Jarman.]

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 12 August 2021 - 06:56.

From post #14...

...Torontonian Ben Pon...

???  Surely not.

AFAIK Ben Pon was a Dutchman who spent some time in Toronto.

The local press were given to claiming anybody who was successful as "Canadian" origin.

Peter Ryan is another example.

The appearance of the Lotus-Valiant is of interest:

http://www.lotuselev...pen_exhaust.htm

http://www.lotuselev...es1/LVnotes.htm

Some rare pictures of Green Acres.

Also the Lotus Club of Glenn Baldwin, Birmingham, Michigan is presumably an Eleven?

Updated link (at SCCA National Cumberland):

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

At Racing Sports Cars:

https://www.racingsp...aldwin-USA.html

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 12 August 2021 - 05:51.

Ben Pon was indeed a Dutchman, later prominent at Mosport with Racing team Holland.

Peter Ryan was born in USA, but moved to Can to begin racing earlier. He is generally listed as Canadian, perhaps he had dual citizenship.

Edited by E1pix, 06 April 2016 - 22:05.

Whoa, is this the same Ben Pon whose Dad was Europe's largest VW dealer, who also suggested and napkined the first VW bus drawing?

I believe so. for some discussion on Ben Pon and Racing Team Holland search thread of  Pepsi-Cola Mont-Tremblant race 1965 Canada.

Pon and Rob Slotemaker campaigned a pair of bright orange Porsche 904 GTSs  to great effect.

Edited by D28, 06 April 2016 - 23:42.

1960 reported as first year in competition for Ben Pon. RGDS RLT

Saturday 26 August 1961

Canada Track & Traffic, October 1961

Great Lakes Trophy Races

Dan Shaw's crusty Sadler For-

mula Libre stayed refreshingly in-

tact at Green Acres August 26 and

carried him to an unhurried win in

the 30-lap Great Lakes Trophy fea-

ture race. Ludwig Heimrath's RS-

60 Porsche snarled home ten sec-

onds astern of Shaw and only seven

seconds ahead of Francis Bradley

in the pesky 1100-c.c. Lola, with

whom Heimrath had had a merry

frolic to decide runner-up spot. For

five laps earlier in the race, Brad-

ley actually led Heimrath and be-

fore falling back out of contention

drove him to distraction and some

highly creative cornering.

Heimrath would have preferred

a win, but his second in the feature

race earned him an almost unassail-

able points advantage in the run

for the C.R.D.A. championship and

the Player's Challenge Trophy. This

latter bonbon provides for a shot at

European racing next season. Ear-

lier, after another classic feud with

Bradley, Heimrath had slipped

home first in the under-1600 c.c.

modified encounter.

Shaw, who had switched engines

a week before only to have the

borrowed Corvette powerplant fail

him when he needed it most (i.e.

on the 28th lap of a 30-lapper while

leading a fast pack), stuck the old

one back in for this meet and it

served him well. Aside from his

winning cruise in the feature final,

Shaw also took the Formula Libre

12-lapper. A token second in this

anything - goes duel came Nat

Adams' XK-SS Jaguar, after the

usually unflappable Bradley had

spun the Lola and dropped far

back. Third was Tony Polivka's

Peugeot-based special, a basement-

built bomb that took the measure

of more than one flossy Formula

Junior during the day and held

fourth in the feature race until a

broken hub carrier sidelined it.

The nine-race program sponsor-

ed by the energetic London Auto-

mobile Sport Club was visited pe-

riodically by light rain, a deter-

mining factor in more than one

contest.

Grant Clark proved an excellent

mudder by slaloming home in his Mk.

II Austin-Healey 3000 ahead of

several faster but less tractable en-

trants during a steady downpour.

