Bobby Wawak
Encyclopedia
Bobby Wawak was an American NASCAR
driver from Villa Park, Illinois
. He made 141 Grand National/Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) starts, with 14 Top 10 finishes.
as a teenager. He raced in his first stock car race
at around 1958 at Mance Park Speedway in Hodgkins, Illinois
. He raced regularly at the O’Hare Stadium in Schiller Park, Illinois
. He competing in both the cadet (sportsman) and late model divisions.
In 1974 he was the late model
stock car
champion at Illiana Motor Speedway
in Schererville, Indiana
. He competed at the track in 1973 and 1974, winning 14 features at that half mile asphalt track in his 1971 Ford Torino
. He won 21 total races (including preliminary events) in 1974.
stock car circuit in 1965. He made six races with a sixth place finish in one event during his rookie season. He finished 18th in the final USAC standings that year. Wawak did not return to USAC racing until 1969 and would compete on a limited basis into the early 1970s.
at Darlington Speedway. He started 27th, and finished 36th with engine problems.
His most successful year was 1976, when he finished 22nd in the points. His highest career finish was a sixth place finish in the final race of the season at Ontario
.
The fuel line on his car came loose on the third lap of the 1977
Daytona 500
, and the fire came into the car's cockpit. Wawak jumped from the car while it was still moving (and slammed into the inside wall moments later), held up his burnt hands, and ran to the infield care center. "It was like sitting in front of a blow torch," Wawak said later. He made six more starts that year.
He continued racing in NASCAR, and made 96 more NASCAR starts. His career ended when he crashed in the first qualifier for the 1988 Daytona 500
. Wawak suffering a fractured vertebra and detached retina
s. Randy Lajoie
raced in one race in his car in 1988, and Mike Potter raced three races in 1990.
After his NASCAR career ended, he helped Hendrick Motorsports
with their show car
s.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver from Villa Park, Illinois
Villa Park, Illinois
Villa Park is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County, Illinois. The population was 22,075 at the 2000 census. A special census in 2003 set the population at 22,517...
. He made 141 Grand National/Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) starts, with 14 Top 10 finishes.
Local racing
He began drag racingDrag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
as a teenager. He raced in his first stock car race
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
at around 1958 at Mance Park Speedway in Hodgkins, Illinois
Hodgkins, Illinois
Hodgkins is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,134 at the 2000 census.A large United Parcel Service sorting facility, known as CACH, is located partly in Hodgkins and partly in nearby Willow Springs on the outskirts of Chicago...
. He raced regularly at the O’Hare Stadium in Schiller Park, Illinois
Schiller Park, Illinois
Schiller Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,850 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Schiller Park is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
. He competing in both the cadet (sportsman) and late model divisions.
In 1974 he was the late model
Late model
A "late model car" is a car which has been recently designed or manufactured, often the latest model. The term is broadly used in car racing, and often appears in common use, as in "The officer was driving an unmarked, late model sedan."There is no precise...
stock car
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
champion at Illiana Motor Speedway
Illiana Motor Speedway
The Illiana Motor Speedway is a race track located in Schererville, Indiana, United States and was built in 1947. Located about from downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States; the Illiana Motor Speedway is the only 1/2 mile paved oval in the Chicago area....
in Schererville, Indiana
Schererville, Indiana
Schererville is a town in St. John Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 29,243 at the 2010 census.- History :...
. He competed at the track in 1973 and 1974, winning 14 features at that half mile asphalt track in his 1971 Ford Torino
Ford Torino
The Ford Torino is an intermediate automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. The car was named after the city of Turin , which is considered the Detroit of Italy...
. He won 21 total races (including preliminary events) in 1974.
USAC
Wawak competed on the USACUnited States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
stock car circuit in 1965. He made six races with a sixth place finish in one event during his rookie season. He finished 18th in the final USAC standings that year. Wawak did not return to USAC racing until 1969 and would compete on a limited basis into the early 1970s.
NASCAR
Wawak made occasional NASCAR starts before 1976, except for making 14 NASCAR starts in 1967. His first start was in the 1965 Southern 500Southern 500
The Showtime Southern 500 is the annual spring NASCAR Sprint Cup race held at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, USA, and is the second such event at Darlington to bear the name. It began in 1957 as a race in the Convertible Division, known as the Rebel 300. In 1966, the race was...
at Darlington Speedway. He started 27th, and finished 36th with engine problems.
His most successful year was 1976, when he finished 22nd in the points. His highest career finish was a sixth place finish in the final race of the season at Ontario
Ontario Motor Speedway
The Ontario Motor Speedway, located in Ontario, California, east of Los Angeles, was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: IndyCar Series and USAC for open-wheel oval car races; NASCAR for a ...
.
The fuel line on his car came loose on the third lap of the 1977
1977 Daytona 500
The 1977 Daytona 500 was held on February 20, 1977 and the second race of the 1977 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season. Cale Yarborough won his second victory of this event and would lead to his second straight title. Donnie Allison was the pole-sitter for the second time in this event. Janet Guthrie...
Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, and the fire came into the car's cockpit. Wawak jumped from the car while it was still moving (and slammed into the inside wall moments later), held up his burnt hands, and ran to the infield care center. "It was like sitting in front of a blow torch," Wawak said later. He made six more starts that year.
He continued racing in NASCAR, and made 96 more NASCAR starts. His career ended when he crashed in the first qualifier for the 1988 Daytona 500
1988 Daytona 500
The 1988 Daytona 500 was held February 14 at Daytona International Speedway. Ken Schrader won the pole. The race is best remembered for Richard Petty's spectacular rollover crash in the tri-oval on lap 106, initiated when he was tagged from behind by Phil Barkdoll. Petty rolled over about eight...
. Wawak suffering a fractured vertebra and detached retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
s. Randy Lajoie
Randy LaJoie
Randall LaJoie was a driver in the NASCAR Busch Series , where he is a two-time champion. Presently, he does not have a full-time ride. He is the father of racers Casey and Corey LaJoie.-Early racing career:LaJoie started racing go-karts when he was 12 years old...
raced in one race in his car in 1988, and Mike Potter raced three races in 1990.
After his NASCAR career ended, he helped Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...
with their show car
Show car
A show car, sometimes called a dream car, is a custom-made automobile created specifically for public display, rather than sale. They are shown at auto shows and other exhibitions.Show cars generally fall into one or more of three categories:...
s.