RICK @ the RACES ( 11 January 2012)

This week I have to relay some sad news from the UK.

I learned last night that Bev Greenhalf, the voice of ‘BriSCA Stock Car Racing’ has passed away, after a spell in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

I knew Bev for many years and on my trips back to the races in England , I made a point of going up to say hello.

My first recollection of his contribution to my favorite sport was back in 1967 when he was involved in the British Stock Car Racing Supporters Association and the publication of their monthly magazine called ‘Stock Car Supporter’. He was always one of the sports most notable writers and his work was seen in many other publications over the years.

I first got to know him early on in my racing career, after he took over the post of manager at my local Brafield Stadium, from the late Graham Guthrie. In 1975 , Bev became the person I had to contact when applying to race Brafield. Back then, there were more drivers wanting to race, than the tracks scheduled quota would allow, and for some drivers it was difficult to get bookings. Bev was fair, and always tried to give me and the other lower graded drivers a chance to race.

Not only was he the track manager, but he was the commentator too. You could always guarantee an accurate and knowledgeable account of what was going on, in his soft Midlands accent.

He became resident commentator at many other tracks around the country and got known as the ‘Voice of BriSCA’.

As the sport went into the 1980’s and with the growth of the BriSCA / NACO connection he took the initiative to learn the Dutch language, and was then able to let the visiting Netherlands fans know what was happening.

In the years prior to my emigration, I got to know him well, and on one of my trips back to England, I joined him up in the Brafield Commentary box.

It came as quite a shock when I heard the sad news this week and I offer my sincere sympathies to his family and close friends. British Stock Car Racing will miss him deeply.

R.I. P. Bev

With my local ice racing season yet to start,  I have nothing else to report, but hope to get the first event of 2012 under my belt this coming weekend, when Autodrome St Eustache has it’s Challenge Sur Neige. I attended this one last year and it was a good show. All we need is a bit more snow !

In the meantime I’ve been busy working on my ‘RETRO’ Reports and Episode # 26, covering 1992 is now up. Check it out !  My goal is to reach ‘Canada’ before the 2012 season gets into full swing. I moved to Canada in 1994, so have two more episode’s to do. Eventually I’m hoping to get the ‘RETRO’ reports up to 2006, where the www.rickattheraces ‘Weekly Reports’ begin.