Reg Midgley (2006)

Reg Midgley arrived on the local Auto Racing scene shortly after Western Speedway opened its doors in 1954. In the intervening fifty years, he has done just about everything a person could do at a racetrack - except the obvious. In all those years, Reg never drove a racecar. In his long career, Reg has been a car owner, track announcer and official, club executive member and finally, a racetrack promoter. In 1961, Reg served his first term as President of the Vancouver Island Track Racing Association. (V.I.T.R.A.) He was also the President of the Canadian - American Modified Racing Association (C.A.M.R.A.) in the early sixties. This was the circuit that started Victoria's Billy Foster on the road to the Indianapolis 500. By 1966, Reg was the promoter of Victoria's Western Speedway, a position he held for a number of years. During those years, he brought in "name" drivers to compete in the bigger races at Western including Bobby Allison, Roger Ward, Janet Guthrie and a host of other well-known International stars. In 1970, Reg was instrumental in developing and promoting a Northwest racing series called the International Drivers Challenge. There were two divisions - Super Stocks and Super Modified. As well as being the promoter, Reg spent hours behind the microphone at the Speedway for many seasons. Reg headed up the International Pro Stock series in the late 1970's and also served as President of the Western Auto Racing Promoters Association. Reg was named Victoria Sportsman of the Year in 1983 and he was inducted into the Greater Victoria Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1987.