RIP Billy. A Drag Week story
#2659892
05/28/19 09:36 AM
05/28/19 09:36 AM
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 9,225 Charleston
sixpackgut
OP
Drag Week Mod Champion
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OP
Drag Week Mod Champion
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 9,225
Charleston
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DW16. After tech is over. Me and my copilot leave the track and hit a drug store. We buy some snacks and I ask the pharmacist for the Sudafed that you can make meth out of. She asks for my ID and than says she can't sell it to me. My copilot laughing says, you've been flagged. After several tries, the Pharmacist notices that my driver's license is expired. All the bragging Thumper likes tell everyone how my car got over 16 mpg was because I was on my best behavior on that DW.
After a few hours we go back to the track. I walk over the Billy. He is looking a bit stressed out, in deep thought, out of the norm. Whats wrong I ask. Nothing he says. So I tell him the story about how I just drove across the country and made it thru tech with an expired driver's license. He's looking at me with a feeling of relief in his eyes.
Billy opens up about what's bothering him. Billy's comp license was expired. Since Billy's plan was to spray his car at this DW he used his brother's ID and licenses to make it thru tech without anyone noticing. But now Hot Rod doesn't actually have him registered. We come up with a plan on how to fix the situation.
Both of us cracking up about how stupid we are.
His whole family got The Spirit of Drag Week award for a reason. For those of you that have never met Billy, he was an awesome guy. A buddy. He will be missed by many especially for Drag Weekers who can call on Billy any time they need some obscure stat that someone could dream up.
RIP Billy
Gen 3 power 6.22@110, 9.85@135 Follow @g3hemiswap on instagram
performance only racing, CRT, ultimate converter, superior design concepts, ThumperCarbs
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Re: RIP Billy. A Drag Week story
[Re: sixpackgut]
#2659901
05/28/19 09:46 AM
05/28/19 09:46 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,846 S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,846
S.E. Michigan
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R.I.P. He's one I never had the honor of meeting, it will never happen now although I feel I know him from all the years here.
Rich H.
Esse Quam Videri
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Re: RIP Billy. A Drag Week story
[Re: moparx]
#2659930
05/28/19 10:56 AM
05/28/19 10:56 AM
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,319 Puyallup, WA
StealthWedge67
master
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master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,319
Puyallup, WA
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I was lucky enough to meet Billy, Boone, and Papa Gebhart at the March Meet one year. I happened to be in SoCal for work and took a couple of days to experience the event. Walking through the pits, I came across the unmistakable pit area containing Billy’s Valiant and the Barnyard Viper. All I did was introduce myself as Stealthwedge from Mopart’s, and Billy smiled and immediately made me feel like a longtime friend. The first pass I watched of his that day, the hood flew off the Valiant and flipped into the air at a little over half track. I made my way back to his pit to see if I could help with anything. I was amazed to find that While Billy was spinning a yarn over the incident, he wasn’t worried about the damage whatsoever. It was clearly looked at as an opportunity to finally put “the right” hood on the valiant. I quickly learned that this was Billy, enjoying everything that each moment had to offer.
I’m really glad I got to meet him that weekend. Rest In Peace my friend.
Last edited by StealthWedge67; 05/28/19 10:58 AM.
LemonWedge - Street heavy / Strip ready - 11.07 @ 120
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Re: RIP Billy. A Drag Week story
[Re: Dragula]
#2659947
05/28/19 11:45 AM
05/28/19 11:45 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,027 Tulsa OK
Bad340fish
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,027
Tulsa OK
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I never got to spend much time with Billy on drag week. But I could always count on at least getting to speak with him for a few minutes every year. That was a time I always looked forward to and a time I will miss in the future. The Mopar community lost a great one.
68 Barracuda Formula S 340
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Re: RIP Billy. A Drag Week story
[Re: Bad340fish]
#2659948
05/28/19 11:48 AM
05/28/19 11:48 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,179 Park Forest, IL
slantzilla
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,179
Park Forest, IL
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RIP Billy, and my condolences to the family.
I never met Billy or went on Dragweek, but got to live vicariously through his stories.
"Everybody funny, now you funny too."
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Re: RIP Billy. A Drag Week story
[Re: slantzilla]
#2659984
05/28/19 12:47 PM
05/28/19 12:47 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,266 Renton Washington
Triple Threat
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,266
Renton Washington
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I met Billy in 2009 at MATS in Vegas, we spoke for a short time about Drag Week and I joked about tagging along some year. Billy made the point that each year they take 4-5 cars and have never had a co-pilot for each car. He said If I wanted to go he'd find me a seat.
