Coming round the bend could be good news for racing fans still lamenting the loss of Langford’s Westshore Motorsports Park.
Once known as the oldest auto-racing track in Western Canada, the arena – previously called Western Speedway – entertained crowds for almost 70 years until it fell silent in September 2022 after the waving of the final checkered flag.
“It held a very important place in the heart of the community,” said Steve Copp, president of the Vancouver Island Safe Speed Association (VISSA). “There were a big swath of things that were being done at the racetrack, that just all of a sudden stopped.
“It was a spot for everybody to come and go to,” he adds. “And it didn't matter whether you had $2 to your name or $2 million, everybody was equal out there.”
Set up in response to the news the track was closing, the small group of volunteers known as VISSA have been searching for a new location for the speedway on southern Vancouver Island.
In late 2023, the group said they had five possible locations identified for a new home, with one looking more hopeful than the others.
But since then, information about their quest has been scarce.
Hope was reignited in November last year when an update on the VISSA website hinted at a potential deal between the group and one of the First Nation communities on the lower Island.
“They have expressed huge interest,” said Copp speaking to Goldstream Gazette.
And locals won’t have to travel far, says Copp, as the potential site is “within 15 minutes” of the former location.
The group are now readying themselves for more meetings with a representative of the First Nation community; the identity of which Copp is keeping under wraps for now.
“Once a business plan is up, and if they're good to go, then they want to move quick,” said Copp.
Plans for the racetrack could include a campsite and parking, possibly more depending on space, says Copp.
“The sky's kind of the limit with the property we're talking about right now,” he said.
Funding for the project has not been finalized explains Copp, with priority given to securing a location first.
“And then we'll put all those other pieces of the puzzle together,” he says.
But Copp is confident when the time comes, he can rely on the community to help push the project forward.
“We've had lots of out crying from people that said, let us know what you need … some of it is financial, and also equipment and volunteer hours … it’s all over the board,” he said. “It was a big family – it still is.”
Currently, racers and their supporters make a six-hour round-trip to Saratoga Motorsports Park to satisfy their need for speed, but the hunger for a track closer to home remains strong says Copp.
“Everybody you talk to who you ran into at the racetrack, they feel lost, they need something to do, they need a place to go on Saturday night or a reason to stop by somebody's race car shop and see how they're making out,” he said.
If successful, the new location will feel like a home away from home, with VISSA having rescued and reclaimed equipment, building infrastructure and racing memorabilia from the former Western Speedway.
“That’s pretty cool,” says Copp, who says reusing the former spectator stands could save over $2 million.
Whatever the outcome of the current negotiations, Copp says VISSA are just as determined as ever and won’t give up their search.
“We're still united as a front and pushing forward,” he says. “All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and keep pushing.
“The current site we’re looking at seems to have the least amount of resistance so far – we’ll just see where it goes.”