Jerry Polivka skipped his Volvo

through the puddles to take the

touring car 15-lapper, the strang-

est race of the day. Craig Fisher

(Jaguar 3.8) led Polivka and Chris

Cristenson (Valiant) for the first

two laps, then spun in the slop and

fell to fourth. The Valiant then

crept up and passed Polivka, kept

the lead for half a lap and prompt-

ly slewed off in the same spot as

Fisher. On lap seven Fisher had

worked his way back into the lead

and kept it for six more laps with

Polivka second, Grant Clark (Mini-

Minor) third and Cristenson an in-

creasingly lacklustre fourth. But it

wasn't Fisher's day; the trunk lid

on the massive 3.8 popped open

twice, forcing Fisher to make two

pit stops to close it, and Polivka

and Clark both whizzed by to fin-

ish first and second.

Klaus Bartels, his Porsche Car-

rera restored to good health, easily

outdistanced Al Pease's Twin-Cam

M.G. and Bob Clift's G.S.M. Delta

to take the under-1600 c.c. produc-

tion bout. Pease had an off day,

dropping out of the M.G. fray and

the feature race with a suspected

empty fuel tank, only to discover

afterward that the newly-fitted

Weber carbs were improperly ad-

justed.

First Race: Heat One: 1. Dan Shaw, Sad-

ler Formula Libre; 2. Nat Adams, Jaguar

XK-SS; 3. Tony Polivka, Tony's Special. Heat

two: 1. Tom Swindell, Corvette; 2. Bill Pratt,

Corvette; 3. Art Sutphin, Corvette.

Second Race: 1. Don Chambers, Austin-

Healey; 2. Eitel Maier, Porsche; 3. Ed

Schroeder, TR3.

Third Race: 1. Klaus Bartels, Porsche

Carrera; Al Pease, Twin-Cam MG; Bob

Clift, GSM Delta.

Fourth Race: 1. Ludwig Heimrath, Por-

sche RS 60; Francis Bradley, Lola; 3.

Kenneth Nielsen, Lotus 20.

Fifth Race: 1. John Cordts, MGA; 2.

Lorne Punshon, MGA; 3. Tony Simms, Twin

Cam MG.

Sixth Race: 1. Grant Clark, Mk. 2 Austin-

Healey; 2. E.G. Davis, Daimler SP 250; 3.

Ted Bartlet, Austin Healey.

Seventh Race: 1. Jerry Polivka, Volvo; 2.

Grant Clark, Mini-Minor; 3. Craig Fisher, 3.8

Jaguar.

Eighth Race: 1. Joe Taylor, Austin A35;

2. Alan Clark, Morgan; 3. Paul Muir, Austin-

Healey Sprite.

Great Lakes Trophy Race: 1. Dan Shaw,

Sadler Formula Libre; 2. Ludwig Heimrath,

Porsche RS 60; 3. Francis Bradley, Lola; 4.

Nat Adams, Jaguar XK-SS; 5. Kenneth Niel-

sen, Lotus 20; 6. Nick Hartman, Cooper

Monaco.

END

Edited by Rupertlt1, 12 August 2021 - 06:49.

The star of this meet was definitely Grant Clark, as the story mentions he won 2 races, In the wet he was just uncatchable in the Healey  3000. These performances warranted a seat on the Comstock team and bigger equipment such as Sadlers, and other pro rides in GTOs and Cobras. 

For sheer driving ability he impressed me as much as any at Green Acres, because he was racing in competitive production classes. If I remember correctly, and that is not at all certain, the Healey  that day may have been driven to the track. Perhaps someone can shed light on that.

Edited by D28, 08 April 2016 - 14:51.

The Sadler-Corvette (#141 driven by Danny Shaw at this event - see post #22) was a ground breaking vehicle.

A Chevrolet-powered V8 rear-engine single-seater from 1960. The car featured a two-speed transmission.

Sometimes known as "Formula Ferocious" the car predated anything similar from Cooper, Lotus, McLaren, Lola etc.

Driven by Peter Ryan at Watkins Glen October 9, 1960, car #22 . Jack Brabham and Stirling Moss were among the competition.

The car was painted red with a white nose flash and featured wire wheels.

While F1 adopted the puny 1½ litre Formula this car pointed the way to developments at Indianapolis, Can-Am and later F5000/FA.

