Stories - Memories from Claude Villar

I remember well visiting Biloxi Dragway. First raced at Biloxi in Summer of 1964, I would have been 16. Qualifying on Saturday afternoon and eliminations in the evening. For me it was always an adventure as I would travel from Baton Rouge - and remember there was no Interstate in the early 60's.

I would race three cars over a couple of years, a 64 Impala (D/Stock Automatic), a 60 Pontiac (C/Stock), and a 65 Corvette (B/Sports). We would usually come as a group from our area. Sonny Brooks/"Bounty Hunter"/64 A/FX Plymouth, Jimmy Faul/"Trick or Treat"/57 Chevrolet D/Stock.

The A/FX cars were running in the 11.9 second range, which for the time was considered super quick.

My most memorable visit was the time "Wild Bill" Shrewsberry and the "LA DART" visited for a wheelstanding exibition. We met him on a Friday night as we shared the same Motel. He travelled with his car on a trailer, his companions were his mechanic and his girlfriend - a gorgeous blonde Southern California lady. We all went to dinner that night, Wild Bill and his group, me and my four friends. Wild Bill stole the show, he was very entertaining. We didn't notice, but in the middle of telling a story, he would dip his fingertips in his glass of water (we didn't see this). Then he would exagerate a few big sniffs then let out a fake cough spraying us with the water. That was just one of his "routines", he deserved his name "Wild Bill.

I loved racing back then, the "class" type matchups where, in theory, you ran against your equals. I lost interest when the racing against the clock took over. But, oh, those were the days in the early 60's. Cars ruled, the Mopar guys against the Ford guys against the GM guys. What a time.

Thanks for stirring some memories,

- Claude Villar