If you live in an area of the US or Canada that happens to be far from the Pacific Northwest the name "Westwood" may not ring any bells. But for folks in BC, Washington, Idaho and Oregon, Vancouver's long-lost road race circuit remains a boatload of memories. It was carved out of the suburban hills by members of the Sports Car Club of British Columbia fifty years ago and during its life many future stars raced there, including Michael Andretti, Al Unser Jr., and Bobby Rahal. Developers Disease eventually killed it. To celebrate the memory of Westwood's birth the SCCBC recently organised a three-day gala celebration of vintage racing at nearby Mission Raceway. Note the brave Camaro pilot trying to dive under a gaggle of sports cars in a tight corner.
To see and hear this spectacular competition coupe would, by itself, have been worth the price of admission. It's a Cheetah, the very same Alan Green Chevrolet Cheetah that was seen at Seattle Raceway back in 1965. In fact Nigel Matthew's photo is near identical to one taken at Riverside in 1964 with Jerry Titus driving. The Cheetah was developed by Bill Thomas as a Chevrolet antidote to Carroll Shelby's Cobras. Power came from a fuel-injection 327 c.i. modified to 377 c.i. The driving position reminds me of Egyptian chariot racing. Handling must have been similar.
And now for something competely different! Reminding us that humble European sedans could be turned into menacing race cars, the Westwood celebration brought out this Ford Anglia, suitably race-modified. Here in Canada where Brit cars were more common than in the United States, the Anglia was once a common sight on our streets and when testing it for Canada Track & Traffic magazine I gave it high marks.
What could be more symbolic of the 60's than a Jaguar E-Type holding off Mustangs, Camaros, and even a Lotus Elan? Regardless of your preference this action symbolised the classic standoff between European handling and American power.
At last, something I could personally relate to, having raced, with some success, a Porsche 356B. You'll note at least three such cars in Nigel's photo, competing with the same sports cars that were my adversaries back in the 1960s: Sunbeam Alpines, MGBs and even an open-wheeler. But that's the fun of vintage racing, where old arguments can be resolved without damage. Well, okay, minor damage. Thanks to friend and frequent contributor Nigel Matthews for these images from the Westwood celebrations.