"Canadian Hall of Famer" Dick Foley Born - March 28, 1932

March 28, 1932

Dick Foley

(Photo; Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame)

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Dick Foley has been a racer, a promoter, and a car owner, but he is best known as the first Canadian to compete in the Daytona 500. Living in Montreal in the late 1940s, he began racing at local speedways in Bouvrette, Drummondville, and Rawdon. He was also a stunt car driver of note during the 1950s.

In the late 1950s, Foley raced on the famed NASCAR Daytona Beach road and beach course, finishing the race 19th in 1958, the last year of the circuit before the race was moved to the new speedway.

Foley's best year came in 1959, when he finished 55th in points. Again he competed exclusively at Daytona. In the inaugural Daytona 500, Foley raced a car built by Marshall Teague, who had tragically died while attempting to set a world speed record at the track two weeks before the race. Foley finishing well off the pace in 32nd. He ended the year with a 31st in the July Daytona event.

He also ran in the 1960 Daytona 500, and took tenth spot in the 1960 250 Mile Sportsman/Modified race at Daytona, driving a 1957 Chevy. During the 1960 season, Foley also won modified titles at Bouvrette and Drummondville, later to be known as Autodrome Drummondville. In 1961 Foley retired from active racing, and began promoted racing in the Montreal area.

Over 40 years later, in 2002, Foley purchased a Sportsman-class car, and went CASCAR racing with nephew Danny Foley behind the wheel. Two years later he purchased a second Sportsman car, this time with Hugo Vannini driving.

In 2006, he acquired the Quebec City area 5/8th mile oval Circuit Ste Croix, and renamed it Riverside Speedway in honor of his father Richard who constructed the original Riverside in St. Vincent de Paul, Quebec, and continues to operate this facility to this day.

Foley was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2011.