Terry Nilsson
1961 Western Conference Champion driver Terry Nilsson racked up a lot of points that season in his Porsche, including 16 overall wins, nine seconds, and six third places. Born at Rainy City, Ontario, in 1936, Terry moved with his family to British Columbia in 1941. There he got early exposure to oval track racing and bought his first car, an Austin Healy, immediately after graduating from high school. Not long after that, in 1957 he jumped into racing and competed at Abbotsford, Deer Park and Shelton in his first year. In 1958 Terry went into racing even more vigorously and moved up to a Twin-Cam MGA in which he took several seconds but recorded no wins. 1961 was Terry’s first year in the Porsche 1600 in which he was to win so much fame. Owned and maintained by Porsche specialist Joe Terek, Terry was almost unbeatable at the tender age of 25 and in just his fourth year of racing.