With Shaw at the wheel the car broke the track record at Rockwood Hill Climb on 17 June 1961 in 24.24 sec.

He also finished first in the Hockley Valley Hill Climb on Saturday 21 October 1961 in 1:06.19 sec.

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 09 April 2016 - 10:24.

j

This is a photo of the Sadler at Watkins Glen w Peter Ryan, from racingsportscars.com

Ron Nelson Prairie Street Art

Edited by D28, 09 April 2016 - 14:46.

Buffalo Courier-Express, Monday May 29, 1961:

Brownrout Cuts

Sports Car Mark

Special to the Courier-Express

GODERICH, Ont, May 28-

Jerry Brownrout of Buffalo

drove his Class B Chevrolet

Corvette to a course record

of 86.7 m.p.h. over the 1.9-

mile course in the Green

Acres Trophy Races here. He

also won his class in the fea-

ture race. His next start will

be in the Lake Erie Invita-

tion at Dunkirk next weekend.

END

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 12 August 2021 - 06:50.

Toledo Blade, 5 July 1959:

Clift Captures

Sports Car Test

GODERICH, Ont., July 6

American drivers celebrated

the July 4 weekend by winning

several feature sports car

events at Green Acres yester-

day.

Bob Clift of Grosse Point,

Mich., drove his fuel-injection

Corvette to victory in the

Formula Libre and the un-

limited one hour Le Mans.

Tom Payne, Sports Car Club

of America, won the century

class and under-1,500 CC pro-

duction races, with his Porsche

speedster. Bill Bradley of De-

troit won the under-1,500 CC

modified event with his Alfa-

powered Elva.

END

RGDS RLT

Buffalo Courier-Express, Monday May 29, 1961:

Brownrout Cuts

Sports Car Mark

Special to the Courier-Express

GODERICH, Ont, May 28-

Jerry Brownrout of Buffalo

drove his Class B Chevrolet

Corvette to a course record

of 86.7 m.p.h. over the 1.9-

mile course in the Green

Acres Trophy Races here. He

also won his class in the fea-

ture race. His next start will

be in the Lake Erie Invita-

tion at Dunkirk next weekend.

END

 

RGDS RLT

A bit of local boosterism can be detected in this news report; normal courtesy would be  to mention the actual race winners. In group Improved production & Modified Sports Cars Classes 10-15, the winner was Oliver Clubine In something called the Torus TR Special, Brounrout finished 2nd. I don't know anything of this car but it was a 2 l, class 10, Triumph powered?   Anyone?

The lap record mentioned would be for class 14 big bore production sports cars cars and similar to SCCA B Production.

In the feature race where Brownout won his class the winner (as usual) was Ludwig Heimrath in the RS-60 over Francis Bradley's Lola Mk 1.

Edited by D28, 26 April 2016 - 16:24.

Local papers inevitably featured the exploits of the home town boy.

Oliver Clubine from Brantford built the Torus-Triumph special, featuring Weber carburetters and fibreglass blue bodywork. The finest hour was finishing tenth overall and 4th in class at the Player's 200 at Mosport on 24 June 1961. Clubine in the Torus was the outright winner at Rockwood Hill Climb, Saturday September 23, 1961. The Torus was then sold to Larry Riley, of Hamilton, who crashed it at the hairpin on his first run at Rattlesnake Point, 11 August, 1962. Riley has defied all attempts to trace him. Also had a Lotus 19 thought to have been lost in a fire.

(The Torus may have initially featured alloy bodywork.)

RGDS RLT

Local papers inevitably featured the exploits of the home town boy.

 

Oliver Clubine from Brantford built the Torus-Triumph special, featuring Weber carburetters and fibreglass blue bodywork. The finest hour was finishing tenth overall and 4th in class at the Player's 200 at Mosport on 24 June 1961. Clubine in the Torus was the outright winner at Rockwood Hill Climb, Saturday September 23, 1961. The Torus was then sold to Larry Riley, of Hamilton, who crashed it at the hairpin on his first run at Rattlesnake Point, 11 August, 1962. Riley has defied all attempts to trace him. Also had a Lotus 19 thought to have been lost in a fire.

