If you're a Nova Scotian and remember the racing at Debert

yellowperil · 03:11 PM

You may be interested in this. I have had, for 50 years, this poster below. I was at that race and remember that car well. Belonged to John Risley and driven by him and Dave Fram. Also saw that car many times at other races. Don't think it ever lost a race.

Went looking on line today wondering if I could locate it as I had heard from friends it was sold many years ago to California. Still with # 19

Turns out it just sold again at RM Sotheby's auction in Arizona (Jan 29 of this year) or possibly 2016, not sure.

Here it is in black. BTW CSX 3010 competition Cobra. They were expecting between 2-3 Million

Neat, huh?

steve185 · 03-17-2018, 02:50 PM

I never knew they raced at debert. In the early 80's used to go to Shubbie.

A side note, my Dad grew up in Truro, during wwII airmen from debert came into Truro and destroyed the Bill Lynch show due to something that happened to one of them there. Dad always regretted missing that.

Nice car

yellowperil · 03-17-2018, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve185

I never knew they raced at debert. In the early 80's used to go to Shubbie.

A side note, my Dad grew up in Truro, during wwII airmen from debert came into Truro and destroyed the Bill Lynch show due to something that happened to one of them there. Dad always regretted missing that.

Nice car

That poster is from 1968, when that Cobra went by at 100 paces the ground would shake beneath you. Debert was a great race track, just like the British tracks after WW2. All flat of course but much like Sebring (on TV right now). My brother raced there with a 250 Bultaco Metralla (mine). He had the talent; I had the bike. Or more crudely "He had the balls, I had the bike"

By 1975 or thereabouts Debert was over and Shubbie was a go. However I never liked Shubbie as much as Debert. But I saw some big names at Shubbie incl Rahal, and Rosberg and others, bikes and cars. I dreamt about that Cobra and still do.

Thanks for looking.

Jim Marriott · 03-18-2018, 10:40 AM

Teem Atlantic Cobra poster should be about 1971. Risley had the black car painted white to match the 1970.5 (formerly blue) Ron Locke Z28, all sponsored by a soft drink company Teem (like 7up). Together they raced around Eastern Canada and US. Shall need to dig out my old 35mm slides of that Debert race !
Grew up near Risley's parents home, and remember him bringing the black and gold 427 back to Halifax from Boston in about 1969-ish.
Debert track lasted through 1973. Racing moved to Pennfield, NB . Atlantic Motorsport Park (Shubenacadie, NS) opened Fall of 1974. AMP continues to operate today and is privately held.
Street racing , The Moosehead Grand Prix, took place in Halifax 1991-1993. Moved to CFB Shearwater for 1994-95. Moosehead GP brought international racing to the general public. Very good events !

Jim Marriott · 03-18-2018, 11:04 AM

Try to find a copy of David Charters' book The Chequered Past: Sports Car Racing and Rallying in Canada, 1951-1991. Charters' taught at UNB in Fredericton and raced at AMP. I loaned my copy of this book some years ago...not sure where it went ! Couple of areas in the book could use edits, but generally a good overview of the entire country's motorsport history.
Yellow Peril is right: some big names and cool cars raced at AMP as part of various Canadian race series. It would have been a long, dusty tow from central Canada, but the Maritime hospitality would have made the trip worthwhile.

yellowperil · 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Marriott

Teem Atlantic Cobra poster should be about 1971. Risley had the black car painted white to match the 1970.5 (formerly blue) Ron Locke Z28, all sponsored by a soft drink company Teem (like 7up). Together they raced around Eastern Canada and US. Shall need to dig out my old 35mm slides of that Debert race !
Grew up near Risley's parents home, and remember him bringing the black and gold 427 back to Halifax from Boston in about 1969-ish.
Debert track lasted through 1973. Racing moved to Pennfield, NB . Atlantic Motorsport Park (Shubenacadie, NS) opened Fall of 1974. AMP continues to operate today and is privately held.
Street racing , The Moosehead Grand Prix, took place in Halifax 1991-1993. Moved to CFB Shearwater for 1994-95. Moosehead GP brought international racing to the general public. Very good events !

Learned lots right here as I wasn't sure of the date since the poster wasn't dated. Also only knew the Cobra as shown in the poster, so black and gold was original color, didn't know that.
So in '71 myself and a friend, John Jamieson (deceased) got a new Chevy pickup and towed Dave Fram's Mini and Bob Giannou's Fiat to Westwood race track in Vancouver. So Halifax to Vancouver, try that sometime. I left with $40, John may have had a bit more we almost starved except Fram gave us a Esso card for gas and back then Esso had voyageur restaurants so we splurged once in a while. Thanks for your info.

Fram (talented) blew all the other Minis away and there were a lot of them. Bob's 124 Fiat didn't fair as well.

yellowperil · 03:01 AM

My friend Dave Smith did very well at those Halifax races (I think he won them all)
in Ronnie Lock and Don Hogan (Hoggie's) big bad Camaro. I think Macdonald chev/Olds sponsored. Actually they provided the new Chevy P U for our tow to Vancouver. We had Frams Mini in the truck bed, regular box. His Mini was a homemade Cooper S. AFAIK

I loved that Cobra but the Camaro was a beast also.

Thanks again for your input. Keep it comin'

yellowperil · 03-18-2018, 12:58 PM

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Haven’t had a Moosehead in many years. I always preferred it over Labatts or Molsons. I don’t know if there are good Canadian ales available here since local micro breweries have flooded the market.

Jim Marriott · 09-10-2018, 05:17 AM

Good to meet you yesterday at the Train Station, Yellow P.
Layout of the Dining Car didn't really provide an opportunity for cross-discussions and table hopping. Would have been good to talk about Debert, AMP, and the local road racing scene in the 70's/80's.
Hope that you and your partner are able to join us for other events this driving season.
Jim
brown 930

yellowperil · 09-10-2018, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Marriott

Good to meet you yesterday at the Train Station, Yellow P.
Layout of the Dining Car didn't really provide an opportunity for cross-discussions and table hopping. Would have been good to talk about Debert, AMP, and the local road racing scene in the 70's/80's.
Hope that you and your partner are able to join us for other events this driving season.
Jim
brown 930

Good to meet up with you also, hope to see you all again.

yellowperil · 09-23-2018, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellowperil

Good to meet up with you also, hope to see you all again.

I liked the train car, kinda like "Murder on the Orient Express" without the murder part., my wife and I really enjoyed the whole affair. Hope to do it again.

The Taz · 06-07-2025, 04:17 AM

I am new to this site and a recent customer of Pelican Parts. I stumbled on the Canada element. I was at several of the races at Debert with my older brother and went to cheer on some of my classmates such as Dave Smith and Bruce MacPhail. It was where I began a Mini obsession and thoroughly enjoyed watching the Dave Fram prepared Cooper S, campaigned under the Petsville sponsorship. The regional races and the early Player’s Atlantic series were summer highlights. Due to government action the track became off limits and AMP became the home of regional track racing with a huge input from local participants.