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Bill Willard - Third generation driver of the
77Jr If you are fairly new to
Merrittville Speedway … you may have heard Sportsman driver BJ Willard
thank his dad Bill in Victory Lane or perhaps relate how his experience
helped him get there. If you are a longtime fan you have to know Bill
Willard to be a former driver and part of a family that has been involved
in most of our 60 year history.
Beginning in the 1950’s the family got its
start in the local racing scene when Bill Willard Senior quickly became an
accomplished car owner for drivers including Don Taylor, Bev MacTavish,
Stan Friesen, George Winger and Terry Edwards while at the same time
providing towing service through Willard & Son Towing.
Fast forward to the 1970’s and the cars
Bill Sr. and his son Al would own and maintain would be those driven by
the family’s third generation … Bill Willard and later his sister Tammy.
Like so many multi-generational families
that have played a part in our history it was only a matter of time before
Bill Willard got involved himself. Growing up on Louth Street in St.
Catharines alongside his grandparents and Aunt Betty next door to the
family business he too would develop a passion for the sport of Stock Car
Racing.
After getting his start in the former
Bomber Division, Bill would soon take the family’s 77Jr to the Sportsman
Division – first with a 6 Cylinder before a V8 when the division changed
to that engine variation. Eventually the 77Jr would be joined by a
77Jrette driven by his sister Tammy as the two would become perhaps the
only brother and sister to compete against each other in the same
division.
From the start, Willard-owned cars carried
certain numbers and before long the 77’s were joined by the 777 of their
brother-in-law Guy McPherson in the Sportsman Division. McPherson married
Lori Willard – second daughter of Al and Laura and grand-daughter of Bill
Sr. and Anne. With three cars in action in the Sportsman Division in the
90’s … the family sure had lots to cheer for sure!
Through his career Bill and Tammy would
also compete in the Modified Division but the Sportsman Division would be
where both would find their most success. In 1993, Bill would earn the
Sportsman Division Points Championship repeating in 1995. 3 years later
Tammy would as well.
Throughout his career Bill has seen quite
an evolvement in racing equipment as his first open wheel racer was a 1933
Ford Coupe. From there it became the Gremlin-bodied cars through to the
chassis and body styles of today with it’s GM Crate Engine that all
competitors including his son BJ campaigns.
Bill would race until 2005 and fittingly
the last race he won was the Sterling Silvr Event hosted by former racer
Ken Walsh that honors his Grandfather Bill Sr. Shortly thereafter … Bill
would put his son BJ behind the wheel .
An even further show of how far things
have come was when BJ won his first Sportsman Feature. Dad Bill was away
on Holidays receiving a call from BJ on his sister Alicia’s cell phone
from Victory Lane. Back in the day news like that or any kind would not be
passed on near that quick.
Alicia enjoyed her own racing success on
two occasions Tuesday Nights growing up with her brother as both would
race Go Karts. She made a successful return a few years ago – winning the
Senior Flat Head Division Points Championship as Alicia Braun after
marrying Bobcat of Hamilton 358 Modified Driver Travis Braun.
With the arrival of Bill’s Grandson Carter
Braun … is a 5th generation driver in the family possible?
Today Bill is still involved in CAA
Niagara as ------------- while serving as Crew Chief for his son BJ. The
fourth generation of the 77 currently sits atop the Sportsman Points Race.
Leading the charge to overtake him – his cousin Cody McPherson – son of
Guy and Lori. Similar to the third generation drivers … up until recently
it was three cars in the same division as BJ and Cody had their cousin and
brother Tyler McPherson chasing them down as well.
When his sister Tammy won her first
Sportsman Feature he was able to watch it after breaking earlier in the
event. When she was inducted into the Wall of Fame a few years ago he got
to watch that too as one of a circle of family of friends that were the
only ones to know of what was to come.
Tonight Bill - it’s once again your turn
to be in the spotlight on the CAA Stage as your family and friends are
here to enjoy your reaction upon induction into the L. St. Amand
Enterprises Wall of Fame … joining Tammy, your dad Al and your grandfather
Bill Sr.!
Congratulations on behalf of the
Merrittville Speedway Reunion Committee. |
