鈥淚t鈥檚 just getting on the track to see how you stack up,鈥� said Andrew Dobbie, a 91原创 resident who discovered a talent for driving very fast in race cars.

Dobbie, who has been dreaming about racing since he was a kid, finally managed to put himself to the test last year when he began racing his Formula Ford.

It was 鈥渁 bigger learning curve than I thought,鈥� he said.

The methodical Dobbie kept at it, and kept getting better, to the point where he was 鈥渨ithin a couple of seconds of the fast guys.鈥�

By the time he finished the season, Dobbie was named 鈥淣ovice of the Year鈥� by both the Sports Car Club of B.C. and the Confederation of Autosport Car Clubs.

This year, his goal is to win the Formula Ford championship and qualify for the SCCA runoff national championships in California.

His race team is mostly 鈥渟elf-funded鈥� with assistance from his dad and sponsor BRG projects, which has provided the vinyl wraps for his car.

Dobbie said the next 鈥渕ost obvious step鈥� is to advance to cars with 鈥渨ings,鈥� airfoils that provide downforce and allow faster speeds

This weekend, Dobbie will be racing his #93 Van Diemen Formula Ford at the biggest vintage racing event in Western Canada, the B.C. Historic Motor Races (BCHMR) Aug. 18-19 at the Mission Raceway Park road course.

So will his dad, Ewen, who decided to follow his son onto the track and will be competing as a novice racer in a vintage Porsche.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a nice father-son thing,鈥� the younger Dobbie said.

鈥淗e鈥檚 always been a car guy.鈥�

The Mission event will be the 31st running of the British Columbia Historic Motor Races, the annual marquee race weekend organized by the Vintage Racing Club of British Columbia, (BCHMR).

It is billed as Western Canada鈥檚 largest vintage race event and a significant one in the Pacific Northwest, with typically 100 vintage and historic racing cars and several thousand spectators.

The BCHMR was first held in 1981 at the famous Westwood track in Coquitlam.

After several years, it moved to its current home at the multi-purpose racing complex at Mission.

For 2018, the BCHMR plans to again feature the Hagerty Formula Festival for open wheel racing cars, combined races for vintage sedans and sports cars and the popular 鈥淩ide in a Real Racing Car.鈥�

For a nominal contribution to a local charity, the Mission Hospice Society, fans can go for a ride on the track with a racing driver in one of the day鈥檚 cars during the lunch break on each of the two race days.

A 120-car display will be featured in a special spectator area, known as 鈥淭he Field of Dreams.鈥�

The VRCBC is a non-profit club of enthusiasts that aims to encourage the restoration, racing and exchange of information concerning vintage sports and racing automobiles.

For more information about the big weekend, including sponsorship opportunities, visit a.

dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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