8 replies to this topic

[BritishV8]

I've been trying to complete a new article about Al Pease's hugely successful Super-B. Here's what I have so far: Al Pease's Championship-Winning Supercharged MGB Racecar.

Every time I think I'm just about "done", some new lead falls into my hands and confuses me. Specifically, there seem to have been so many different sanctioning organizations, driver's associations, and regional clubs. Different races seem to use different racing classes. I wish I had some sort of chart to show how they all relate.

Here's the latest conundrum... in a BMC magazine ad that Mike Adams found and forwarded to me just this morning:


(you might notice that the photo shows Pease's MGB in mid-1963 trim, which was quite different...)

As you see, this ad congratulates Pease with having been named "1964 Driver of the Year" by both the "Canadian Racing Drivers Association" (CRDA) and also the "CRCA".

CRCA? Never heard of them! What does that acronym even stand for? Could BMC have meant "CASC" (i.e. "Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs")?

Frankly, I'd be very appreciative if someone would concisely explain the relationship or difference between CASC and CRDA. I know CASC actually sanctioned races and that they had regional and local clubs under their big umbrella... but did CRDA also sanction races? Did CRDA give awards based on who won CASC races? Did CASC and CRDA use the same racing class system? Did CASC and CRDA both award "Driver of the Year" titles? Were these titles based on some sort of points system, or a popularity contest, or what?

ANY insight at all about Canadian sports car racing in the sixties will be greatly appreciated.

[RA Historian]

Calling Manfred Cubenoggin, this seems to be right up your alley!

Edited by RA Historian, 05 October 2010 - 21:52.

[TEJ]

Simply put; the Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs (CASC) was Canada's ASN at the time, the national sporting club for automiobile sport, initially via the RAC in Great Britain but later direct.
CASC was an organization comprised of many (possibly hundreds) of individual regional clubs across Canada. The Canadian Racing Drivers Association (CRDA) was one of those individual clubs. CRDA as its name implies was a club of racing drivers, most of the most successfull drivers of the day belonged. CASC was concerned with all types of motor sport, rallies, hill climds etc., there were clubs that focussed on individual disciplines, other were more broadly based.
CASC divided the country into geographical regions for administration. From the east: Atlantic Region, Quebec Region, Ontario Region, Prairie Region, British Columbia Region.
Individual clubs ran championships, CASC regions ran championships and CASC ran national championship. Often organizers called their championships Canadian when they often were not.
Tom Johnston

I've been trying to complete a new article about Al Pease's hugely successful Super-B. Here's what I have so far: Al Pease's Championship-Winning Supercharged MGB Racecar.

Every time I think I'm just about "done", some new lead falls into my hands and confuses me. Specifically, there seem to have been so many different sanctioning organizations, driver's associations, and regional clubs. Different races seem to use different racing classes. I wish I had some sort of chart to show how they all relate.

Here's the latest conundrum... in a BMC magazine ad that Mike Adams found and forwarded to me just this morning:


(you might notice that the photo shows Pease's MGB in mid-1963 trim, which was quite different...)

As you see, this ad congratulates Pease with having been named "1964 Driver of the Year" by both the "Canadian Racing Drivers Association" (CRDA) and also the "CRCA".

CRCA? Never heard of them! What does that acronym even stand for? Could BMC have meant "CASC" (i.e. "Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs")?

Frankly, I'd be very appreciative if someone would concisely explain the relationship or difference between CASC and CRDA. I know CASC actually sanctioned races and that they had regional and local clubs under their big umbrella... but did CRDA also sanction races? Did CRDA give awards based on who won CASC races? Did CASC and CRDA use the same racing class system? Did CASC and CRDA both award "Driver of the Year" titles? Were these titles based on some sort of points system, or a popularity contest, or what?

ANY insight at all about Canadian sports car racing in the sixties will be greatly appreciated.

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Hehehe... Tom, aka RA Historian, is SO right!

Unfortunately, I was only 15 years of age at the time so had virtually no inroads re the machinations of the CASC, the CRDA or any other clubs.

Tom Johnston, TEJ, has it right as far as I can tell. Individual clubs in local geographical regions...ie, cities like Toronto, Oshawa, Peterborough in Ontario...organized their events under the umbrella of the CASC. Each club had enough stand-alone members and volunteers to fill all official positions from the Clerk of the Course and the Chief Steward on down. In fact, the city of Toronto may have had any number of clubs; some off the top of my head > BARC, BEMC, NTMSC, DAC, and on and on. Further, there were clubs established for particular marques and they, too, had affiliation with the CASC.

As to the CRCA, that stands for the Canadain Race Communications Association. The marshals, corner workers and, I believe, T&L.

The CRDA was an exclusive club for long-time competitors and/or those who'd come to distinction. I was inducted into the club for 1978 after winning the '77 Ontario Region FF Championship. Never went to a single meeting.

I'm rather short of time at the moment. I'll try to be back later with more.

[RJE]

Sorry I cannot fill you in in any details regarding the various championships during the period. However I did work for Al Pease on both the MGB, Healey, the Cooper S and the Austin 1880 rally car during the period of the ad you show and have a few photographs for the time. If you would like to get in touch with me I will try and fill some of the details.

By the way is Al still in good health I have not heard of him for some years?

[BritishV8]

Guys, thank you all for such helpful information! I've updated the article already with some clarification about the CASC, CRCA, etc. - and I'll make more updates as I get more leads.

Sorry I cannot fill you in in any details regarding the various championships during the period. However I did work for Al Pease on both the MGB, Healey, the Cooper S and the Austin 1880 rally car during the period of the ad you show and have a few photographs for the time. If you would like to get in touch with me I will try and fill some of the details.

By the way is Al still in good health I have not heard of him for some years?

Excellent! I'll send you a private message shortly. Al certainly seemed healthy and spry when I met him at Mosport in June. He had a firm handshake and sparkling eyes. He had driven all the way up from Tennessee to be there, which I think is a pretty long trek. I included this snapshot of Al Pease and Mike Adams in the article:

[MGAdams]

Al Pease is in great shape ... and is celebrating his 89th birthday on October 15th.

Thanks with the input regarding CASC, CRCA, CRDA and so on. Curtis does a marvelous job on his articles and is very meticulous to get the facts right.

Mike Adams

[J. Scott Morris]

Good Day; Some time ago I came across a ‘BMC Canada News-Journal’ dated June/July 1967 with a photo of Al Pease and his MGB within an article about BMC Competition Program for 1967. I finally found the magazine amongst my 'stuff' and have created a pdf file of it. Also on hand is a pdf file of Al Pease & his MGB from the September 1964 issue of Safety Fast. I do not know how, or if, such files can be attached. Please provide me with your email address and I will forward the files.

--Scott Morris; Simcoe, Ontario, Canada; jstmorris@yahoo.com

[BritishV8]

Awesome! Thank you. All my contact info including e-mail appears here: http://www.britishra...ontact-Info.htm

I'd already planned to make a bunch of additions and changes to the article this weekend based on information RJE sent me. I'll also be adding a couple more photos from Mike of parts temporarily removed during the restoration...