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By Dave Dykes
 It
was learned Sunday, July 15 that New England Auto Racing Hall of
Fame member “Wild Bill” Slater has passed-away.
Arrangements are incomplete at this time.
A member of the first-class inducted into the New England Auto
Racing Hall of Fame in 1998, Slater drove his first race at Lonsdale
R.I. in 1949 and for the next twenty years he won at tracks from
Oxford Plains Maine to Trenton New Jersey.
He was a four time champion at the Norwood Arena and a two-time
Sportsmen champion at Thompson. He won on the dirt at Stafford and
on the pavement everywhere.
He was often a top-three finisher in the NASCAR National Sportsman
championship run, even though he raced against full time drivers
while he held down a weekly job.
 Slater’s
long list of accomplishments included winning 8 straight features at
Norwood, and 7 straight wins at Stafford. In 1959 he posted twenty
wins at Waterford. He also took down two championships at Waterford
and one at Stafford.
He won the 400 mile race at Trenton New Jersey four times, and was a
two time winner of the Utica-Rome 400 in New York. His biggest
career victory was in his win at the Langhorne Penn. Race of
Champions the first year it was paved.
He drove in The Daytona Permatex 300 four times from 1963 to 66. He
is most known for his long time association with the Vitari-Bombacci
owned V8.
He drove his last race at Stafford in 1969 and then became involved
in the promotional side of racing at Stafford and later Thompson.
Howie Hodge Photo Top Right. |
