Bill meant a lot of things to a lot of people. One thing for sure, if
you had the pleasure to meet Bill, you certainly did not forget him. I
have many fond memories, like sitting on the grid as some event in the
broiling heat waiting our turn to take the track and hearing Bill, at
the top of his lungs, singing some completely inappropriate song to no
one in particular. Or at a huge SVRA event, hundred of drivers are
intently listening to Jack Woehrle or Carl Jensen trying to get through
a drivers meeting and Bill would just heckle the crap out of them. Not
privately, mind you, but in a voice that everybody in the county would
hear. And it was hysterical.
Bill was a racer at heart. The number of events that the Beady Eye
Vintage Triumph Racing team ran annually was impressive. Remember Bill
had Old Blue, Bob Wismer had the #4 blue TR4 (now campaigned by Paul
Ricco), and between them they co-owned the Thunderbolt, an extremely
limited production special from Tornado Cars, based on the TR3. They
would trade off season to season driving the Thunderbolt and their
respective TR. There was no expense spared on the preparation of either
his or Bob's cars. Any discussion of the Beady Eye team is incomplete
without mentioning Don Brick, the third member of the team. Don raced a
white TR4 with red wire wheels, and might have been the speediest of the
group, I believe the last year he ran was 2005.
Bill was quite proud of the fact that Old Blue, a 1956 TR3, was the most
period correct vintage racer on track in the country. While I never
researched it, nobody who heard the story doubted it. The amount of
Triumph Competition Department equipment in the car was impressive. A
race car since new, Bill was only the second racer to track the car.
At some point over the course our friendship I must have mentioned to
Bill how much I liked Old Blue, and would like to own the car when he is
ready to hang up the helmet for the last time. (I am confident alcohol
was involved in this conversation!) This turned into Bill selling the
car to me back in 2014. My trip to Wisconsin to pick up the car and
spares was both delightful and melancholy, you knew it was the end of an
era. But Bill had high hopes I would keep the flame alive. My intent was
to keep the car as period correct as possible, but make it safe and fun.
I think I have struck a good compromise, some of those Competition
Department goodies have made way for more suitable replacements, but for
the most part the car remains remarkably period correct.
Every time I had a race weekend with the car I would email Bill and tell
him how things went. We exchanged mail and it was obvious he was
genuinely excited to see Old Blue still on track, doing better and
better. It all came together at the Jefferson 500 at Summit Point in
2019, it was one of those weekends we all dream of. Picture perfect
weather, and you get grouped with a bunch of racers that are great
competition and you are running with fast guys up front. Then the stars
align and you take first in both feature races. I strung together some
in-car footage from three sessions that weekend and sent it to Bill. He
and his son Dick watched it on the "Big Screen", I got the impression he
was as excited as I was!
In memory of Bill, I am sharing a view that he enjoyed for years,
looking over the bonnet of Old Blue. You will be missed, my friend...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bCcXLlOR-k
Henry Frye
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