Abbotsford Airport (Mission)
ClosedClosed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there.
- Later races drew 2,000 to more than 4,000 spectators
- Raced
- 1952-57
- Province
- British Columbia
- What's left
- A good length of the old track surface is still there, in poor to good condition.
- On the site today
- Airport, used only for aircraft since 1958
- Raced on
- An airport runway
- First race
- 1952
- Last race
- 1957
- Surface
- Runway
- Location
- Abbotsford Airport
- People
- B.C. Custom Car Association, race organizer (1952-57)
- Elevation
- 187 ft (57 m)
- Coordinates
- 49.02821, -122.37066
The 250-member B.C. Custom Car Association of Vancouver held drag races at the Abbotsford Airport as early as 1952, with the Vancouver Jaycees helping get permission. Jack Williams raced there in 1953 in his Caddy-engined ‘49 Ford, which ran 100 mph. Ron Hackett held the track record of 105 mph through 1954 in his ‘23 T roadster, until Don Cartwright broke it on October 30, 1955, with 13 seconds at 111 mph in his ‘55 Chrysler in B Open. Crowds were small the first few years but grew to between 2,000 and more than 4,000 later on. The last races were in 1957, since the airport was revamped in 1958 for aircraft only.
Background
Abbotsford's airport is now Abbotsford International, the second-largest airport in the Lower Mainland after Vancouver's. It has scheduled domestic flights, seasonal international service and a customs presence, all about 40 miles from downtown Vancouver.
