Laurie Craig drove at cars at Westwood from 1964 until it closed in 1990.

During schooldays back in his native New Zealand, Craig was running off whenever he could to crew for midget sports car. His reputation as a pit expert spread. In the New Zealand Grand Prix events from 1957 through 1960, Laurie Craig crewed for the finest drivers in the world — twice for Stirling Moss, and once for Cobra-man Carroll Shelby and Joachim Bonnier of Sweden.

Craig came to Vancouver in 1960 because he wanted to race. In those days it was difficult to get into the US so Vancouver was his choice. Like so many others, once here he stayed. When Craig first came to Vancouver, he was interested mostly in racing go karts, but he was soon in the cars. His first significant efforts were a V8 powered Chevy II and a Corvette Sting Ray both sponsored by the North Vancouver Chevrolet Mander Chev.

In 1966, Laurie and his red Corvette did the impossible, they took outright victory at the Westwood round of the Canadian Championship, the

LAURIE CRAIG - Inducted 2006

Pioneer - Sports Car and Road Racing

Laurie in the Mander Chevrolet Chevy II, Westwood 1966  (Ken Allen)

By Tom Johnston, 2006

Laurie Craig, 1966

Player’s Pacific, the biggest road race in western Canada.. In the driving rain, Laurie defeated many much faster sports racing cars. He looks back now at that victory being the peak of his career.

By 1967, Laurie had the first Camaro Z28 to come to Canada and he raced it successfully in Canadian and US events. He eventually sold the car to

fellow GVMPS Pioneer, Tony Morris.

After the Camaro era he backed off from racing a bit but still kept his hand in  with the occasional drive. One notable ride was the Chris Dougal McLaren.

During the course of all the racing, Craig ran a successful auto towing business in New Westminster, Specialty Towing, later to become Royal City Towing.

In 1988 when the Player’s/GM Motorsport series for Camaros and Firebirds was announced, who reappeared as a driver but Laurie Craig. Racing had changed but the old competitive spirit was still there.

Laurie has not raced for many years now. He lives in Shawnigan lake on Vancouver Island where he still maintains an auto transport business but now it is for collector’s and other high value cars. In a recent interview he told of moving a C type Jaguar “You know” he said, “the kind that Stirling Moss used to drive”.