Bill Slater

“Wild Bill” Slater was one of the early stars of the Waterford Speedbowl who later became one of the icons of New England short track racing both on & off the track.

Bill Slater won his first race at the Speedbowl during it’s inaugural season of 1951. His win on July 7th was the 12th modified race ever at the track and the 9th on the paved surface. He also won a 50 lapper on Labor Day weekend and finished 4th in points that season.

Bill drove Bill Congdon’s #76 car and Smitty’s #11 coupe before teaming up with Baldy Simons by the mid-1950’s. Driving Simons’ #11, Slater won 8 races in 1955, including four 50 lappers. He then captured his first Speedbowl Championship in 1956, winning 3 times during the year.

In the middle of the 1958 season, Slater and Simons parted ways and he then teamed up with Bob Vitari & Vic Bombaci to run their V-8 car, replacing Gene White. They found immediate success winning 4 of the last 9 races of the season. Then in 1959, they dominated the Modified division, winning 15 races, more than twice as many as any other Modified driver at the Speedbowl that season. He won three 50 lappers and had a streak of 3 straight wins in August. It all culminated in his 2nd Speedbowl Modified Championship by season’s end.

Slater won 3 of the first 4 races in 1960 at Waterford, then the V-8 team, known as “The Connecticut Valley Rocket”, left the Speedbowl for Norwood Arena in MA, where they would go on to win 6 more championships, including 5 in a row. He returned to the Speedbowl occasionally thereafter, winning 2 more races in the early 1960’s.

Slater also won the prestigious Race of Champions race in 1965. After retirement, he spent several years working at Stafford and Thompson Speedway as an official & general manager. Slater was inducted into the NEAR Hall of Fame as part of their inaugural 1998 class. He passed away on July 15, 2012.

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BILL SLATER’S
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