I never took Billy up on his offer, but surely wish I had.
God Speed Billy!
-Dustin 67 Dart, 9 second, 392" G3 Hemi 68 Barracuda 340 F/SA
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Re: RIP Billy. A Drag Week story
[Re: slantzilla]
#2659993
05/28/19 01:03 PM
05/28/19 01:03 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,439 Val-haul-ass... eventually
BradH
Taking time off to work on my car
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Taking time off to work on my car
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,439
Val-haul-ass... eventually
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RIP Billy, and my condolences to the family.
I never met Billy or went on Dragweek, but got to live vicariously through his stories. x2
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Re: RIP Billy. A Drag Week story
[Re: BradH]
#2660091
05/28/19 05:29 PM
05/28/19 05:29 PM
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,464 Sydney,Australia
tex013
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,464
Sydney,Australia
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that is one hell of a shame . He always seemed happy to help .
my condolences to his family
Tex
New best ET 10.259@129.65 . New best MPH 130.32 Finally fitted a solid cam, stepped it up a bit more 3690lbs through the mufflers New World block 3780lbs 10.278@130.80 . Wowser 10.253@130.24 footbraking from 1500rpm Power by Tex's Automotive
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Re: RIP Billy. A Drag Week story
[Re: tubtar]
#2660189
05/28/19 10:45 PM
05/28/19 10:45 PM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,074 Manitoba Canada
67autocross
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,074
Manitoba Canada
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Really saddened to hear this news, Billy and his yearly stories are a part of the reason I went to Dragweek in 2017. One of the first things I did was to find Billy in the tech line and tell him how much I loved reading his posts and was always checking for the next update... he looked at me and said “ I didn’t think anyone actually read them” we both paused for a second and burst out laughing. During the rest of the week we would talk a bit and say hi as we went about our days...be well wherever you are Billy.
A new iron curtain drawn across the 49th parallel
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Re: RIP Billy. A Drag Week story
[Re: HardcoreB]
#2660242
05/29/19 09:19 AM
05/29/19 09:19 AM
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,675 Mt. Eden Ky.
Hemi Allstate
master
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master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,675
Mt. Eden Ky.
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So sorry to hear this. I never met Mopar Billy, but I too enjoyed reading his posts. Prayers for his family and friends . RIP Billy .
Mark
1996 Ram 1500 Sport 1968 road runner 1952 Sears Allstate licensed, pump gas, Hemi 5.98 @ 115.73 1.33 60 ft. The best is yet to come. Painless Performance / Street RODDER magazine Top 100 for 2019
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Re: RIP Billy. A Drag Week story
[Re: sam64]
#2660635
05/30/19 02:44 PM
05/30/19 02:44 PM
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 860 lancaster,california
johnnycuda
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 860
lancaster,california
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I got to meet Moparbilly at Woodley Park 5-6 years ago I guess, talked about DW and how I really wanted to get to run it at least once, and it was because of his writing and stories, how Hot Rod rarely mentioned the average guys in the writeups, so learning us average guys could do this was awesome. We even talked about me being a trunk monkey one time. I ran the first Drag Weekend at in Arizona, and he made a point to come over and hang out and chat at the Phoenix track, we joked around and so forth, truly a awesome man and will be missed. RIP MoparBilly
1970 'Cuda,Lime Light,499 Indy S/R's 10.70's @125,street driven ALOT! 1966 Barracuda 360,now a 5spd,Hemi Orange,Hot Rod Air, New daily driver-2003 Ram 2500 Cummins 5.9 '69 Valiant 2-dr, sleeper! New project---1938 Dodge truck, plan is a 360 with a A500, AC, Calvert rear susp., rack and pinion front with coils.
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Re: RIP Billy. A Drag Week story
[Re: sixpackgut]
#2660641
05/30/19 02:59 PM
05/30/19 02:59 PM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 142 Chattanooga, TN
KDY
member
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member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 142
Chattanooga, TN
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I always enjoyed Billy’s no-nonsense approach to going fast and I poured over his build threads and Drag Week stories – probably like the most of us have as well. His low-buck, stock crank 440 builds always appealed to me. I was at the Bristol stop of Drag Week last year and saw his car, but he wasn’t around. I regret, even more so now, not searching him out to talk to him for a few minutes. A short video on Billy and his Valiant – https://www.facebook.com/hotrodmag/videos/276729652990342/?v=276729652990342Godspeed.
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