Bill Wimble

{{Infobox racing driver

| image =

| birth_name = William R. Wimble

| birth_date = January 11, 1932

| birth_place = Lisbon, NY

| death_date = {{death date and age|2016|4|24|1932|1|11|mf=y}}

| death_place = Hillsborough, FL, U.S.

| current series = Motorsports

| first year = 1951

| car number = 33

| championships = 14

| wins =

| retired = 1968

| titles = 1960, 1961 NASCAR National Sportsman Champion{{cite web|url=https://dailygazette.com/2009/08/14/814_stocks/|title= Wimble a true legend at Fonda|date= 14 August 2009|newspaper=The Daily Gazette|location=Schenectady NY| accessdate = April 15, 2023}}

| awards= Carnegie Hero

| updated=

| module1=

{{Infobox NASCAR driver| child= yes

| death_cause =

| Total_Cup_Races = 4

| Years_In_Cup = 2

| Best_Cup_Pos = 48th (1962)

| First_Cup_Race = 1958 (Reading, PA)

| Last_Cup_Race = 1962 Daytona 500 (Daytona){{cite web|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/driver/Bill_Wimble/ |title=Bill Wimble-NASCAR Cup Series|publisher= NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|website=Racing-Reference|accessdate = April 11, 2023}}

| Cup_Wins = 0

| Cup_Top_Tens = 0

| Cup_Poles = 0

| Best_Busch_Pos =

| First_Busch_Race =

| Last_Busch_Race =

| First_Busch_Win =

| Last_Busch_Win =

| Busch_Wins =

| Busch_Top_Tens =

| Busch_Poles =

}}

William (Bill) Wimble (January 11, 1932 – April 24, 2016) was an American stock car racing driver and two-time champion of the NASCAR Sportsman Division (predecessor of currently Xfinity Series).

Racing career

Bill Wimble began his racing career at the St. Lawrence Valley Speedway in 1951, and finished his first race in last position.{{cite news|last=Whit|first=D'ann|title=New book races down memory lane|url= https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2010/03/19/new-book-races-down-memory-lane/|date=March 19, 2010|newspaper=Tampa Bay Times|location=FL|accessdate=March 29, 2025}} He was champion of the 1960 NASCAR Sportsman Division (predecessor of the Xfinity Series) and along with Dick Nephew was 1961 co-champion. Folklore has it the 1961 “tie” was a fabrication designed to cover-up a mistake by NASCAR officials.{{cite web |date=27 August 2011 |title=NASCAR tie honored at Dick Nephew night |url=https://www.pressrepublican.com/sports/local_sports/nascar-tie-honored-at-dick-nephew-night/article_48480013-33ac-5859-a4ab-3ab71f62bbab.html |accessdate=April 10, 2023 |website=Press-Republican |publisher= |place=Plattsburgh NY}}

From 1958 to 1962, Wimble made four appearances in the NASCAR Grand National Series. He otherwise spent the majority of his career racing in the Sportsman and Modified classes at the renowned tracks of the northeast including Airborne Park Speedway NY, Albany-Saratoga Speedway NY, Fonda Speedway NY, and Utica-Rome Speedway NY.{{cite web|url= https://www.thethirdturn.com/wiki/Bill_Wimble|title=Bill Wimble Career Results|publisher= The Third Turn|accessdate = April 15, 2023}}

Wimble won 14 track championships. He was inducted into the Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame, the [[Saratoga Automobile Museum|

New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fam]]e and the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame.{{cite web|url=https://empamedia.com/halloffameBill%20Wimble.html|title =EMPA Hall of Fame-Bill Wimble|publisher=Eastern Motorsports Press Association| accessdate = April 15, 2023}}

Carnegie Hero

Wimble along with four others rescued Marvin Panch from a burning race car at the Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 1963, and each received the prestigious Carnegie Medal for their heroism.{{cite web|url= https://www.carnegiehero.org/hero-search/william-r-wimble/|title= William R. Wimble|publisher= Carnegie Hero Fund Commission| accessdate = April 15, 2023}}

That same year, Wimble was pulled from a burning wreck during a race in Syracuse, New York by fellow racer Ernie Gahan, who was also one of those responsible for saving Marvin Panch.{{cite news |last=Whaley |first=Mike |date=December 3, 2009 |title=Gahan was a NASCAR pioneer |url=https://www.fosters.com/story/sports/2009/12/03/gahan-was-nascar-pioneer/51781859007/ |access-date=May 24, 2023 |newspaper=Foster's Daily Democrat |publication-place=Dover NH}}

