Racing Archives - Page 75 of 76 - NorCal Car Culture

Northern California driver Jared Williams returns from the Tulsa Shootout

Micro sprint driver, Jared Williams #36 of Herald, California (between Wilton and Galt) recently returned from competing in the Tulsa Shootout.
jared Jared Williams #36 on the track.

The Shootout is a prelude to the famous Chili Bowl Nationals. The 26th Annual Tulsa Shootout was held in the QuikTrip Center’s Tulsa Expo Raceway in Tulsa Oklahoma. There was a world record 715 entries in this year’s event.
jared8 Matt Peterson with Kaylee, Rachel and Jared Williams.

Jared made the trip with his good friend Matt Peterson, #37 of Wilton, CA. It was Matt’s 3rd year and Jared’s second year racing in Tulsa. They both raced in the popular 600cc Outlaw class with 124 other cars.
jared3 Jared’s #36 car and Matt’s #37.

The experience has helped them as they compete at Stockton’s Delta Speedway during the year. Matt Peterson was the 2010 track champion in the 600cc Multi class and Jared Williams came in third, this being his rookie year. The 2011 season begins Saturday May 7th in Stockton.
Good luck Jared and Matt!

jared2 Jared with his Dad, Larry Williams.

jared6 Over 700 entries in the 2011 Tulsa Shootout.

jared7 The Tulsa Expo Raceway

To view all the results from the 2011 Tulsa Shootout click here.

The late Gary Ormsby from Auburn, California – 1989 NHRA Top Fuel Champion

I wanted to include Gary Ormsby in our Northern California Race Car Driver directory, so I looked him up on Google. To my surprise, there was no website about him, no fan page, not even a wikipedia page. So I decided to write what I could find and then ask for help from you. If anyone can help me with more details of his amazing life I would appreciate it. I am even trying to write a wikipedia article on him too. Please email me here: tnewey@norcalcarculture.com.
Gary Ormsby was the 1989 NHRA Top Fuel Champion. He owned Auburn Toyota and Auburn Subaru Hyundai in Auburn, California. His crew chief was Lee Beard. Together they were within one round victory of winning the championship in 1990 as well. He died the following year of intestinal cancer in Roseville, California on August 28, 1991.

One of Gary’s first cars, Vagabond, a 1962 AA/Fuel Dragster.

It was during 1990 that he set the (at the time) World Record of 4.881 seconds at 296.05 mph in Heartland Park, Topeka Kansas. He helped put that track on the map in the drag racing world. Since then, they have named one of the roads around the raceway, Gary Ormsby Drive.

In 1989, Gary destroyed 2 cars in terrifying accidents on the way to winning the championship. He had to drive an old retired car that he had on display in the showroom of his car dealership in Auburn to finish the season. This video shows the 2 accidents.

Gary Ormsby was one of the best drag racers to come out of northern California. I am anxious to learn more about him and his racing career. There is a great article on Lee Beard and Gary Ormsby and their championship season together here.

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Jimmy Boyd to be inducted into The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame

On Wednesday, The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Iowa announced its 13 inductees for 2011. Named in that group was Jimmy Boyd of Woodland, CA. who will be in Knoxville on June 4th to receive his award. You can read the entire press release here: http://www.sprintcarhof.com/Article/295. Jimmy won the Northern Auto Racing Club championship in 1979. He won 3 feature events, 7 heat races, 4 trophy dashes, and 2 fast times. On March 18, 1978 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite Texas he won his only World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series race. What made it more special is that it was the inaugural A-Feature event for the newly formed series and he raced an all-star field to win the $2,000 prize.
Boyd’s first race in a sprint car was in 1967 at Calistoga Speedway and his last race in 1984 at Baylands Raceway Park. Two sites with lots more information are West Capital Raceway Alumni and SCRAFAN.COM.

Congratulations Jimmy Boyd!