Bill Wimble

Competitor
CLASS OF 2002

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 race car 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 Plattsburgh Airborne Speedway in 1955. In all, Wimble won 14 track championships at 8 different tracks. Wimble was the man to beat at Fonda Speedway in NY, winning 43 races and championships there in 1960, 1961, 1963, 1966 and 1967. He was involved in a bad accident at Lebanon Valley Speedway in 1968 which would inevitably cut his career short at the age of 36, although he already clinched the track title before the late season wreck.

Wimble won back-to-back Modified Championships at Stafford Speedway (1964-1965) and had 21 career wins at the track, which at the time was still a dirt track. 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.”

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. He won the NASCAR Sportsman National Championship in 1960 by a whopping 1446 points. Wimble then tied Dick Nephew for the title in ’61.

Awards that Bill has won throughout his career include the John Naughton Memorial Sportsman Award in 1963, Champion Spark Plug’s Buddy Schuman Award in 1964, and Kodak’s All-time Greats Award in 1972.

Bill Wimble is a member of the New York Stock Car Association, Fonda Speedway, Dirt Motorsports, and Eastern Motorsports Press Association Halls of Fame, and is a member of Daytona’s Living Legends of Auto Racing.

Bill Wimble retired to Florida with his wife Nancy in his later years. He passed away on April 24, 2016 at the age of 84.