Never Look Back
Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions that we all have to make. There is a lot riding on this, so one must weigh the pros and cons associated with each choice. Once the choice is made, you must pour all of your and energy into that profession. But what if there’s no light at the end of the tunnel? You adapt and never look back.
Part 1
Reg grew up in the Republic of Fiji. It’s an archipelago of 330 islands located in the South Pacific. Tourism and sugar exports typically come to mind when most people think of Fiji. However, there was once a small and budding automotive scene on the island. Reg’s father was a truck driver who worked all across the island. They called him ‘The Devil” because he was one of the fastest delivery drivers on the dusty gravel roads. To Reg, this meant that he wanted to go really fast from a young age.
The most popular form of organized racing on the island was drag racing, since there wasn’t an overabundance of land which to build racetracks. An old strip of pavement by the seaside was the only place left for the budding gearheads to mark out their quarter mile piece of heaven and put the pedal down hard! The first race Reg attended had a big impression on him. He didn’t have his own car but happened to see a Datsun Z compete that day. It was love at first sight. Coincidentally, Reg was in the market to purchase a vehicle, but the cost of a sports car was too far out of his reach. He ended up purchasing a bright red 1973 Toyota Corolla SL Coupe instead. Drawn to it because it had an 1166cc engine, dual carbs, and 10:1 compression from the factory. He was behind the wheel driving down the same gravel roads as his father before the inked had dried on the contract.
A collection of crew shirts from Reg’s team.
Reg and his brother Ray would go out every weekend to race. Before heading out they would remove most of the interior. This included the spare tire, rear bench seats, and anything else they could remove from the chassis. They would also unbolt the muffler from the end of the exhaust manifold and slide it to the side in order to run wide-open headers. This last modification meant that Reg and Ray had to get the car down the hill from their residence before push starting it. That way their father would not be able to hear them as they headed downtown.
Suva was the main city on the island of Viti Levu where Reg grew up. This was in the mid-70’s so the opposition consisted mostly of Datsun Bluebird SSS 1600, Mazda RX-4, and even (Australian market) Holden Torana XU-1. Reg was able to stay ahead of them because there weren’t many long straightaways for the other drivers to exploit their power advantage. The twisty, partly gravel roads coupled with the Corolla’s pre-race diet allowed Reg to maintain the upper hand and go undefeated for 3 years. However, his heavy foot wouldn’t go unnoticed.
One day Reg had to drive his sister, a teacher, to work. On the way to school there was a car in front of them going a little slower than he would have liked so he did what he always did. Geared down, blew past it, and thought nothing else of it. When he arrived at the school Reg noticed a police officer on a motorcycle coming from the opposite direction. Next thing he knew the person he had just past showed up telling the police officer to pull him over and follow him to the police station. Reg had unwittingly sped past the commissioner of police.
A few of the trophies collected over the course of his racing career along with some pictures of the #99 car that dominated the N.A.S.C.C. GT2 class for many years.
Reg had to attend court. The prosecutor started off by saying that his father was a high-ranking member of the public service commission. They also stated that Reg was a junior high math teacher with no previous records. The judge asked the crown whether he was prosecuting or defending the plaintiff and dismissed the case. With his license intact Reg was about to embark on a new phase of his life across the Pacific.
Part 2
Reg and his wife Rohini were thinking about moving away from the island. They were in search of greater opportunities and Canada was at the top of their list. Rohini already had some family there so that would make the transition easier. What enticed Reg to come to Canada was the fact it had 500,000 miles of roadways. This was extremely appealing for a person coming from an island that you could cover end-to-end in a couple of hours.
They landed in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1977 and immediately started looking for employment. Reg had been working as a computer programmer for the Civil service prior to immigrating to Canada. However, he was unable to find work in his chosen profession because he lacked “Canadian” experience. Undaunted, he applied for work as an automotive technician. Reg had worked on his own Corolla back on the island and even performed work for family and friends. As luck would have it, he got hired at an automotive repair shop that catered mainly to domestic trucks. Once his apprenticeship was secured he attended the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (N.A.I.T) to obtain the proper accreditation and never looked back.
After working at the same shop for several years, Reg obtained his Journeyman Certificate as an Automotive Technician. Although he owed a debt of gratitude to the owner for bringing him into the trade, he felt underappreciated. The desire to be his own boss and possess the ability to help others, like himself, enter the industry drove him to open Sumaru’s Auto Repair in 1983. The shop serviced all makes and models but slowly transitioned into specializing on one particular marquee. Datsun/Nissan.
The Datsun Z that he had seen at the drag races by the ocean side had left a lasting impression on him. Deep down inside Reg knew he was a Datsun/Nissan guy with the means to make his dreams a reality. Shortly after opening his shop he bought his first Z, a green 260Z. He tinkered with it the same way he had done so with his Corolla years ago. This included the suspension, brakes, and weight reduction. The speed bug is difficult affliction to shake off and before you knew it Reg was competing in local auto-crosses. His prowess behind the wheel coupled with the craftsmanship of his work meant that business grew at a rapid pace.
