Billy Simons

Billy Simons built & owned race cars that won races at the Waterford Speedbowl in each of it’s first four decades. Originally a joint effort with his brother Fred, their iconic red & white #9’s were nicknamed “The Excavator Special”.

It was in the late 1950’s when the paired up with Charlie Webster when they first made their mark on Speedbowl history. The won the Non-Ford Track Championship together in 1956, 1958 and 1959. After a career-best 7 wins in 1956, they won 11 races in both 1958 and 1959. They would win 6 more races in 1960.

For the 1961 season, the Speedbowl eliminated the Non-Ford division and created a Sportsman class within the Modified division. Now with Hank Stevens as his driver, the team won back-to-back Sportsman Championships in 1962-1963. Stevens won 7 features over the 2 seasons and finished 2nd to Dick Beauregard in the overall Modified standings for 1962. With Ray Delisle taking over driving duties for 1964, they won 5 races and both the Sportsman AND Modified Championships. It was the 6th and 7th Speedbowl Championships for Simons and his 3rd straight Sportsman Modified title. It is widely acknowledged that their dominance in both championship points lead to the elimination of the Sportsman class for 1965.

In 1969, with the legendary Don Collins now behind the wheel, he won his record 8th Speedbowl Track Championship. It was also a then-record 5th driver championship for Collins. Unfortunately, Collins decided to retire after the first race of the 1970. Simons replaced him with Charlie Webster, winning twice in June. Yet after a fiery wreck, Webster too decided it was time to hang up the helmet. With Dick Dunn finishing out the season, the team won 2 more times before season’s end.

While Simons moved his teams to other tracks in New England in subsequent years, winning two more championships at Riverside Park with Stan Greger as his driver. He returned to Waterford in 1985 fielding a car for the new NASCAR Modified Tour and won the August race at the Speedbowl that year with Ray Miller behind the wheel.

There is no other car owner in Speedbowl history who has captured 8 Speedbowl Championships other than Billy Simons. He was inducted into the NEAR Hall of Fame in 2000. Relocating to FL in retirement, passed away on February 11, 2020 at the age of 92.

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BILLY SIMONS
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