Billy Wimble - Ken Dippel Photo
Weedsport, NY — May 25, 2010 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director
Coming to a climax with the headline ‘Hall of Fame Classic 100’ on May 30, the Memorial Day Weekend Super DIRTcar Series showdown on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds is just 5 days away. The historic Weedsport, New York speedway comes to life for the traditional holiday special with the 100-lap Big-Block Modified winner on Sunday waiting to take home a cool $6,000 top prize.
Helping commemorate the past two decades of Hall of Fame happenings at the home of DIRTcar Northeast, highlights from many of the past induction days will be recalled in anticipation of the first big holiday racing event of the season.
Making a rare return visit to Weedsport for the special holiday tribute to our pioneers in motorsports is Billy Wimble, a repeat NASCAR National Sportsman Champion and five-time New York State titlist. The Lisbon, N.Y. native and current Florida resident is slated to join fellow charter member 1992 Hall of Fame inductees Dutch Hoag and Billy Rafter, with ‘Irish’ Jack Murphy (2000) and Dave Lape (2004) accompanying the legendary trio as they meet fans and sign autographs during intermission. Wimble will also be signing copies of his book “I’ll Never Be Last Again” that is available on site for purchase.
At first glance one would never have guessed that Wimble was race car driver, with his bespectacled countenance and quiet nature that belied his trade. But his hands were a clue; those of a dairy farmer that knew hard work and hard driving. He got his first taste of the sport at the old Canton (NY) Speedway in 1951 before spending the early 1950s
honing his craft at various North Country tracks. His first venture into NASCAR bastions like Fonda (NY) Speedway and the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Rochester, N.Y. eventually landed him a ride with Dave McCredy, a Chevrolet dealer from Sherburne, N.Y., and together the red, black and white number 33 became one of the most revered combinations in the Modified world. For 11 years, the Wimble McCredy team was one of the most successful driver owner marriages in the history of Modified racing, accumulating an estimated 200 victories, with Wimble winning the 1960 and ‘61 NASCAR National point titles. Along the way he collected countless track championships at numerous eastern venues, including Fonda, Airborne Park Speedway, Stafford Motor Speedway, Albany Saratoga Speedway, Monroe County Fairgrounds, Lebanon valley Speedway, Victoria Speedway and Utica Rome Speedway before running his last full season in 1968.
Northeast Modified Hall of Fame Classic Big-Block Modified Winners
2009 – Billy Decker on May 24; 2008 – Dale Planck on May 25; 2007 – Danny Johnson and Tim Fuller on Aug. 19; 2006 – Danny Johnson on May 28; 2005 – Tim Fuller on May 29; 2004 – Gary Tomkins on May 30; 2003 – Alan Johnson on May 25; 2002 – Tim McCreadie on May 26; 2001 – Tim McCreadie on July 5; 2000 – Danny Johnson on May 28; 1999 – Billy Decker on May 30; 1998 – Gary Tomkins on May 24; 1997 – Danny Johnson on May 25; 1996 – Alan Johnson on May 26; 1995 – Rain; 1994 – Bob McCreadie on May 29; 1993 – Dave Lape on April 4; 1992 – Steve Paine on April 12.
The 19th Hall of Fame Classic at Cayuga County Fair Speedway on Sunday, May 30 is round three of the 2010 Super DIRTcar Series. Log into the homepage at www.superdirtcarseries.com to find out more about the nation’s premier Big-Block Modified tour and be sure to sign up as a Super DIRTcar Series follower on Twitter by visiting http://www.twitter.com/SuperDIRTcar. For further track information, access http://www.CayugaCountyFairSpeedway.com or phone 315/834-6606 during the day.
DIRTcar Racing Northeast main office is located in Weedsport, New York on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds, home of DIRTcar All-Star Weekend in July. DIRTcar Northeast’s crown jewel event —Super DIRT Week at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse runs annually in October featuring Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series events for Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions. Ticket and schedule information is available by contacting the Weedsport office (315/834-6606) during the day or logging into www.allstar100weekend.com and www.superdirtweekonline.com anytime.
The Big-Block Super DIRTcar Series is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Hoosier Racing Tire www.hoosiertire.com and VP Racing Fuels www.vpracingfuels.com. Promotional partners include the University of Northwestern Ohio www.unoh.com and Chizmark & Larson Insurance www.chizmarklarson.com, and contingency sponsors are Bicknell Racing Products www.bicknellracingproducts.com, Bilstein Shocks www.bilstein.com, KSE Racing Products www.kse-racing.com, Motorsports Safety Systems www.motorsportssafetysystems.com, MSD Ignition www.msdignition.com, Penske Shocks, www.penskeshocks.com, Racing Electronics www.racingelectronics.com, Vicci Racing Apparel www.vicci.com and Wrisco Industries www.wrisco.com.
