Communities in our state are strong because Tennesseans believe in building close relationships. We are undertaking a major initiative to give them great spaces to share and make those bonds with each other stronger than ever.
Beginning in 2018, funds from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation will predominantly support our Healthy Places program, which creates and improves active, healthy spaces in communities across the state.
We love Tennessee and the people we share it with. That’s why we work to keep our friends, neighbors and communities healthy and strong. Healthy Places will allow us to have a bigger impact on the lives of our communities – both urban and rural – across Tennessee.
We’ll also support public spaces and programs with the help of Team Blue, our employee volunteers, who contribute thousands of hours to community projects and causes each year.
For each project, we’ll meet with local residents to discuss their community’s needs, ensuring every Healthy Place is tailored to the area and its residents.
We led an effort with the City of Memphis and the people of the Whitehaven neighborhood to revitalize the park so it fits the community's needs. And, to emphasize our commitment to this signature initiative, we’ve guaranteed resources to ensure the park will stay vibrant and beautiful in the years ahead.
If your organization wants to create spaces where your neighbors can come together, we’d like to work with you to help make it happen.
Through our Community Trust, we serve our neighbors by supporting charitable and civic efforts across the state.
Vintage Road & Racecar magazine – The International Authority on Classic, Historic and Vintage Racecars and Roadcars – has published a report on our favourite race by our favourite photojournalist, Brent Martin.
“The 31st running of the B.C. Historic Motor Races (BCHMR) once again took place at the Mission Raceway Park Road Course in Mission British Columbia, under hot and smoky conditions due to the over 500 forest fires burning all over British Columbia. 93 vintage and historic racers from B.C., Alberta, Washington and Montana all came together for the two-day event put on by the Vintage Racing Club of B.C. (VRCBC).
You can read the rest of Brent’s article here; thanks to Vintage Road & Racecar and (as always) thanks to Brent.
The latest edition of the BC Historic Motor Races was a great event. The weather cooperated – although there was a persistent haze due to forest fire smoke, there were many full grids with excellent racing throughout, many enthusiasts participated in the Field of Dreams car show and parade laps, and our ‘charity of choice’ the Mission Hospice Society raised a lot of funds to support their work with children.
One big highlight of the weekend was the celebration of 50(!) years of racing by Al Ores, BC’s most admired, respected and loved road racer. Formula Vee racers came from everywhere to participate in a race in his honour, and to have a lot of fun at his expense at the Saturday night dinner.
We were also very pleased to have Dann Boeschen bring his beautifully restored 1966 Porsche 906 for paddock display and demonstration laps by local veteran Ian Wood and former Porsche factory racer Kees Nierop. This very car had raced at the legendary Westwood track in the sixties in the hands of Lew Florence.
Guest of Honour John Randall cuts the ‘racer tape’ in front of Dann Boeschen’s Porsche 906 to officially open the 2018 BC Historic Motor Races. Dann (L) and the VRCBC’s Tom Johnston (R), a member of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame, assist. – Brent Martin photo
Our 2018 Guest of Honour, another Westwood legend, retired racer John Randall, was all smiles as he watched one of his favourite racing cars of all time in motion again.
Check out some of Brent Martin’s photos of the action below. There are even more on his web site for both Friday Practice Day / Saturday (here) and Sunday (here).
One of the BC Historic Motor Races’ most-valued long time supporters, Hagerty Classic Car Insurance has just published its Spring 2018 Newsletter. As always, it is filled with interesting stories for classic car and motor racing enthusiasts.
Probably the best story at the 2017 BCHMR was the reunion of local racing legend Laurie Craig with the Corvette Sting Ray in which he won the 1966 Player’s Pacific at Westwood. Laurie hadn’t seen or heard of the car since he sold it in 1967. David and Stephanie Lambdin had no idea of the history of this ‘Vette when they bought it – sight unseen – in Anchorage of all places!
The story of how David and Stephanie did all of the research, eventually tracked down Laurie and then were able to get the Corvette to Mission (just!) in time for the BCHMR is worthy of a Hollywood movie script! And you can read all about it here.
Laurie had a chance to do some demo laps in his favourite racing car with David in the passenger seat. It was a great experience for everybody and we were very pleased to be the ‘host’.
A proud(?) Tom Leeming poses shortly after being awarded the Battered Cup in recognition of his dismal luck at the 2017 BCHMR. The guilty party, Tom’s beautiful 1973 Alfa Romeo GTV is trying unsuccessfully to hide behind him. – Roger van der Marel photo
At every BC Historic Motor Races, the VRCBC awards (probably not the best word for it) The Battered Cup to ‘the driver, car or crew that has suffered the most battering or generally inhumane treatment from the evil spirits of motor racing‘. We have had some very deserving recipients in the past but our 2017 ‘winner’, Tom Leeming has probably set the threshold at a new height (or maybe it is depth?).
