Canadian Winter Rally?

[Transamdriver]

Is this mainstay of the Canadian rally scene long gone? or is it still going? Was it ever a stage rally? Anyone here on this forum ever take part?

I can remember my racing friend and co-driver Rick Stevens taking part in this rally in a stock 327 Chevy SS Impala. I thought he was nuts, but he did finish the rally.

Robert Barg

[Tony Kloosterma]

I did this rally a few times, the first in 1972 as a navigator ( had to get my learners permit to be a co-driver...age 16) a very quick TSD rally with tons of ice and snow
i competed in 73 and 74
the cars were a datsun 510 twice and a ford capri

I rember it as a rally that started friday night in toronto went all night to ottawa, then after a 6-8 breaks returned to toronto overnight again once ending at the canadian auto show

Tony Kloosterman

[Trackside]

I have a couple of "Staff" dash plaques one from the 75 and one from the 76 Canadian Winter Rally. They were in a bunch of stuff that was secured from Muriel Knaps stash.

Both plaque show a route map that was printed on the plaque The 75 route looks like it started in Toronto and went through Durham up to Peterborough area then headed much farther north to an area I have no clue other than to say I think the Quebec border was within view, then looped back on itself then stayed north gradually working down toward Barrie then west for a bit then it looks like they came down the 400 or 27 into Mississauga then back to Toronto.

The 76 map is less detailed but it looks similar at the beginning then just doubling back. Both have green sections that I am guessing were Special Stages.

BEMC's history with the Canadian Winter Rally is quite deep and maybe you would be best to contact Art Moseley or Roy McLaughlin, they likely have lots and lots of information regarding the rally and if you have read the book that was published earlier this year about the early days of CASC and the commercialzation of the sport you can also find a lot of info in there. There are a number of members that are still around that competed and staffed the events.

[craig]

CWR => Ontario Winter Rally => Not the OWR (last year) => Maple Leaf Winter Rally (last weekend).

[inoverdrive]

1967 was my first of three Winter Rallies in a Jag 3.4 MK1 RHD...
I was introduced to the Lucas..intermittent wipers...flicker and dim switches :eek:
It was a navigation type event...started in Toronto Fri. evening..with an Sat.
afternoon stop for 8 hrs in Ottawa....leaving Ottawa Sat. 10pm.
had to get a tow truck for a push to get me started...
everything was frozen including the clutch slave cylinder.
lost over an hour before heading into the Laurentians in 20f below...lots of snow..
It was a very gruelling event..

Next was 1975 in a new SR5 Corolla... it was a " stage event"
fitted an older style body on it...everything went well.

In 1976 I had a Celica.....first time I ever drove in winter
with a " locked" diff....that was exciting !!! :rolleyes:

Can't remember where we finished...certainty didn't win any "gold"
but had respectable results, making it all worthwhile.
It was an achievement just to finish one of these events - half the field didn't..

[Tony Kloosterma]

Now that I think of it i did this rally a couple more times in 1980 and 81 in a Toyota celica
I believe the first stage was at woodbine race track one year.

Tony

[Ferdinand]

Here's an article from the Feb 1962 Autosport magazine, with a map showing the route, describing the running of the 1962 Canadian International Winter Rally.

1962CanadianWinterRally.pdf (http://icerace.net/1962CanadianWinterRally.pdf) 933KB

Times have certainly changed...

"Representatives from Imperial Tobacco Co., sponsors of the Player's 200, the Canadian Racing Drivers' Association's first race in June, handed out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter to each contestant."

[uptownguy]

Here's an article from the Feb 1962 Autosport magazine, with a map showing the route, describing the running of the 1962 Canadian International Winter Rally.

1962CanadianWinterRally.pdf (http://icerace.net/1962CanadianWinterRally.pdf) 933KB

Times have certainly changed...

"Representatives from Imperial Tobacco Co., sponsors of the Player's 200, the Canadian Racing Drivers' Association's first race in June, handed out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter to each contestant."


times have certainly changed max h.p. stock 40 modified 70 except corvair probably max 110, roads more like cow paths, old style winters lots of snow and colder, with European heaters???? no synthetic winter clothing. no massed service crews, but service stations in every village.

Thanks for a great read, many names bring back memories.
Sam Nordell died practicing for the Monte Carlo as a factory Renault driver and a winter rally was run out of montreal in his name for many years.
Hommer Troter was a winning Ice racer and SAAB dealer from upstate New York and sold me his tractionizer in the mid eighties.

I guess this qualifies as back in the days

Peter Austin
Montreal

[Transamdriver]

If you Google up the CMSHG forum you will find a similar thread and some interesting replies, including the history of the CWR by Walt Kammer.

Robert Barg