With several years of club racing under his belt, Reg wanted to race a Datsun Z in the Northern Alberta Sports Car Club (N.A.S.C.C) Grand Touring 2 class. The GT2 category allowed slick tires and greater modifications to the engine when compared to the Improved Touring (IT) class. A white 240Z with a mild case of tin worm was purchased from his friends at M&W Sales, an establishment that specialized in selling new and used import parts. Reg spent his evenings systematically cutting out the rusted floors and welded in new ones along with a roll cage. The body received a fresh coat of white paint and a flashy race livery. What number would adorn this Z? 99.
Datsun’s aren’t the only thing Reg works on. In the background is a 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302, as well as, a 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1
The #99 racecar started its campaign in 1988. The vehicle saw continuous improvements through the years until they had it weighing 2050lbs wet. Mated to the chassis, was a fully balanced and blueprinted L-Series engine that had been stroked to 3.0L. Internally, it featured forged high compression pistons, knife-edged crankshaft, long-duration camshaft, and a triple pairing of Weber side draft carburetors. This was good for 260whp on pump gas. Power came on at 4800rpm with max power being reached at 7600rpm, 600rpm below redline. All of these modifications were needed to battle it out against the competition. These included: the Porsche 911, Mazda RX-7, BMW M3, and other Z cars. Race City in Calgary, Alberta was considered to be Reg’s ‘home’ track since Edmonton did not have any facilities at the time. As his skills progressed further, the desire to compete in other venues drew him to the biggest race in Western Canada. The Molson Indy in Vancouver.
No crazy modifications to be found on the L-series engine in Reg’s current 260Z. Still running the factory SU carburetors with a modern MSD ignition system
The Molson Indy was a street circuit carved out of downtown Vancouver. It was an unforgiving course with different grip levels throughout the track. There were also concrete barriers lining both sides of the road that tested a driver’s resolve. Reg entered the race in 1993 and won first overall in his Indy debut. The event quickly became his favorite place to compete. It also gave him an excuse to close the shop and go racing for the week. The annual celebration became a religious holiday of sorts for him and his pit crew who worshiped at the temple of speed.
The most memorable experience for this disciple of Datsun happened one year at the Edmonton IndyCar Series support race. A couple of teams from Texas brought up a pair of twin-turbo 300ZXs, as well as, the legendary IMSA GTS 300ZX that was previously driven by Steve Millen. The pair of twin-turbo 300ZXs hounded Reg all throughout practice but could not pass him. During Saturday’s qualifying session the high-powered V8 equipped cars started dropping out to due to mechanical failures. This lead to him qualifying in second place and slotting him right beside the IMSA GTS 300ZX on race day. Reg told me that he “kept thinking if I can jump this guy on the green and gain one-foot length that it would make my racing career.” Unfortunately, the 500hp power disadvantage meant that the IMSA 300ZX was gone as soon as the lights went green. After a heated battle he ended up taking 1st in class and 2nd place overall in the event.
One of Reg’s most prized possessions. The trophy he took home for placing 1st overall at the 1993 Molson Indy Vancouver.
Part 3
After a quarter century of ownership Reg decided to sell his business and car collection in 2009. He use to have 10-15 cars in his stable at any given moment but the lack of space meant that he had to pick and choose which ones to keep. His current stable includes a 1974 260Z, 1995 240SX with an SR20DET, 1997 240SX with an RB25DET, his wife’s 3.5L Nissan Altima, and a Nissan Murano for winter duties. Owning fewer vehicles suits him just fine, because he would of never been able to enjoy all of them at the same anyways.
After amassing trophies for a few more years, as well as, setting the GT2 short track record at the newly completed Castrol Raceway in 2013 Reg sold #99 and hung up his racing shoes. He thought that it was time to reintroduce himself to his wife and the rest of the family.
You can still find Reg wrenching away at Garage 104 on the weekdays. He recently finished building 2 race engines for customers. One of which is going into his old #99 car that will be back on the track next year. What drives him at 69 years of age? It’s simply his passion for cars. He admits that he cannot sit at home. His clientele base continues to seek him out for work. Younger generations of automotive enthusiasts are sprouting up as there has been a noticeable uptick in values of vintage Japanese vehicles. When asked if he was going to ever slow down he answered, “I love cars and that’s my passion. As long as I can do it, I’ll keep doing it. I’m way past senior age but I still work like I was in my 30’s. I think it’s the high octane that keeps me going.” For someone who has spent a lifetime behind the wheel, I wouldn’t doubt it.
Posted by Jimmy Lee, 8 years ago.