Motorsports career results

=NASCAR=

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

==Grand National Series==

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:75%" ! colspan="60"\| NASCAR Grand National Series results
Year ! Team ! No. ! Make ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! 17 ! 18 ! 19 ! 20 ! 21 ! 22 ! 23 ! 24 ! 25 ! 26 ! 27 ! 28 ! 29 ! 30 ! 31 ! 32 ! 33 ! 34 ! 35 ! 36 ! 37 ! 38 ! 39 ! 40 ! 41 ! 42 ! 43 ! 44 ! 45 ! 46 ! 47 ! 48 ! 49 ! 50 ! 51 ! 52 ! 53 ! {{Tooltip\|NGNC\|NASCAR Grand National classification}} ! Pts ! Ref
rowspan=2\| 1958 ! rowspan=2\| Lyle Sokoll ! rowspan=2\| 400 ! Ford \| FAY \| DAB \| CON \| FAY \| WIL \| HBO \| FAY \| CLB \| PIF \| ATL \| CLT \| MAR \| ODS \| OBS \| GPS \| GBF \| STR \| NWS \| BGS \| TRN \| RSD \| CLB \| NBS \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| REF {{small\|18}} \| LIN \| HCY \| AWS \| RSP \| MCC \| SLS \| TOR \| BUF \| colspan=21\| ! rowspan=2\| 114th ! rowspan=2\| 120.5 ! rowspan=2\|{{cite web \|title=Bill Wimble – 1958 NASCAR Grand National Results \|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/driver-season-stats/wimblbi01/1958/W/ \|access-date=July 9, 2023 \|work=Racing-Reference \|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC}}
Chevy \| colspan=32\| \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| MCF {{small\|18}} \| BEL \| BRR \| CLB \| NSV \| AWS \| BGS \| MBS \| DAR \| CLT \| BIR \| CSF \| GAF \| RCH \| HBO \| SAS \| MAR \| NWS \| ATL \| colspan=2\|
1962 ! Dave McCredy ! 32 ! Pontiac \| CON \| AWS \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| DAY {{small\|17}} \| DAY \| style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| DAY {{small\|11}} \| CON \| AWS \| SVH \| HBO \| RCH \| CLB \| NWS \| GPS \| MBS \| MAR \| BGS \| BRI \| RCH \| HCY \| CON \| DAR \| PIF \| CLT \| ATL \| BGS \| AUG \| RCH \| SBO \| DAY \| CLB \| ASH \| GPS \| AUG \| SVH \| MBS \| BRI \| CHT \| NSV \| HUN \| AWS \| STR \| BGS \| PIF \| VAL \| DAR \| HCY \| RCH \| DTS \| AUG \| MAR \| NWS \| CLT \| ATL ! 48th ! 1944 ! {{cite web \|title=Bill Wimble – 1962 NASCAR Grand National Results \|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/driver-season-stats/wimblbi01/1962/W/ \|access-date=July 9, 2023 \|work=Racing-Reference \|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:75%"

! colspan="60"| NASCAR Grand National Series results

Year

! Team

! No.

! Make

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! 18

! 19

! 20

! 21

! 22

! 23

! 24

! 25

! 26

! 27

! 28

! 29

! 30

! 31

! 32

! 33

! 34

! 35

! 36

! 37

! 38

! 39

! 40

! 41

! 42

! 43

! 44

! 45

! 46

! 47

! 48

! 49

! 50

! 51

! 52

! 53

! {{Tooltip|NGNC|NASCAR Grand National classification}}

! Pts

! Ref

rowspan=2| 1958

! rowspan=2| Lyle Sokoll

! rowspan=2| 400

! Ford

| FAY

| DAB

| CON

| FAY

| WIL

| HBO

| FAY

| CLB

| PIF

| ATL

| CLT

| MAR

| ODS

| OBS

| GPS

| GBF

| STR

| NWS

| BGS

| TRN

| RSD

| CLB

| NBS

| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| REF
{{small|18}}

| LIN

| HCY

| AWS

| RSP

| MCC

| SLS

| TOR

| BUF

| colspan=21|

! rowspan=2| 114th

! rowspan=2| 120.5

! rowspan=2|{{cite web |title=Bill Wimble – 1958 NASCAR Grand National Results |url=https://www.racing-reference.info/driver-season-stats/wimblbi01/1958/W/ |access-date=July 9, 2023 |work=Racing-Reference |publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC}}

Chevy

| colspan=32|

| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MCF
{{small|18}}

| BEL

| BRR

| CLB

| NSV

| AWS

| BGS

| MBS

| DAR

| CLT

| BIR

| CSF

| GAF

| RCH

| HBO

| SAS

| MAR

| NWS

| ATL

| colspan=2|

1962

! Dave McCredy

! 32

! Pontiac

| CON

| AWS

| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DAY
{{small|17}}

| DAY

| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DAY
{{small|11}}

| CON

| AWS

| SVH

| HBO

| RCH

| CLB

| NWS

| GPS

| MBS

| MAR

| BGS

| BRI

| RCH

| HCY

| CON

| DAR

| PIF

| CLT

| ATL

| BGS

| AUG

| RCH

| SBO

| DAY

| CLB

| ASH

| GPS

| AUG

| SVH

| MBS

| BRI

| CHT

| NSV

| HUN

| AWS

| STR

| BGS

| PIF

| VAL

| DAR

| HCY

| RCH

| DTS

| AUG

| MAR

| NWS

| CLT

| ATL

! 48th

! 1944

! {{cite web |title=Bill Wimble – 1962 NASCAR Grand National Results |url=https://www.racing-reference.info/driver-season-stats/wimblbi01/1962/W/ |access-date=July 9, 2023 |work=Racing-Reference |publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC}}

===Daytona 500===

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
Year ! Team ! Manufacturer ! Start ! Finish
1962 \| Dave McCredy \| Pontiac \|align=center\| 36 \|align=center style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| 11

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"

Year

! Team

! Manufacturer

! Start

! Finish

1962

| Dave McCredy

| Pontiac

|align=center| 36

|align=center style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 11

References

External links

{{Racing-Reference driver|Bill_Wimble}}
[https://newenglandautoracers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Bill_Wimble-John-Grady-copy-768x512.jpg Bill Wimble with race car]

Category:1932 births

Category:2016 deaths

Category:NASCAR drivers

Category:NASCAR Xfinity Series champions

Category:Racing drivers from New York (state)

Category:Recipients of the Carnegie Medal (Carnegie Hero Fund)

Category:Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame