Original Pinecrest Speedway Sign Found in “Sale”
David Matthews of Welland Ontario, an avid collector of Antique Farm Tractors and machinery was at one of many sales he attends each year as a collector. The thing about these sales is, you just never know what you will find. Well, that was an understatement. While at this particular sale, David found a piece of racing history that nobody in the racing communityknew still existed. There in front of him was the Original Pinecrest Speedway sign. This sign is believed to have been in place at the entrance to Pinecrest Speedway for its first race on July 10th, 1948, 73 years ago.
This sign is of great historical significance to all of the racing community, especially those who were there in the early years, drivers, mechanics abnd fans alike.
Many drivers got their start on this half mile Dirt Oval (many of them now deceased) but, Wallie Branston, Jack Frazier, Len Hurley, John McGiffin, Gord Yates, Norm Mackereth, Dave Boon, Ted Hogan, Tom Forbes,Gord Bugye, Phil Muccio and Bill Drew all raced at Pinecrest Speedway in 1948/49, (Back in 1949 the track name was changed to Speedway Park, but it was the same race track).
It is the hope of the racing community that “The Sign” — all that is left of that historicaltrack and its quarter mile successor, will find an honored place in a racing museum. There it will keep alive, both the memory of Toronto’s first post war oval (1948 – 1949) and that of its successor, the legendary quarter mile oval (1952 – 1976) that so suuccessfully carried on the Pinecrest name.
David Matthews, On behalf of the racing community in general; THANK YOU!!
Courtesy of Dave Boon