(The Torus may have initially featured alloy bodywork.)

 

RGDS RLT

Thanks. Then I did see the Torus Sp as it ran later in 61 at the Canadian Grand Prix. I do not remember it at all.

My memories of that race are hazy, seeing an entry list a few years back was a great revelation. The Maserati I thought I remembered was really an OSCA.

Green Acres, Ontario, London Automobile Sport Club, 2 June 1962

GREAT

LAKES

TROPHY

RACES

Racing returned to Green Acres June 2 with the

London Automobile Sport Club's Great Lakes Trophy

Races, first round of the eastern Canadian champion-

ship schedule. Cold breezes whipping in off nearby

Lake Huron kept a relatively light crowd huddling

in their cars despite bright sunshine and some spirited

competition.

L.A.S.C.'s renowned organizational efficiency kept

things moving briskly all day, something that couldn't

always be said for the machinery. A combination of

the rough Green Acres track surface and early-season

gremlins managed to keep pit crews busy constantly.

Assembled to vie for Player's Challenge Trophy

points were the Big Three of Francis Bradley (Whiz

Special Lotus 19 Monte Carlo), Dan Shaw (Ecurie

Portland Sadler Mk 5) and Ludwig Heimrath (Eglin-

ton-Caledonia Porsche RS-60 ), and each had his own

special vexations. Bradley's Lotus lost its nose sec-

tion in practice and ran slightly battered on Satur-

day: Shaw's Chev-powered Sadler broke one shock

absorber in practice and another on Saturday: and

Heimrath, breaking in a new 1700cc engine, had to

be content with less than maximum revs in the

RS-60.

Heimrath, saving the car for points competition.

declined to run in the day's first race, 12 laps for just

about everything. Shaw and Bradley squared off in

their first official showdown and the big white Sadler

chattered down the start-finish straight on lap one

with a 5-second edge over Bradley. Shaw's next lap

was a record-smashing 1 min., 15 secs. for an average

speed of 94.54 mph and an unassailable lead. The

pounding of the harsh Green Acres circuit was the

Sadler's undoing, however: on lap 5 Shaw lurched

into the pits with another broken shock, and Bradley

zoomed to an unopposed win. Second by a wide mar-

gin was Jim Muzzin, enjoying probably his most suc-

cessful racing day aboard a venerable Porsche RS-500

fitted with a fresh 1600cc engine. Third was Walt

MacKay's Lotus 18 F-Jr.

CT&T Publisher Norm Namerow cruised to victory

in race No.2 in his Gorries-prepared white Corvette,

easily edging fellow Corvetterans Jerry Thompson

and Art Sutphin. Peter Curtis stormed his mauve

Austin-Healey into 4th spot in the race's dying mo-

ments ahead of Bill Pratt's somewhat recalcitrant

Corvette.

Eppie Weitzes once again ran away and hid from

the other Alpines and everyone else, giving the 1-9

class division a new face and in the rapid red Sun-

beam a new top dog. Second was Dennis Coad's fac -

tory-entered Alpine, with Tony Scott-Fisher's ex-Al

Pease M.G. Twin-Cam third,

Five lonely cars trundled out to contest race No.4

for modified classes 1-9 and F-Jr. Heading the motley

pack at the finish was Jim Muzzin, a good 3-wood

shot in front of Walt MacKay who in turn was a golf

course ahead of Peter Lurch's Lotus 18 Jr.

Victorious in the M.G. family affair was North

Bay's John Cordts, pushing his pushrod "A" series

home ahead of Al Pease in Paul Seitz' twin-cam.

Third was Joe Suessmuth in another twin-cam.

The next outing found Shaw on the grid again.

his shock absorber malady mended but without Brad-

ley to contend with. On hand to make things lively

was Heimrath, however, and the battle was joined

between these two from the outset. Once again the

327 cu. in. Chev engine in the Sadler pushed Shaw

out in front, and this time the suspension glued to-

gether for 12 laps and the win. Heimrath, running

with less than his usual bravado, found a second-place

slot and stayed there, bracketed in third by Name-

row's Corvette.

