Billy inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004
Billy with Bob Evans
Billy
Billy with Sherri Evans
Billy
Billy interviewed
Billy and Gale Forester
Billy Billy with Bud Kaeding
Billy at the trailer
Billy with Ann
Billy with Evelyn Pratt
Billy
Billy and Janie
Billy with Richard Woodland
Billy with Dwight Chaney
Billy in a publicity shot for A-1 Tire Service
Billy and Dwight Cheney
Billy with Gale in the Wags Mule
Troy Cline with Paul and Helen Bagley
Billy with Jimmy Oskie and Duke Cook
Billy getting a handshake
Billy at 1973 CRA Banquet with Leonard Faas Sr and Rick Goudy
Billy with Parnelli Jones, Bubby Jones and Dan Kazarian
Billy with Deano, Bob Hogle and Jimmy Oskie
Billy and Ann with Jim and Sandra Bartosh
L to R Billy with Stan McElrath, Johnny Parsons, Steve Chassis and Don Hamilton plus each with a trophy girl
Billy with Rickie Gaunt and Mark Alexander
Billy with Mel Allen of the California jalopy Association
Billy and the trophy
Billy with Hollywood actress Joy Wikerson, no relation
Billy with two trophy girls
Billy in the winners circle
Billy getting another trophy
Billy and a trophy girl
Billy with a trophy girl and his race car
Billy and another trophy girl
Billy and another trophy girl
Billy receiving a painting by Duane Jones for the champ
Billy with a trophy girl
Billy and another trophy girl
Billy and his championship trophy
Billy gets another trophy
Billy getting a trophy with others
Billy getting congratulated after another win at Irwindale in 1968
Billy and Gale with the big hat talking to Wags
Billy with a race car
Billy with one of his jalopy's
Billy with # 2 A-1 Tire car
Billy with # 11a
Billy with the Pete brothers # 71
Billy with a Sportsman race car
Billy with Ray Sheetz at Oildale Raceway in Bakersfield
# 11A
# 11
Billy working on # 11
Billy
Billy and his car
# 11
Billy at Perris with Glenn Howard and Rip Williams
Billy checking out Rick Becker's car] /.,
# 11
# 11 getting pushed
# 11
# 11
# 11
# 2
# 11
# 27
In # 45
In # 45
In the seat of # 8
In # 11 at the Western Speedway in 1963
Sidewas
Billy
Billy
Billy poster
In memory of Paul and Helen
Billy # 2
# 2
Fast time award in his honor
CRA program 1969
An artist rendering
PR shot
Billy June 23, 1927 - August 6, 2009 Rest in Peace
Some of Billy's cars
from the NHRA museum
# 2
# 2
# 2
# 2
# 2
# 2
# 2
# 2
# 11 under an EZ-UP
# 11
# 11
# 11
# 11
# 11
# 11
# 11
The very first sprinter Billy Drove
# 2
# 3
# 5
# 6 the Don Peabody Chevy
# 6
# 7
# 8 at El Centro 1966
# 8 Super Modified
# 11 Billy's car
# 11 Nice shot
# 45
# 19 Billy's old stock car ride
# 19
# 99 Jalopy
Billy and Hogle
Lloyd Beckman leading Billy and Jmmy Oskie
Kenny worth's # 8
Billy # 2
Billy # 2
Billy low, Johnny Anderson high, both behind Hank Butcher
Billy chasing Don Hamilton in 1971 CRA
Billy at El Centro
Billy inside Jim Steele at 1968 fair
Billy inside Bob Evans
# 2 on the inside
# 98 against # 2 Don Hamilton
# 2 with the Tamale Wagon
Billing chasing Lee Robertson
Billy in the air at El Cajon with Bob Beacher in # 31
Uh ooh.............
BILLY WILKERSON – THE MAN – THE DRIVER – THE CAR OWNER – THE HALL OF FAMER – THE LEGEND.
