Roy Ross Memorial Trophy Photo courtesy of Todd RC Ross
This is the 20th Anniversary of the Roy Ross Memorial Race that started at Race City Speedway in Calgary. Roy Ross died in 1996 at Race City; the Memorial race has become the biggest, sought after IMCA race in Western Canada. There has been a Big push on social media for the biggest car count & fans to see the race this year at Edmonton International Raceway (EIR) in Wetaskiwin. Some racers are possibly coming out of retirement just to make this race. As I have said many times before, it is worth the drive to Wetaskiwin to see some great oval racing at EIR, do not miss this one. If you remember the race at Race City in Calgary, make the trip north like many other people from Calgary are doing & enjoy some great oval racing.
Photo courtesy of Todd RC Ross
There has been a lot of work on social media with Todd RC Ross & Shawn White to make this the biggest race yet with 20 years of history. Shawn thought this would be a great Race City Reunion at EIR with one of Race City’s biggest race. Todd RC Ross & Shawn White then combined event page to become the official Facebook event page.
Justin Mctavish & Barry Mctavish
Photo by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com at Edmonton International Raceway (EIR)
Interview with IMCA Car 23 Barry Mctavish at Edmonton International Raceway (EIR) July 31, 2016.
Velocity: I am here with IMCA driver 23 Barry McTavish, have you won the Roy Ross?
Barry McTavish: Yes I have, I won the very first Roy Ross memorial race.
Velocity: How important is it to win this race?
Barry McTavish: For our family and for all of the IMCA guys its basically the most prestigious race in IMCA in Western Canada. For our family, we were actually really good friends with Roy Ross from 1974. The year my dad started, his race car was down the street from him. He went down and introduced himself and they stayed really good friends right up until Roy passed away. It was a big thing for us to win the first one, huge deal for our whole race team. We have come close many times since, myself and Justin my older son he’s led one right to the last lap and a half. He was passed by Mitch Laurzon.
Velocity: I remember when Trevor Boys won it, it was a big thing for him also.
Barry McTavish: Oh yeah, like I said it’s basically the most Prestigious race we run, it doesn’t pay like the Super Nationals in Hythe, that pays 700$ a car for the weekend. This race hasn’t payed since the 90s, but its still a huge race for everybody to make. It will be contested very hard, its a tough, tough race to win we’ve only won the first one and I have run I believe 9 since. We have come close, finished 3rd 2nd, & 4th haven’t been able to get back there yet.
Velocity: I’ve been seeing a lot of stuff on social media, is that Todd Ross.
Barry McTavish: I have been bugging Todd Ross for years, to be the one to push it because nobody can care about it like he does. He has taken the bull by the horns and is going after it, I hear he’s doing an awesome job.
Velocity: I seen stuff on social media and its great, I come up from Calgary all the time now. I been into racing many years now, the 1st Roy Ross Memorial Race I saw was at Race City as Rescue. Besides here at EIR & Race City has it been anywhere else?
Barry McTavish: Yeah it actually spent one year in Vernon because it got rained out, in Calgary. As Race City closed down we talked to Todd and got him to bring it up here to EIR as it was a very important race to everybody. Todd is working on it this year because we lost a little bit in the last few years. Basically there is a bunch of guys that have no idea who Roy was or what the whole thing was about, they just knew it was a big important race and they just pushed it. It is kind of going back to the roots more, why were running this race and why it is so important to us. Roy was a guy that he didn’t always run at the front but Roy really loved racing. I remember my brother having a really bad time one day and Roy said at the time, you know what Jeff, there is a million people in Calgary, how many are lucky enough to drive a race car, he just really put things into perspective for us. He just loved racing and it was important for him to finish. He was not ready to ride right up front yet but just loved racing and that’s what makes this race so important, how much he loved it, is good for all of us.
Velocity: The thing I have noticed in social media not only are we looking at a good car count but were looking at a lot of fans & volunteers from Calgary.
Barry McTavish: Yeah there is lots of older races talking about coming out again and someone’s trying to buy a car to make it. I think he is going to make it a fantastic event, Loretta has been awesome with him planning & scheduling for that night. We will be doing autograph sessions before the race kind of like when we used to run the tour it is going to be an incredible event.
Velocity: In 99 when I did oval rescue & IMCAs were running we had to go check which cars had methanol and stuff like that, anyone running alcohol now.
Barry McTavish: You could still do that here, if you run an AMOD with an open motor you can run alcohol, but if you run a crate motor you can only run on gas, no alcohol.
Velocity: You guys are always run a great show, but the Roy Ross has always been a great race.
Barry McTavish: It is, I think the first year that BJ Clark won, he will admit to you, that he didn’t have the best car that day. He started around the pole and I got up to the side of him on 6 laps in and just couldn’t get past from the outside.
Velocity: One thing IMCAS do that’s very unique is a salute to the fans, I always remembered that.
Barry McTavish: Then we do the missing man formation.
Velocity: So you do that for the Roy Ross?
Barry McTavish: Yes front row pole drops out as just to honour his memory.
Photo by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com at Edmonton International Raceway (EIR)
Edmonton International Raceway Saturday, August 13
20th Anniversary Roy Ross Memorial Race!
This is a huge event with IMCA’s coming from all over Western Canada to pay tribute to Roy Ross (IMCA Racer) – this is the 20th Anniversary Race & it’s going to be huge! Featuring: The IMCA Modifieds, Legends Cars, NASCAR Thunder Cars, NASCAR Modifieds & the Stacker Cars!
Photos by VelocityMotorsportsNews.com at Edmonton International Raceway (EIR)
Gates Open at 4 PM
Autograhs 5:15 – 5:45 PM
Racing at 5:45 PM
Admission:
Adults – $10 – if pre-purchased online or $15 at the Gate
Youth and Seniors – $5 – if pre-purchased online or $10 at the Gate
Kids 5 years and under Free!
Edmonton International Raceway EIR Wetaskiwin, Alberta
http://www.edmontonraceway.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Edmonton-Intl-Raceway-202891183057109/
2016 Roy Ross Memorial Race
https://www.facebook.com/events/178221309261373/