Yesterdays Speedways was first started in 2012 after the completion of my book, “Remember When; The Early Years of Stock Car Racing in Southern Ontario”.
Yesterday’s Speedways has been working on saving Ontario’s racing history. During the past five years we have done seventeen (17) track displays: Barrie, Sunset, Varney, Sauble, Flamboro, Peterborough, Mosport, and 3 Supermodified Shows at Delaware. We have been at several Motorama shows at the International Centre, Mississauga Ont. The first one was as a guest of Transport Books after I finished my book. In 2014 was our first year with our own booth when it was the Canadian Motorsport Expo and the last several years were at Motorama.
I came by my passion for stock car racing honestly, My father Fred Sharples twisted wrenches for Bernie Reddick on the #99 Scannell cars before leaving Canada to become a travelling NASCAR official. I have been going to races since I was in diapers and was quite involved, as a Club official, for the Can-Am Midget Racing Club.
I grew up around Oval Track Racing as my father was a mechanic on race cars for years and ended his racing career with NASCAR as a Tech Inspector. Dad worked with Norm Morton, Bernie Reddick, Howie Scannell, and several others over the years which made getting this started a little easier. Many of my younger years were spent as an Official with the Can Am Midget Club which again introduced me to a lot of people that have contributed to this over the years.
Ron Moulds has been working on this with me from the beginning, Ron was on the Pit Crew for Doug Warnes and Tommy Cuzzilla Sr, and Tommy Cuzzilla Jr. Ron has a lot of knowledge I didn’t have because he was there, I was a kid when a lot of this stuff was happening, if I was around at all, (I am 57 now in 2020).
Our biggest support group are you, the fans. We will never ask to keep anything but if we could borrow pictures, articles etc. We have heard of so many collections getting tossed because someone has passed and the family didn’t want that stuff. Please contact us, we will come and get it and share the history here as it was meant to be.
Remember When; The Early Years of Stock Car Racing in Southern Ontario, available here.
p.s.
I would like to thank Bill Samuel of quintecar.ca for all his patience and help in creating this website.
