Bryant Irvine and
the Bee 99 and Beyond
Back in 1955-56 when Ken Kavanagh and
Bill Russell owned Merrittville Speedway, having purchased
it from founders George Cullen and John Marino, a young
fellow by the name of Bryant Irvine took to the track along
with his friend Dave Boese to try the relatively new sport
of Stock Car Racing.
Bryant’s first car was fairly
conventional and a winning car, the ex Murray Stricker 1933
Ford Coupe powered by a flathead Ford V8, was the ticket.
Bryant re-lettered the car #99 with help and sponsorship
from his father-in-law C. H. “Shorty” York at York Electro
Plating, the only thing was to decide which colour.
Wife, Marilyn wanted blue, but Bryant did
not like the shade and opted for black. So off went Bryant
and Dave in their respective #99 and #98 coupes to conquer
Merrittville’s 1/4 mile clay.
Well week after week, they cut their
teeth in the stock cars, all the time thinking, what to do
next. During the learning process Bryant started to wonder
how to improve his cars. The first car he built was a 1934
Chevrolet Coupe again with the #99 painted on it, but this
time painted white. This car was the first stock car to
have centre steering. My guess is that it gave the driver
more safety, but centred the driver’s weight in the car.
While achieving some success, this car in Bryant’s words,
was the first car to have an overhead valved Chevy V8. This
definitely was not low budget, for those days, and without
the help from “Shorty” York it wouldn’t have been possible.
Bryant’s next season, again brought a new car, this time an
all steel body and roof, a 1937 Chevrolet Coupe. This car
not only featured the same layout of the previous car, but
the engine was set back, for weight distribution. It was a
beautiful coupe with its full fenders and white paint job,
with bright red #99 on the side and a cartoon of a bee.
Bryant Irvine became known as Bee 99,
winning races against the likes of Jerry Winger, Jeno Begolo
and Murray Stricker. The main race car was still the Ford
with its Thunderbird engines vs. the Chevrolet coupes with
V8 or 6 cylinder power. Bryant Irvine learned early that
the Canadian competitors lacked a source for speed
equipment, so he set out to secure engine parts, as well as
machining and boring from his Ormond Street shop in
Thorold.
Ted Kesslers’ in Buffalo was probably the
only true source for speed equipment, but Bryant Irvine
opened his Sontario Speed Shop to offer availability of
parts and services from California, being his specialty.
During the 1960's, Bryant and Marilyn
Irvine continued to stay interested in racing, but now were
responsible for operating York Electro Plating in Thorold.
Bryant remained involved in the sport more and more as a
spectator and in the 1960's and 70's, he attended races at
Watkin’s Glen, Mosport, Indianapolis, especially where road
racing was concerned.
Bryant also has an interest in the same
hobby I love, that being antique cars. He still owns his
original Camaro convertible, as well as a 1940 Chevrolet
pickup that he has tucked away in a garage. During the late
70's and early 1980's, Bryant’s interest in local dirt track
racing circled, and he became involved on the sponsor side
with Ray Stevens on Brian Stevens’ #44 modified. Ray and
Brian travelled the dirt tracks of Ontario and the U. S.
with primary sponsorship from Groff Tire and York Electro
Plating. C. H. “Shorty” York had been a strong advertiser
at Merrittville Speedway during the 1950's and Bryant
returned as a sponsor during the 1980's. At this point, he
had came full circle, and during the 1987 season, he had an
opportunity to purchase Merrittville Speedway solely and
did. It is hard to believe that he is celebrating his 15th
year of ownership.
While Bryant leaves the office duties to
his wife Marilyn, Jim and Kathy, their two children, he
loves to spend his time working on Merrittville’s clay
surface. Questions like, “how can I keep the moisture in
and the dust down? Why are there nights when the track
appears to be pumping water?” Making sure there are no ruts
or rocks to bother the competitors. Bryant will
experiment, from adding organic matter, to wood chips to
gypsum. He routinely takes soil samples to test the PH and
composition of the track all without the use of chemicals,
which would hurt the environment and irritate the drivers.
Merrittville Speedway’s oval has gone through many
transformations, but its surface is under the care and
direction of Merrittville’s master care-taker, Bryant
Irvine.
