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BILLY & ANNE WILKERSON NAMED OVAL NATIONALS GRAND MARSHALS! |
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(JUNE 2, 2004, PERRIS, CA) Last Saturday, Perris Auto Speedway promoter
Don Kazarian announced that Billy and Anne Wilkerson of Temple City, California
have been named Grand Marshals for the 9th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals,
presented by Temecula Valley Pipe and Supply, at Perris Auto Speedway on October
28th, 29th and 30th. In addition to being Grand Marshal at the Oval Nationals, Billy Wilkerson is going to have quite a year. In a move many in the racing fraternity deemed long overdue, he will be inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Iowa this Saturday. The 73-year old native of Nashville, Tennessee will also be honored on August 28th at the 2nd Annual Legends of Ascot at Perris Auto Speedway. Wilkerson won the California Racing Association Sprint Car Championship in 1967 and 1970. He won the 1967 title driving for Ernie Duncan and garnered the 1970 title driving for fellow 2004 Hall of Fame inductee the late Don Peabody. Wilkerson’s phenomenal career didn’t actually start in sprint cars. He first drove Modifieds and Jalopies and captured a California Jalopy Association title in the 1950s. Wilkerson first came to sprint car racing late in the 1964 season and ran as a rookie, at the age of 38, in 1965. He won his first CRA Sprint Car main event at the Clovis Fairgrounds on September 5, 1965. Wilkerson did not finish in the top 10 in points in 1965 or 1966, but in 1967, he stood the rest of CRA on its ear. He won seven of 38 races and his first ever sprint car championship by 25-points over Ned Spath. Wilkerson’s victories that season came at Ascot Park, Whiteman Stadium in Pacoima and Speedway 605, which was located across the freeway from the current Irwindale Speedway. Wilkerson ended up third in points behind Bob Hogle and Jimmy Oskie in 1968 and was second in points to Oskie in 1969. Driving a Chevy for Peabody in 1970, he only captured one main event (June 6th at Ascot), but his consistent near the front of the pack finishes netted him his second crown by 86 points over Don Hamilton. Wilkerson finished fifth overall in 1971, third in 1972 and eighth in 1973. He won 19 CRA main events in his career including four 100-lap Salutes to Indy at Ascot Park (1968, 1969, 1972 and 1973). Quite appropriately, his 19th and last CRA victory came on August 3, 1973 in the city of Clovis where he won his first sprint car main some seven years and 11 months beforehand. After retiring from the drivers seat, Billy has owned & wrenched sprint cars and served as a racing official. To this day, he is an extremely popular and well liked man with fans, officials and drivers of yesteryear and today. Joining Billy as a grand marshal at the Oval Nationals will be his lovely wife Anne. She currently owns the #11 National Cold Storage Shaver Specialties car that campaigns in the Valvoline USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series. Her crew chief happens to be Billy. Long associated with racing in Southern California, Anne Wilkerson has been involved in racing in many capacities over the years from racing wife and mom (Danny Lewis) to official. In addition to owning a car in the 2004 USAC/CRA Series, Anne lends her help to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and is spearheading the 2004 Jeff Bagley Classic that will be held at Perris Auto Speedway on October 9th. PAS promoter Kazarian spoke highly about the Wilkerson’s upon making the announcement. “Billy and Anne are two of the finest and most dedicated people you will ever find in this sport. When some racers retire, you never see them again. Billy and Anne have always been around and are always doing whatever it takes to advance the sport.” The promoter went on, “Ask them to help and they are always happy to do whatever they can for you. It makes me very happy to name them grand marshals of the Oval Nationals.” For the first time in Budweiser Oval Nationals history, the race will be a USAC National Sprint Car Series event. The USAC National Series will wrap up the following weekend with the running of the 2004 Western World Championships at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix, Arizona. The two National Series events on back to back weekends will see many of the nations top stars converging in the Southwest for their shot at the big money. For more information on the Oval Nationals or any events at Perris Auto Speedway events, please call (909) 940-0134. |
