Willie Borsch
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox racing driver
| name = Willie Borsch
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| nationality = American
| birth_date =
| birth_place = February 19, 1930
| death_date = October 1, 1991 (aged 61)
| death_place =
| retired =
| related to =
| last series = Altered
| years active =
| teams =
| starts =
| wins =
| poles =
| fastest laps =
| best finish =
| year =
| prev series =
| prev series years =
| titles =
| title years =
| awards = International Motorsports Hall of Fame
| award years =
}}
Willie Borsch (February 19, 1930 – October 1, 1991[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6738/willie-borsch Find a Grave] (retrieved 8 November 2018)), nicknamed "Wild Willie", was an American AA/FA and funny car drag racer.
History
Borsch started racing in Altereds in 1960 with Winged Express, built by Borsch and partner Al "Mousie" Marcellus,{{cite web |url=https://www.motorsport.com/nhra/news/nhra-s-50-greatest-drivers-willie-borsch/61147/ |title=NHRA's 50 greatest drivers: Willie Borsch |website=Motorsport.com |accessdate=14 September 2018}} assisted by Howard Johansen (of Howard's Cams), Don Reynolds, Phil Johnson, Dale Young, and Jerry Hyatt.{{cite book |author=McClurg, Bob |title=Diggers, Funnies, Gassers and Altereds: Drag Racing's Golden Age |publisher=CarTech Inc |year=2013 |page=47 |ISBN=9781613251058}} The car's 392 hemi was built by Jim Harrell (of Jim's Auto Parts).
He raced Winged Express for ten years, winning AA/FA (supercharged A-category Fuel Altered) at the NHRA Winternationals in 1967 and 1968. Since AA/FA was not recognized as a class by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) until 1967, Borsch was never credited with a national title.
On 28 September 1967 at Irwindale, Borsch turned in the first {{convert|200|mph|abbr=on}} pass in an Altered, at 7.91 seconds and {{convert|200.44|mph|abbr=on}}.Boyce, Doug. 1001 Drag Racing Facts (North Branch, MN: CarTech, Inc, 2015), p.175, item #513.
Borsch qualified for the 1968 NHRA Winternationals, a 32-car field in Top Fuel, setting an AA/FA record elapsed time of 7.29 seconds. The rest of the field refused to race him, for fear of the ill-handling Altered. It turned out they were right: in round one of Super Eliminator, Borsch went from guardrail to centerline in a wild ride, which was photographed by Bob McClurg; it "became one of the most famous drag racing photos of all time."
After getting a deal with model kit maker Revell for royalties,[https://www.nhra.com/news/2017/ed-mcculloch-roaring-down-memory-lane National Dragster online] at NHRA.com (retrieved 14 September 2018) Borsch took the wheel of the new Wild Man Dodge Charger funny car. Because he had become famous for driving Winged Express one-handed, using his other arm to brace himself against the body of the car, he created a dummy arm and attached it to the left window of the new funny car. This was included as a feature of the Revell kit.{{cite web |url=https://www.nhra.com/news/2012/i-d-give-my-left-arm-own |title=I'd give my left arm to own that ... |website=NHRA.com |access-date=15 September 2018}} The Revell deal, and the partnership with Marcellus, fell apart after the independent-minded Borsch refused to wear a sponsor teeshirt for a publicity event.Boyce, p.176, item #515.
Borsch died in October 1991 at age 61.
He was named to Car Craft magazine's All-Star Drag Racing team six years in a row, starting in 1967. He was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1992. He was also rated as one of NHRA's 50 greatest drivers.