Much of the 15-lap sedan race's expected excite-

ment died in practice when Craig Fisher's Scarboro

Spring & Tire Service-entered Pontiac Catalina blew

a head gasket. Fred Hayes' Comstock Chevy II,

equally hairy, hardly had to hurry for the win, lead-

ing home Grant Clark's Austin Cooper-Mini and

Jerry Polivka's 122-S Volvo 2-door. Fourth was Gord

Brown's Cooper-Mini, with Diana Carter's Volvo PV-

544 fifth in perhaps the least enthralling touring car

contest of recent memory.

Came the 30-lap Great Lakes Trophy Race and the

Big Three — Heimrath, Bradley and Shaw — lined

up on the grid along with an assorted supporting

cast. Included in the feature was Fred Hayes in the

Chevy II, given a crack at some excitement after his

leisurely touring-car win. Making its debut was Tony

Polivka's pretty Formula Libre Olds-engined special,

destined for a short, unhappy life.

Bradley and his mechanics fussed with the Lotus

right up to the drop of the starting flag, and as Brad-

ley fell to the rear of the pack it was obvious some-

thing was wrong. Shaw and the Sadler rocketed into

the first turn and down the long back straight well

clear of Heimrath, Polivka and Namerow. Bradley

limped around on lap one and immediately pitted to

correct fouled plugs, while Shaw had already chewed

out a hefty lead.

The course was still crowded as Tony Polivka,

trailed by Hayes' Chevy II, headed into his third lap

at the end of the start-finish straight. Suddenly the

red single-seater, its steering deranged, spun, skidded

off the track for 100 feet, then darted back on and

directly in Hayes' path, sideways. With nowhere to

go the black Chevy rammed Polivka broadside, hurt-

ling overtop of the ground-hugging special and slew-

ing to a stop down the track. Polivka miraculously

walked away from the wreck of his car, now re-

sembling a squashed bug and a pitiful sight. Hayes

was also uninjured but the Chevy had suffered heavy

damage.

With the yellow flag out while crews cleared the

wreckage, the race slowed to a canter. Bradley, now

back in action, applied full throttle in a futile try at

catching Shaw and Heimrath. From 22nd position

on lap 3, Bradley eventually hauled down 18 cars to

take 4th spot.

But it was Shaw's day and for 30 serene laps the

smooth-sounding Sadler swept around the circuit with

Heimrath proving only a distant menace. Jim Muzzin

nursed his increasingly sluggish Spyder through to

take third overall, completing the rear-engine rout.

Behind Bradley in 5th spot was Jerry Thompson in

his Corvette, Norm Namerow having elected not to

run.

Undoubtedly the biggest surprise of a generally

dreary day, and a possible harbinger of things to

come this season, was the performance of Shaw and

the Sadler. A dark horse at best when the current

campaign opened, the Sadler is by all appearances a

different car than last year. If Ecurie Portland mas-

termind Jim Spence can keep it perking, this homely

home-built could be the big noise of '62 in more ways

than one.

Canada Track & Traffic, July 1962, Pages 28-29

RGDS RLT 

Edited by Rupertlt1, 12 August 2021 - 07:22.

GREAT LAKES TROPHY RACES, LASC, 2 June 1962

Easy Victory

For Dan Shaw

At Green Acres

GODERICH, Ont. (CP)—Dan

Shaw, of Port Credit drove his

Sadler Mark V away from the

rest of the field and to an easy

victory in the Great Lakes

Trophy race at nearby Green

Acres Saturday.

He put the Corvette-powered

car into the lead on the first

turn and he stayed there for the

30 laps. With the exception of

Ludwig Heimrath's Porsche,

Shaw lapped every car at least

once.

Shaw's winning time on the

1.9-mile circuit was 39.40.2. His

fastest lap was 1:19.3, or an

average of 89.44 miles an our.

