Don Collins

Competitor
CLASS OF 2005

Don Collins started his racing career at the Thompson Speedway in 1948. He showed up with a car he had built himself, intending to find someone at the track to drive it for him. When he hadn’t found anyone by warm-up time, he borrowed a helmet and took the car out for warm-ups himself. On his cool-down lap, an official flagged him down and told him that he had been placed in the first heat, so he should pull over and get into line with the race cars that were pulling onto the track. After that race, he purchased the helmet from “the guy from Abington”, and Don Collins became hooked on racing.

Collins spent much of his career at the Waterford Speedbowl, where he won more than 100 feature races and became the track’s first 5-time Champion, taking the modified title in 1955, 1957 and 1963 in his own car – “The Little Jewel” #106 coupe. In 1960, after Bill Slater left for Norwood Arena with a brand new V-8 car, Collins took the older V-8 (both built & owned by Bob Vitari & Vic Bombaci) that Slater won the 1959 Speedbowl title with and won a record 17 times to earn his 3rd Modified championship. His final championship came in 1969 driving Billy Simons #9 “Excavator Special”.

The following season, Collins finished second in the season opener, then abruptly retired. At the time, nobody had more wins (101) or championships (5) than him.

Don was a car builder and mechanic, as well as a driver. He prided himself on being wise on tire knowledge. “Like today’s cars, if you could make your tires last until the end of the race, and your tires were in better shape than your competitor’s tires, you stood a better chance of winning the race”, says Collins.

He also competed at Norwood Arena, Seekonk Speedway, Plainville Stadium and Albany-Saratoga Speedway. Don Collins passed away on February 21, 2024 at the age of 93.