Bill Okell continues looking for more speed at an age when most people are slowing down.
鈥淚鈥檓 still driven to improve and get faster,鈥� said the 66-year-old auto racer.
Victoria has had a notable history in the sport, 颅including producing Billy Foster, the first Canadian to race the 颅Indianapolis 500, and three-time Daytona 500 racer Roy Smith. Western Speedway (now known as 颅Westshore Motorsports Park) was founded in 1954 and is the oldest racetrack in Western 颅sa国际传媒 with numerous veteran drivers still plying their trade there. But only a few Island drivers have had the staying power of Okell.
His quest continues 颅Saturday and Sunday at the High Plains Raceway in Denver in an attempt to qualify for the Sports Car Club of America鈥檚 national championship 颅runoffs, which will take place in late 颅September at the fabled 颅Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Okell will drive a San 颅Francisco-based Huffaker 颅Engineering MG Midget in his Denver qualifying attempt.
Okell鈥檚 best finish in the SCCA national championships was his fifth place in 2018 at Sonoma Raceway in California. He was 15th in 2017 when he 颅realized a lifelong dream by 颅racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
鈥淚鈥檝e always had a desire to race sports cars and that has never waned over the years,鈥� said the veteran driver.
SCCA drivers have to race six events in order to qualify for its national championship. Because he is Canadian and it was 颅difficult for Okell to get into the U.S. during the heart of the pandemic, he has been 鈥済ifted鈥� the points for four other events by the SCCA, but is required to finish the final two races in 颅Denver and post good times in order to reach the six required races to advance to the national final on Indy鈥檚 road course.