Heimrath, of Toronto, the 1961

Canadian driving champion,

took second place on the first

lap, with Jim Muzzin of Toronto

third in another Porsche. The

order never changed.

North Bay Nugget (North Bay, Ontario, Canada) Monday 4 Jun 1962, Page 15

MIDSUMMER TROPHY RACES, Goderich, LASC, 14 July 1962

Wins Goderich

Feature Race

GODERICH, (CP) — Kenneth

Neilson of Birmingham, Mich.,

who took the lead when he cut

his Lotus 20 to the inside coming

out of the turn on the 13th lap,

won the 30-lap feature event in

the mid-summer trophy races

at nearby Green Acres Satur-

day. His time was 41:40.2.

Norm Namerow of Toronto,

leader for the first 12 laps, was

second in a Corvette. Only 17

of the 27 starters finished.

Seven of the 173 drivers taking

part in the races were women.

The Sun Times (Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada) Monday 16 Jul 1962, Page 12

In programme as #190, Kenneth Nielson, entrant Robert Nielson, Lotus XX, 998 c.c. 

GREAT LAKES TROPHY RACES, 25 August 1962

Fall fell early at Green Acres this

season as the last of the London

Automobile Sport Club's three

race meets of the year took place

on the rustic, 1.9-mile airport

course.

Denied the appearance of many

big, fast cars, the Great Lakes

Trophy Races instead depended on

small fast ones to carry the day.

Fastest of the small was Ernie

DeVos' all-conquering Lola F-Jr.,

winner of the 30-lap feature and

two preliminary bouts. DeVos

found his toughest opposition

in Grant Clark's 1500cc Lola and

Al Pease's Lotus 23 1500, the

latter making a maiden appear-

ance. It was a generally unreward-

ing day for Pease, who spent a

frustrating summer having new

gears made for the tiny 23, only

to spin twice and finally feel his

engine coming apart after almost

tweaking DeVos on several

occasions.

Green Acres offers a relaxed

atmosphere in lieu of streamlined

facilities or a particularly

interesting course. Situated hard

by Lake Huron, it also offers

swimming before, after or between

races and this as much as the

racing may be its lure.

Canada Track & Traffic, October 1962, Pages 52-53

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 16 April 2022 - 03:06.

MIDSUMMER TROPHY RACES, Goderich, LASC, 14 July 1962

American

Beats Local

Car Driver

Canadian Press

GODERICH, Ont., July 16 —

Kenneth Neilson of Birming-

ham, Mich., who took the lead

when he cut his Lotus 20 to the

inside coming out of the chicane

turn on the 13th lap, won the

30-lap feature event in the Mid-

Summer Trophy races at near-

by Green Acres Saturday. His

time was 41:40.2.

Norm Namerow of Montreal,

leader for the first 12 laps, was

second in a Corvette. Only 17

of the 27 starters finished.

On the 18th lap, Denis Waskie-

wicz of Hamtramck, Mich., hit

two bales of hay, used to mark

the course. Four following cars

swung into escape routes to

avoid a collision.

One of the serving (sic) cars, a

Cooper Formula Junior driven

by Bob Sipherd of Toronto,

grazed a steward. The steward

had a bruised knee and a

scraped elbow.

Ernie Devos of Montreal

dropped out of the race in the

early minutes when the oil line

on his Lola Formula Junior

broke. He won two races earlier

in the day and was the favourite

in the feature.

The Montreal Star (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Monday 16 Jul 1962, Page 37

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 18 April 2022 - 07:29.

Thanks for posting and for your contributions to Racing Sports Cars; I look at those results frequently, and find them an invaluable data source. Much appreciated.

Thanks for posting and for your contributions to Racing Sports Cars; I look at those results frequently, and find them an invaluable data source. Much appreciated.

Thanks. I've just sent Racing Sports Cars the programmes etc for 14 July, 25 August 1962. RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 19 April 2022 - 03:23.