By Ken Wagner
August 9, 2009
Billy Wilkerson was his own man, a quiet one in my memory, but a strong one. Although his sprint car driving career wasn’t as long as some, he still won 21 CRA victories beginning with his first one at Clovis, California in 1965 and ending at the same track on August 3rd in 1973. In his CRA career he racked up 59 fast times, 41 trophy dash wins and won the CRA championship in 1967 and 1970. He is 24th on the all time win list that includes 305 drivers who have won at least one race! He won five 100 lappers, five 50 lappers and ran at Ascot Park, Irwindale and many more of the great tracks tracks of his day. Lofty numbers for Billy, but the respect this man commanded in the racing world to the end was the most impressive thing about him.
As a car owner he also won championships with Ron Shuman as his driver and continued to support several car owners in his later years including Buzz Shoemaker and Dwight Cheney among others. Billy, as a member of “the old guard”, was very involved in the original CRA and follow-on organizations thru the years and supported his racing right up to the end. He missed few races and his warm smile was ready for everyone who stopped in his pit.
One thing about Billy I didn’t know became clear to me when I asked him to be the Grand Marshall of the Wagsdash one year. He said no! But then went on to explain he didn’t like the attention and noted one time he got caught up in a winner’s circle for a Shuman win, he said he messed up and didn’t do it again. He said he didn’t like the limelight and respectfully declined my offer.
Billy was always there to support his world of racing and was vocal there. His fame included his induction into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Legends of Ascot Hall of Fame the same year. Everyone who knew him liked and respected him; he was never alone when out and about.
He was celebrated at Rose Hills on Tuesday, August 11 at 1 PM. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be sent to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame or the Victory Junction Gang. Rest in peace Billy.
The following was written by Dave Ondo;
BILLY “THE KID” WILKERSON
You are in Southern California, and you find yourself in the grandstand at Ascot Park in Gardena California, Nov. 8th, 1969. There is coolness in the air as the sun is beginning to set behind you in the west, casting shadows on the front straight, but still highlighting the back straight of the tacky clay oval. Pushing onto the track is the Ernie Duncan Chevy driven by Billy “The Kid” Wilkerson, from El Monte, for his first qualification attempt for the CRA Sprint Car show. Over the P.A., you hear “and it’s a new track record at 21.26 seconds”. And there you have it, a new real life action hero. As an 8 year old, to witness the fastest man to ever turn a lap at Ascot, elevated the name Billy Wilkerson into Superman status. Who is that guy? What does he look like? How tall is he? What does he eat for breakfast? How high can he fly?
On August 5th, 2009, Superman lost his battle with Cancer and California lost a role model of what a real man was. First it was John Wayne, then Ronald Reagan, and now Billy Wilkerson.
The rest of the world may not recognize Billy in the same breath as Wayne and Reagan, but for those of blessed to have witnessed Billy Wilkerson the driver, Billy Wilkerson the car owner, Billy Wilkerson the board member, and Billy Wilkerson the man/father/husband, we know we lost this week.
1970, 21, 24, 09-05-1965, 08-03-1973, 4, 2004:
Perhaps Billy was an even better car owner than he was as a driver. If you doubt that, just ask Ron Shuman, who owns the most CRA championships of all time, what kind of ride Billy put under his drivers.
So, the Checkered flag waves yet again, for another of our racing hero’s. Billy add’s his name to the tribute page on the Legends of Ascot page at http://www.legendsofascot.com/tributes.html
It was an honor and a privilege to have watched you race, Billy.
1970 was the year that Billy won his CRA Championship.
21 was the number of CRA main event wins Billy enjoyed.
24th, is where Billy ranks all time in CRA main event wins.
09-05-1965 was the date of Billy’s first victory (Clovis Speedway)
08-03-1973 was the date of Billy’s last victory (Clovis Speedway)
4 – The number of tracks that Billy won at: CLOVIS/ASCOT/IRWINDALE/PACOIMA
2004 – Billy’s induction into the NATIONAL SPRINT CAR HALL OF FAME and named to the class of 2004 LEGENDS OF ASCOT.
Thanks for the all the wonderful memories. May you rest in peace…in life’s victory lane.
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