Since 1958, Peninsula resident Ross Rockett has been an integral part of Victoria’s auto racing scene, and recently his contributions to the sport were recognized in a very special way.
Rockett’s fascination with auto racing began when he was 16 years old and hasn’t stopped. In 1964, Rockett began his hands-on love for the sport by becoming a pit crew member for a 1934 Ford Coupe as well as crewing for Jim Malloy and his Super Modified out of Denver, Colorado.
By 1967, Rockett was crewing for stock cars including a Super Modified which competed on the Northwest Canadian American Modified Racing Association’s circuit. During this time, Rockett also worked as a track official at Western Speedway as well as pit boss, club executive member, promoter and car owner.
In 1977 Rockett was one of three founders of the Old Time Racers Association — a club which still exists today and has competed in the Northwest since its inception. In 2000, he and Norm Wilcox co-founded the WILROC Sprint Car and Super Modified Race Series which has grown to be one of the most competitive racing series in the Northwest.
Although he has made many contributions to the auto racing community in Victoria and beyond, there is nothing that makes Rockett more proud than opening the Victoria Auto Racing Hall of Fame (VARHOF).
The Hall of Fame was started in 1984 and as a founding member, the first meetings were held at Rockett’s residence in Central Saanich. More important than honouring local auto racing champions and pioneers, the Victoria Auto Racing Hall of Fame was the first of its kind in Canada, something Rockett is still very excited about. “I am so proud of our auto racing hall of fame. It was the very first one in Canada — I mean, how neat is that?”
Apart from the sport of auto racing and his work with the VARHOF, Rockett has also been involved in other sports and has been an instrumental part of the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame (GVSHOF) since joining the board in 1999. Rockett has been an integral part of the recognition of auto racing as a sport and has seen more than a few motorsport athletes inducted into the hall of fame. Rockett is also a lover of baseball and softball and competed in tournaments locally and nationally.
All of Rockett’s contributions to the sport of auto racing haven’t gone unnoticed. Rockett won Promoter of the Year from the Vancouver Island Track Racing Association on two separate occasions and most recently he was given the highest award he could hope for — being inducted into the hall of fame he helped to pioneer. On March 5, 2011, the 27th anniversary of the VARHOF, Rockett was awarded a plaque featuring custom artwork of himself and a certificate honouring his induction into the Victoria Auto Racing Hall of Fame for 2011.
“I was so thrilled and so happy to have been nominated and chosen by my friends and fellow members from the hall of fame committee — it was just so nice,” Rockett said.
These days, Rockett is still very involved with Western Speedway, the GVSHOF and the VARHOF. As the unofficial historian for Western Speedway, Rockett records the racing data weekly and sends it out to media contacts.
He writes up the racing stats and networks with advertisers and media contacts to help promote the sport of auto racing in Victoria and also keeps track of any press or media recognition of Western Speedway and its racers.
Rockett is also in charge of the VARHOF Museum (located on the grounds of Western Speedway) and keeps the displays updated and interesting. When he’s not busy with his work for his various volunteer positions, Rockett, father of two, enjoys spending time with his 10 year old granddaughter and tinkering with his classic car.