It was learned Sunday, July 15 that New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member ‘Wild Bill’ Slater has passed-away. 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 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. 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 his last race at Stafford in 1969 and then became involved in the promotional side of racing at Stafford and later Thompson. Arrangements are incomplete at this time. More info at yankeeracer.com.(7-16-2012)
