HISTORY

After playing around in karts on a track in a friend's back yard, Billy began racing stock cars in 1988.  The Granville Speedway (now Redline Raceway) opened late that summer, running 8 events in their inaugural season.  Billy, along with older brother John, began racing a 1972 Pontiac Bonneville there.  Running the same car in two classes, it did not take Billy long to find victory lane.  After finishing 2nd in his first race, he won the next 3 in a row.  He finished in the top 3 in all but one of the 8 events that season.  Over the winter, the team's efforts took a turn.  John stepped down as a team driver, electing to become the crew chief for Billy's efforts.  This arrangement remained thorughout Billy's driving career.  In '89, Billy earned 7 feature wins and the track championship at Granville.  The team missed half of the 1990 season buiding a new car.  In the meantime he landed a temporary ride in the Lamphere Racing 88, filling in for an ill Jan Lamphere.  Billy ran 5 races in the 88, winning his first and last with a worst finish of 3rd.  He returned full time in 1991, winning the Granville Strictly Stock Championship once again.

In 1992, Billy began to venture from Granville.  Over the next several seasons, he ran pure stock and street stock events at Dunn Hill Raceway, Dundee Speedway (now Black Rock), Skyline Raceway, Thunder Mountain Speedway, Penn Can Speedway, and Five Mile Point Speedway.  In 1995, he nearly won the 5 Mile Street Stock Championship, missing the title by only 4 points after a rear end failure in the next to last week erased his point lead.  Ironically, friend and fellow Bradford County resident Jim Crawn Jr., who currently is an MEI sponsor, won the title and went on to a very respectable and productive dirt Sportsman and Modified career.

In 1996, Billy made the move to asphalt.  For the next three years, he piloted a late model at Tioga Speedway (formerly Shangri-La).  After going winless in '96, he earned wins in each of the next two seasons, capturing 2nd in points in '98.  In '99, he moved to the NASCAR Modified division, running weekly at Tioga as well as the entire Race of Champions Modified Tour.  For the remainder of his career, Billy competed in the modified at tracks throughout the northeast including Tioga, Oswego Speedway, Spencer Speedway, Chemung Speedrome, Lancaster Raceway Park, Wyoming County International, and Evans Mills Speedway.  In his final season, he earned 2 wins and 4th in points at Tioga, along with the track's most improved driver, most popular driver, and best appearing car awards in the mods.  Following his second win in 2004, Billy announced in victory lane that he would be hangin up his helmet at the end of the season.  This came as a shock to the entire team, as he had not discussed this decision with anyone.

His intention to help Jake start racing and spend more time with his young family have not exactly panned out.  The undertaking of Wyalusing Valley Motorsports Park has proven to be much more demaning in terms of stress, effort, and time than racing was.  He has little time to work with Jake at the track, but somehow he finds time to help prepare his car during the week.  With many special awards and memories under his belt, he has effectively passed the torch to the next generation.

Sporting his father's trademark yellow and familiar #69, Jake has also experienced the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat!

Jake's involvement in racing is certainly no coincidence.  His Grandfather, "Big" John Maynard worked on race cars that competed in the area in the late 60's, early 70's.  His father, Billy, has been around the sport in one capacity or another since the age of 12.  His uncle John served as his Dad's crew chief for his entire driving career, along with doing some driving of his own.  One special night at Tioga Motorsports Park, Billy won the mod feature while John won the factory stock feature.  A similar special night occurred at 5 Mile Point in the mid 90's, when Billy won the street stock feature the same night that his brother Joe won the 4 cylinder mod feature.  Jake's Uncle Joe also raced extensively, running 4 cylinder stocks, mods, street stocks, and asphalt late models over the years.  Jake's grandfather Neil Brown worked on Billy's team from 1991 through 2004, and currently is the track maintainance specialist at WVMP.  Cousins Dalton and Dylan have both been racing karts at WVMP for the past couple years, both earning wins and Dylan earning a championship.  This season, cousin Burt will begin racing as well.

It is only natural that "Wild Thing" would take a shining to the sport, given all of the family ties!

Above:  Billy's first race car, a 1972 Pontiac Bonneville, has been in the family for years.  It was actually his Mother's grocery getter for some time.

Below:  Billy's last race car, a 1994 Troyer NASCAR Modified (D & J Fotos Photo)