|
Bill Wimble drove his first race at
Canton, NY's St. Lawrence Speedway in 1951, driving a '36 Ford that
he and his brother bought for $50. They built the racecar on the
family farm, working late at night after the evening chores were
done. The following year, 1952, saw him take down his first win, at
Ottowa, in Ontario, Canada.
Wimble won his first track
championship at Plattsberg, in 1955. In all, Wimble won 14 track
championships at 8 different tracks. Add to his resume 5 New York
State Championships, and 2 Connecticut State Championships under the
Nascar banner. Bill progressed to racing in the prestigious Nascar
Sportsman division, where he raced against drivers like Bobby
Allison and Cale Yarborough. It was no surprise when he won the
Sportsman (currently known as the Busch Series) championship in
1960, then tied for the title in '61.
Awards that Bill has won
throughout his career include the John Naughton Memorial Sportsman
Award in '63, Champion spark Plug's Buddy Schuman Award in '64, and
Kodak's All-time Greats Award in '72.
Bill loved racing on the dirt at
Stafford. "I used to work in the hayfield till noon on Friday, take
a bath, pack and drive 330 miles to Stafford to race. It made a long
day but I loved every minute of it."
During the 1967 season, Wimble
competed at three New York tracks, Utica-Rome, Albany-Saratoga, and
Fonda. In true Wimble fashion, he won championships at all three
tracks. Bill dominated at Fonda in the 60's, winning 5 track
championships between 1960 and '67.
Bill Wimble is a member of the New
York Stock Car Association, Fonda Speedway, Dirt Motorsports, and
Eastern Press Association Halls of Fame, and is a member of
Daytona's Living Legends of Auto Racing. Now, we welcome Bill to our
own New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame. |