The 2017 BCHMR was to be Tom’s first time at the Mission Raceway Park Road Course and he thought it would be a good idea to enter the Friday Practice Day to learn the track before the racing started on the weekend. So he drove the 1,260 km from his home in Ennis, Montana to Mission and was ready to go first thing Friday morning. However, after only a few laps, his Alfa’s engine began overheating. A quick diagnosis identified a blown head gasket and possibly more serious issues that could not be fixed in time so Tom loaded up the trailer and headed back the 1,260 km to home, never even having had the chance to ‘turn a lap in anger’.
Look out, here they come! Turn One at the start of one of the very competitive races at the 2017 BCHMR. – Brent Martin photo
Well, that was a lot of fun! The weather was excellent, most of the grids were full and there were many competitive battles throughout the fields.
The results are also available by individual race group and session on the 2017 Race Results page on this web site (here).
Update: See some of Brent Martin’s photos below and his BCHMR report in the online edition of Vintage Racecar / Vintage Roadcar magazine (here). Thanks Brent!
Our guest of honour at the 2017 BC Historic Motor Races was David Ousted, from our presenting sponsor Key West Ford. – Brent Martin photo
We were very pleased to have David Ousted, the very popular goalkeeper of the Vancouver Whitecaps and Key West Ford‘s official representative, on hand to perform the official ribbon (well, tape) cutting ceremony at the 2017 edition of the BC Historic Motor Races presented by Key West Ford.
The ‘ribbon’ was held by VRCBC president Stanton Guy and long time SOVREN racer and BCHMR supporter Charly Mitchel of Tacoma.
David did such a great job that he was awarded one of our famous Morris the Mission Moose, which are traditionally reserved for drivers who put on an excellent display during a race.
(L to R) Stanton Guy, VRCBC president, Liz Smith, VRCBC Life Member and keeper of the Mission Moose, David Ousted of Key West Ford, Morris the Mission Moose, Charly Mitchel, Vintage racer and winner of several Moose over the years. – Brent Martin photo
Just the first of many big awards this year we trust David; good luck to you and your team mates this MLS season! There are more photos of David’s fun day at the track, including his ride in the very fast Key West Ford Mustang, here.
Thanks to both David and Key West Ford for helping us promote and celebrate the BC Historic Motor Races!
This classic British sports car ‘David and Goliath’ battle perfectly illustrates why Vintage racing is so much fun. Karlo Flores and his 1959 Austin Healey ‘Bugeye’ Sprite chase Gunter Pichler and his 1964 Jaguar XKE during the 2016 BCHMR. – Brent Martin photo
The 2016 BCHMR was another fun event! Racers, officials and spectators all had a great time and – except for it being a ‘little(!) warm’ on the Saturday, the weather was perfect.
Vancouver Canucks hero Kirk McLean did the honours at our Sunday grand opening ceremony on behalf of our presenting sponsor, Key West Ford. Kirk was ably assisted by two legends from the world of Canadian motorsport, Bill Sadler and Al Ores.
Kirk McLean cuts the ribbon to officially open the 2016 BCHMR. Canadian Motorsport Hall of Famer Bill Sadler (L) and BC road racing legend All Ores (R) ‘pick up the pieces! – Brent Martin photo
And to top it all off, almost $5,000 was raised for the VRCBC’s ‘Charity of Choice’, the Mission Hospice Society, through the generosity of spectators, our sponsors – particularly ADESA Richmond – and individual Club members.
Our very own Brent Martin had his BCHMR race report published in Vintage Racecar / Vintage Roadcar magazine within days!
Results: The full weekend on-track results and trophy and award winners, are posted on this web site under the Results menu. Click here.
Photos & Videos: There are many photos and several on-board videos posted on this web site under the Photos & Videos menu. Click here.
After many years of competition in the Pacific North West, Doug Yip is retiring his well-known 1967 Sunbeam Tiger Mk 2 from the race track. The Tiger went out with its customary flourish at the BCHMR. – Brent Martin photo
The complete results for the weekend are now available on this web site. Go to the ‘2015 Results‘ page under the Results menu above, or just click here.
We have received literally hundreds of photos from many photographers. (Thank you!) A lot of them will eventually be posted on this web site but in the meantime, check them out on the VRCBC Facebook Group (here) and the BCHMR Facebook page (here).