It’s hard to believe that some of the
improvements are all due to one person’s foresight to
improve the facilities for the spectators. The tower with
it’s novel, for the time, suites, tower for officials and
scorers, and down below track office and concessions is now
10 years old, having been unveiled for the 40th Reunion.
The overhead lighting was improved when
Eric Tomas and Raceline telecast the Trevor Wilkens
Qualifier. The go-kart track where many a young racer, can
dream of becoming the next Pete Bicknell. The latest
addition of trialing the scoring transponders, to aid
officials with scoring and line-up can only be a plus for
the sport.
So next time you are walking around
Merrittville and you spot a tanned fellow watching the
action in his soiled shirt and jeans, quietly taking in the
evening, either from turn four, or the infield, say
“Thanks”.
Bryant Irvine is carrying on the
tradition of family involvement and dedication in trying to
bring fast family fun to the residents of Niagara, first
started by John Marino and George Cullen and family, to Ken
Kavanagh and Bill Russell and family, on to Stan Friesen and
Kurt Uhl and family.
The next 50 years of Merrittville
Speedway’s Saturday Night Racing Tradition is in good
hands.
PART 2
“2003 and
Beyond”
Stock car racing is not only a
business but becomes a lifetime passion, that involves
commitment. At the end of 2002, Bryant, Marilyn and Family
had nothing left to prove and the pressure of track
ownership and balancing the business commitments of York
Electro Plating in Thorold were high. In order to own and
operate a dirt speedway, with the reputation and Saturday
night tradition of Merrittville Speedway, coupling that with
the growing go-kart racing on Tuesday nights required an
immense commitment of time and money. So for only the fifth
time in its long history Merrittville Speedway was put up
for sale.
During the fall/winter of 2002-2003,
there was a lot of speculation, as to what would happen and
without getting into details, the Irvine Family sold to the
Bicknell/Williamson/Freisen families, quickly to become
Peter and Nancy Bicknell and Randy and Tracey Williamson,
but Bryant and Marilyn and Jim Irvine were still in the
picture.
Anyone who knows Bryant as I have, knew
that even though he had spent a lot of money improving the
facilities, including new concessions, the new tower complex
for the 40th, building a go-kart track, with new lighting,
that his passion was chasing the ever elusive solution to
give the competitors a dust free, fast, multi-grooved racing
surface.
Even though the Bicknell/Williamson
families have taken Merrittville Speedway to the next level,
where are the Irvine Family members?
Since 2003, Bryant Irvine can still be
found tirelessly working on track preparation, Jim can be
found working along side Erica Bicknell, in the office and
performing daily chores and duties on the premises. Marilyn
can be found working alongside Tracey Williamson on race
nights in the ticket office.
Merrittville Speedway’s success
story,today, is due to a combined effort by all of these
families, to make the facilities both for the fans and
competitors, the best on the D.I.R.T. circuit. My
involvement in coming back to Merrittville where many
memories exist for me personally, resumed just after the
40th anniversary reunion and I thank Bryant for allowing Jim
Irvine, Bruce Swartz, Ted Renshaw and myself to organize and
form the “Reunion Committee.” It’s hard to believe that we
have just completed the 60th season.
In the last 9 seasons, I have been very
fortunate to get to know and become friends with the
Bicknells, Williamsons and Irvines, as well as current
committee members Terry and Wendy Huffman, Jeno and Shirley
Begolo and Mark Swartz.
Through all of the changes that we have
seen evolve in the sport and especially at Merrittville
Speedway, as the Oldest continuous running dirt track in
Canada, there is one constant, for Bryant Irvine that is his
passion for track preparation. So next time you look across
the track, from dawn until dusk, and spot a gentleman doing
laps on the tractor, grooming and watering the track, along
with Sarge and Howard, it’ll be Bryant Irvine trying to give
the competitors the best racing surface possible, just wave
or tip your hat and say “Thanks.”
The hours are long, the commitment
is huge, but we all do our part, because we love the sport
and the tradition of Merrittville Speedway. While Peter
Bicknell is known as” Mr.Smallblock”, Bryant Irvine is the
true” Dr. of Dirt”.
“Happy 60th Birthday Merrittville” and
Thanks Peter, Nancy and Erica, and Randy, Tracey and Bryant
and Marilyn and Jim for allowing me to come along for the
ride, for the past 20 years..
Sincerely, Rick Kavanagh