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 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 will be 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.

I guess I speak for many fans who are used to going to the races more than once a month as we the CRA fan clan are NOT doing this year. The total so far is 12 races! In 7 months!!! WOW! Look at the stats: February 4 races, March 1 race, April 1 race, May 2 races, June 2 races, July 1 race and August 1 race. Coming up we have in September 3 races (in 2 weekends) October 1 race and November 6 races (in 3 race weekends). So we have 10 more race days in 3 months in six weekends. So, only 17 race weekends out of 52 weekends for the year, that’s pretty bad! For a guy who travels at least 250 miles to every race now, you would think I would be fine with that limited schedule, but no! I want my guys racing regularly. They need to be racing at least 3 out of 4 weekends to stay sharp. That is why some are running 360 shows just to keep doing it. Am I ranting, not really, but what will 2010 be like?

Another slow week as we wait for racing to resume, but I might just make my way to Santa Maria for another 360 show. Sunday the Zanzabuku Sports Lounge presents “Tony Jones Day" and I’ll be there early, but have to be home early enough to take Mrs Wags to a Roger Williams concert that night. Zoom Zoom. My grandson Cory is in Fairfield, CA for the American Legion regional playoffs. They are undefeated and will be in the finals Monday night and hopefully will win and go to the finals the next week in North Dakota. His team is the defending national champion! Other than that, it is its usual hot, hot, hot here in Sin City. Speaking of hot, rumor has it that Danny Sheridan’s bachelor party was here in town this weekend. What stories I could tell, but I have a couple of pics from one of their events I’ll put up in the Whatsnew link. Nothing racy, or was it?

See ya on the road.