A Tribute To Billy Kimmel

A Tribute To Billy Kimmel

By Brad Vores Sept. 6, 2007

It doesn’t matter that Billy Kimmel’s only checkered flag in his sprint car career was a heat race win at Susquehanna Speedway Park.

He wasn’t one of the flashy sprint car drivers in Central Pennsylvania. His name wasn’t known nationwide in the racing community. His cars weren’t always the best painted in the pit area. He came to the track with an open trailer with spare parts and tires loaded into a van or truck that pulled the No. 47 race car.

What does matter is that this young man, not even 28 years old yet, touched a lot of people’s lives in so many ways. Whether he was your friend or whether you just knew him from racing his sprint car at Williams Grove, Lincoln or Susquehanna, he touched you in some way.

It’s quite obvious by the outpouring of messages on the message board and his website, Billy was loved by many. He had many friends all who loved him dearly and are now suffering through a very sad time for themselves and the sprint car community.

Unfortunately, I never met Billy. He was on my list of Driver Profiles for the near future. I was just waiting for Billy to maybe win that first feature or have something special to remember to put in the Profile. Unfortunately, I won’t get a chance to do it.

Billy was doing what he loved to do. He always wanted to race sprint cars. He helped on race cars of other drivers before making his break into the sport driving a Mark Coldren owned car at SSP one night in 2003. Since then, he raced 305 Sprints, 360 sprints, 358 Sprints and most recently 410 Sprints. He did what he had to do to make it to the race track. He wasn’t there every week. He was the ultimate low budget racer trying to have fun at the track.

Billy was exciting when he was on the racing track, no doubt about it. He would throw his sprint car into the turns at Williams Grove like no other. He was on the edge at all times. He was still learning and was getting the best possible sprint car education he could racing with some of the best sprint car racers in the world every weekend. He knew that. Someday he aspired to be the next great racer. Unfortunately he won’t get that chance.

His life was cut way too short. But Billy would want his friends and family to continue living their life, going to the races and getting back to normal as soon as possible. He was living a dream. A dream many of us will never realize. Unfortunately, sprint car racing can be unforgiving and there was a better plan in place for Billy.

Thanks for the memories Billy Kimmel. Rest in Peace my friend.

WHATS HAPPENING
The Tuscarora 50 is up next this weekend at Port Royal Speedway.

Friday night will be the “Night be the 50” for 410 Sprints leading up to Saturday’s $10,000 to win 50 lapper. The race is run in conjunction with the Juniata County Fair.

Williams Grove Speedway will feature the Saturday Night Series cars on Friday night this week with the final points races for the 358 late models, street stocks and 4-cylinders. The Super Sportsman are also on the card tomorrow night.

Lincoln Speedway features the 358 Sprint championship on Saturday night along with the final points race for the 358 late models. The battle for the 358 late model title is a close one with the top five drivers only separated by 25 total points.

Selinsgrove is back with a final 358 sprint headlined show on Saturday night while Trail-Way Speedway has a regular 358 sprint event on Friday. Hagerstown Speedway is also running a regular show this weekend.

PIT STOPS
Nick Dickson won Sunday night’s 63 lap Paul Long Memorial for late models at Selinsgrove Speedway which paid $10,000. Alan Sagi, Steve Campbell, Jim Yoder and Al Shawver, Jr. were the top five…

Danny Lasoski swept World of Outlaws action last weekend in the Harvest Classic at Calistoga Speedway. Lasoski’s wins came aboard the Dennis Roth JEI Chassis. Friday night he won over Roger Crockett, Craig Dollansky, Joey Saldana and Tim Shaffer while Saturday’s win came over Jason Meyers, Daryn Pittman, Jason Sides and Saldana…

Saldana won the WoO event last Wednesday night at Cottage Grove Speedway over Donny Schatz, Tim Shaffer, Jason Meyers and Daryn Pittman. Heading into this weekend’s 54th annual Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway, Saldana has cut Schatz’s point lead to just 19 points for the lucrative WoO title…

Stevie Smith had a great weekend on the All Star Circuit of Champions tour last weekend with wins Friday night at Lernerville Speedway and Sunday at Hilltop Speedway. Smith finished second Saturday night at Attica Raceway Park. Smith will be in competition this weekend at Port Royal Speedway then next weekend, the RAACE Foundation JEI sprinter will be going after the big $15,000 to win Chuck Kear Memorial 410 Sprint event at Fremont Speedway…

Racin’ Jason Covert picked up a big win in MACS late model racing last weekend at Ohio’s Portsmouth Speedway. The win was worth $10,000 to Covert who has taken over the MACS points lead with a handful of races remaining…

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