Dave H
Well-Known Member
More from a half century ago.
Back near the end of the 1971 Oyster River Racing Association season a bunch of us towed down to Nanaimo to run against that crew for fun. Generally we didn't compete against them as we had much more liberal rules and our cars usually ran a bit faster.
Anyway, among our group from Oyster River was a woman named Linda Fulton who raced weekly with us and, like me, was mostly an also-ran, but kept out of trouble and tried her best, as did we all.
Imagine our dismay when someone from the Nanaimo gang told us they wouldn't allow her to run because she was a woman and they didn't allow women to compete against the men in Nanaimo.
Naturally, this was simply not acceptable to us and we put up a strong argument and threatened to all load up and leave unless they relented and let her run with us.
Eventually we won out and Linda ran with us and all was well.
Ray was driving our car then and all I remember is that we broke something because I can recall Tom Turner laying under the car wrenching on something while quietly cursing his fate.
He later went on to bigger and better things.
Hard to imagine today that women were not welcome in racing much back then, specially when one looks at what they have accomplished in more modern times. Back in 1971 it was the ORRA and Linda Fulton who broke that gender barrier at Grandview Bowl in Nanaimo.
I know, because I was there.
Take care
Back near the end of the 1971 Oyster River Racing Association season a bunch of us towed down to Nanaimo to run against that crew for fun. Generally we didn't compete against them as we had much more liberal rules and our cars usually ran a bit faster.
Anyway, among our group from Oyster River was a woman named Linda Fulton who raced weekly with us and, like me, was mostly an also-ran, but kept out of trouble and tried her best, as did we all.
Imagine our dismay when someone from the Nanaimo gang told us they wouldn't allow her to run because she was a woman and they didn't allow women to compete against the men in Nanaimo.
Naturally, this was simply not acceptable to us and we put up a strong argument and threatened to all load up and leave unless they relented and let her run with us.
Eventually we won out and Linda ran with us and all was well.
Ray was driving our car then and all I remember is that we broke something because I can recall Tom Turner laying under the car wrenching on something while quietly cursing his fate.
He later went on to bigger and better things.
Hard to imagine today that women were not welcome in racing much back then, specially when one looks at what they have accomplished in more modern times. Back in 1971 it was the ORRA and Linda Fulton who broke that gender barrier at Grandview Bowl in Nanaimo.
I know, because I was there.
Take care
