In 1906, Victoria’s motorcycle riders banded together with local automobile enthusiasts to form an association to promote their own interests and events. That early beginning lasted until 1912 when the Victoria Motorcycle Club (VMC) was formed with a membership of 21. A news report of the day in Canadian Motor Cycle magazine contained a photo of 19 riders posed in front of the British Columbia legislature. It announced that there were 75 bikes already in use on city roads and that club membership was growing rapidly. However, it was not until 1947 that the VMC became registered under the B.C. Societies Act as a non-profit organization, as it continues today.

Since 1967 the club has owned its own 172-acre property in Metchosin, using it for observed trials, field meets and short cross-country events. For decades the VMC’s event calendar, which included an annual two-day Terra Nova Enduro on Thanksgiving weekend and several other enduros, challenged riders from the island, the B.C. mainland and western states. Over the years the club’s high level of professionalism and focus on off-road events has produced a large cohort of expert riders such as Vern Amor, Canadian Scrambles champions Tom and Don Richardson, ISDE silver medallist Harold Perepalkin, Scottish Six Days Trial competitor Martin Spriggs and former three-time Canadian Trials champions Mark Cahill and Steve Fracy.

The club has a collection of more than 40 permanent trophies, the earliest of which dates from 1913 and was donated by the old Brentwood Hotel. Another is the Kirk Trophy, donated by the defunct Kirk Coal Company, which has been awarded since 1930 to the winner of an experts-only enduro. Some of the old silver trophies are now fragile with age, but club members still compete for them in a full season of events. One of the most unusual is a chrome-plated army helmet that was worn in the First World War by VMC member Cecil Frampton and which he later donated for the winner of an all-night enduro that began in 1935 and which continues now as a daytime event.

The club’s mission has always been to promote safe, enjoyable, challenging motorcycling for beginners, families, novices and experts alike. It has maintained a tradition of community service with participation in events such as the Good Samaritan Fund and Timmy’s Telethon and, for many years, it has been a consistent crowd favourite at the Victoria Day parade. It has sponsored many events and activities, such as a drill team, stunt riding and rodeos to entertain the public, as well as trials, scrambles, hill climbs, enduros, field meets and road rides.

With close to 400 members, a century-long history and a well-managed organization, the Victoria Motorcycle Club was recognized for its commitment and integrity with induction into the Canadian Motorcycling Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2018,former VMC members the Shanks family – Richard “Pop”, Reg and Bob (all deceased) - were also inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame for their contributions to motorcycling.

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Roy was born and raised in Victoria and started his career in 1961 as a crew member on his Dad's, the great Jim Haslam's, modified race car. A few years later, partway through the 1965 season, Roy started driving Jalopy Class race cars. Racing in Nanaimo the very next year, the young driver was named Vancouver Island Track Racing Association's Driver of the Year. His career was launched.

In 1967 Roy was Stock Car points champion, and he won the Roy White Memorial, the Billy Foster 100 and the Corby Cup. A year later in 1968, Roy moved up to the Super Stock class and continued to assert himself as a champion driver by winning the July Cup. He finished 3rd in the season point championships. In 1969 he was 5th in points and he and his team also ran in the US. Roy finished 6th in Late Model points in 1970 and that same year he won the Canadian 100 Go-Kart race at Westwood.

Following 1971, where he finished 3rd in Super Stock points, Roy dropped to 11th the next year, but the team won the Best Appearing Crew award for all classes. In 1973 Roy was 2nd in Super Stock points and 3rd in the Popular Driver vote.

Success continued, and in 1974 Roy was 6th in points and won the Carling Challenge Race for Super Stocks. The next year, he won the Carling Opener in the Super Stock class, the Canada 200 and also the Carling Open Series Championship. He repeated this win in 1976.

Roy would continue his amazing win record for the next 20 years. Highlights include:

 - Edmonton International Speedway road course 8000 winner in 1976
 - I.D.C. Championship Open Super Stocks in 1978 as well as being named driver of the year
 - Limited Open SS Track Record Holder in 1979
 - Speedweeks North West Champion (Open Super Stock) in 1980
 - Two-time Boomerang 250 off-road race winner in 1981-82

In 1981 Roy was also the Pepsi Challenge Champion and Canada 200 winner. In 1982 he won the Invitational Race of Champions in Stateline Washington. In 1983 he repeated as Canada 200 winner and was the Canadian Off-Road Magazine Series Champion. In 1985 he won the July Cup and the Canada 200 for the third time. That same year he was Super Stock Points Champion, MISS Points Champion, and he held track records in both open and local Super Stock classes. In 1986 he was the Local Super Stock Points Champion and won both the Corby Cup and the season Championship Race. In 1987 Roy was the Pro Stock Champion and repeated for another astonishing three years. In 1991 he was the winner of the Yakima Speedway Fall Classic.

1993 was a successful season as well, and Roy won three Can/Am Main Events, more than any other racer. He did it again in 1994 with three Main Event wins and two Old Time Racers Association Main Event wins.

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