GREEN ACRES, Results of L.A.S.C. "Closed Invitational" Races, May 31, 1958

(The first event at Green Acres, officially no spectators)

FIRST RACE—Sports Cars, Gran Turismo

Modified Sedans under 1600 cc

1st William Bradley, Detroit, Elva Mk III, 

2nd Dennis Coad, Lotus IX, thought to be red, car offered for sale 1 June 1959

3rd Ian Grant, MGA

SECOND RACE—

Sports Cars

1st Ralph Durbin, Detroit Region SCCA, Austin Healey 100-6

2nd Stan Ward, Austin Healey 100-M

3rd C. Hennessey, Austin Healey 100-M

THIRD RACE—

1st #7 Jerry Polivka, Volvo

2nd Norman Babcock, Volvo

3rd Francis Bradley, DKW

FOURTH RACE—

Sports Cars over 2600 c.c.

1st Les Morrisett, Chevrolet Corvette

2nd John Cook, Ford Thunderbird

3rd Ralph Durbin, Detroit Region SCCA, Austin Healey 100-6

FIFTH RACE—

1st Ian Grant, MGA

2nd Jack Broad, MGA

3rd Edward Russell, MGA

SIXTH RACE—

McGee Trophy Race

1st Les Morrisett, Chevrolet Corvette

2nd Dennis Coad, Lotus IX

3rd Trant Jarman, Ford Thunderbird

Ralph Durbin, Austin Healey 100-6, was third nationally in SCCA 'D' Production in 1958. Chassis BN6L1238?

Other cars at this event (maybe included above), 92 entries:

#12 Austin Healey

#18 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

#19 Austin Healey

#23 Berkeley (likely Gary Stone) 

#24 Austin Healey, D Prod

#28 Maserati, C Mod, red (Who could this be? Manuel de Teffé?)

#31 Sadler Corvette, Bill Sadler

#32 Porsche Roadster, E Prod

#36 M.G. TD

#47 Austin Healey

#53 Porsche Spyder

#83 Alfa Romeo Giulietta, F Prod

#90 MGA Coupe

#100 Jaguar D-Type, chassis number XKD 524, Bill Klinck

#101 Jaguar XK-SS

#115 Morris Minor-MG, 1,250 c.c., Peter J. Eastick, London, Ontario

#145 Lotus IX, G Mod, Jerry Polivka

#153 M.G. TF, G Prod

MGA, Kent Harris, London, Ontario

Porsche Coupe, C. Paul Montgomery, St. Catharines, Ontario

Chevrolet Corvette, Ed Leavens

Porsche Spyder, Susie (Suzy?) Dietrich

DKW Monza, Craig Fisher

The McGee family owned the land at Port Albert Airport, on Highway 21, where the track was situated; leased by LASC. In 1958 Reg McGee & Sons were the local Dodge, DeSoto and Rambler dealers in Goderich, Ontario (later Vauxhall by 1965).

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 21 February 2023 - 11:29.

Thanks again for presenting these results. I had forgotten the Reg McGee connection. He was a well known local businessman; my father bought a couple of cars from him. I came across this story and site of Ken McGee which I assume you know of, perhaps some others might find it interesting.

https://www.kenmcgee...of-mcgee-motors

Edited by D28, 18 February 2023 - 17:22.

LATE NEWS

Greenacres track has now been revised and

shortened by the elimination of the hairpin area.

The new length is 1.9 miles and cars are

lapping in the eighty second range, an 80 mph

average. The layout is very fast and dicey and a

first-rate bet for the spectator contingent of the

club as well as the competitors. The trip can be

made in about three hours if you use highways

401 — 10 — 9 — 56 — 87 and the county road from

Lucknow to Dungannon and then west to the track.

Small Torque, Journal of the British Empire Motor Club, July 1959

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 14 October 2023 - 05:26.

Placeholder:

26 May 1961

15-16 July 1961 LASC Races, Green Acres (Goderich)

25-26 August 1961

RGDS RLT

Edited by Rupertlt1, 14 October 2023 - 13:35.