Lois
Pollard-Grant

LATEST

 With husband George Grant by her side, Lois Pollard-Grant has returned to the mini stocks after taking a lengthy time off from racing for house building and spending time with her family. In the past, Lois could be seen driving her 1969 Datsun 510. This year, she's driving a 1982 Toyota Corolla. Welcome back Lois.

Bio
Results
Schedule
Photo Gallery
Related Issue: Women Racers Directory, Women in Racing, Women Racers, More Women in Racing, Race Schedules, Notable Women
Contact:
www.pollardgrantracing.com/ E-Mail

Bio

Racing came at an early age for Lois as she watched her father, Earl, and brother, Larry race at Western Speedway in Victoria, BC Canada.

At age 5, she presented trophies to such winning stockcar drivers as Chris Van de Water and Ray Birtwhistle. When her brother moved to North Carolina to pursue a NASCAR racing career, Lois talked her dad out of retirement to give auto racing a try with his youngest daughter. So in 1987, at age 21, she ran her very first race in a borrowed Datsun ministock, owned by Dan McAmmond. She finished second.

Over the years Lois has raced in ministocks, claimers, thundercars, stockcars, and novelty races and has collected more than 40 trophies for her efforts.

Special moments came when she and her family were named for a Lower Island Track Racing Association (LITRA) perpetual trophy, The Pollard Cup. The cup was for the family's association and support of auto racing.

Another special memory was when her dad was inducted into the Victoria Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1995. 1997 was made especially difficult by the death of her father who had been her crew chief, mentor and dear friend. Shortly before her dad passed away, she was happy to have had the chance to run a three-generation race with her dad and nephew, Tyson Kent. This was her dad's wish.

Lois served as Secretary for Vancouver Island Track Racing Association (VITRA) in the late 1980's and for the International Ministocks. She also looked after the clubs promotions and their points system. She arranged mall shows, press releases, and organized fundraising events, where all proceeds went to local charities.

The Pollard family had entered decorated vehicles in local parades, where they represented Western Speedway. Lois and her father spoke at area high schools about racing as a career and the safety aspects of racing. In recent years, Lois and demo car driver, Smokin' Joe Liberatore have hosted elementary school students on field trips held at Western Speedway. They also spoke to the students on driving, and the safety aspect of racing.

In 1991, Lois married fellow racing enthusiast, George Grant, whom she met in the pits at the speedway, when the couple pitted next to each other.

George has been equally active in auto racing, where he has raced in both stockcar and IMCA modified divisions. George and Lois have two children, Laura-Ashley (9) and Garret (2). The couple's goal together is to continue racing for a long time. Lois will compete in the Glen Lake Inn Stockcar series until she makes her move into Late Model Stockcars. But in the meantime, their ultimate goal is to win a championship.

Lois started writing for the "Pit Talk" section in Western Speedway's souvenir program in 1986. From there, she did driver profiles on many of the drivers that raced at the speedway.

She has written for publications in both Canada and the U.S., with her biggest effort, a 20 page supplement in 1998 on the 45 year history on Western Speedway for a Victoria Publication, the Goldstream News Gazette. The supplement has since then been an annual edition.

She also penned her own weekly column in the Gazette called the "Checkered Flag" for three years.

Results

Personal Achievements:

1987 - first ministock race - finished second in championship race
1988 - 6th in Molson ministock championship point standings
1989 - 2nd in Molson ministock championship point standings
1989 - 6th in the Lower Island Track Racing Association (LITRA) claimer championship point standings
1991 - 8th in stockcar championship point standings
1992 - 3rd in the Mohawk thundercar series championship point standings
1995 - 8th in the Thrifty Foods ministock championship point standings
1996 - 5th in the Thrifty Foods ministock championship point standings
1998 - 2nd in the International ministock (IMS 4) championship point standings
1999 - 6th in the IMS 4 championship point standings
2002 - after taking two years off to raise a family, returned to racing full time in June to compete in the stockcar series.

Other Awards:

Rookie of the Year - 1989
Driver of the week awards - 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998 & 1999 Best appearing car - 1991, 1996 & 2000
Best looking crew - 1992
Set track record in qualifying - Thundercars, 1992
Hard luck of the year award - 1997
Appreciation Awards - 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1998 & 1999

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