Billy Robison drives the Sonner #47 in 1981
(Bill W) February 13, 2017 – Summer Saturdays in Monroe, Iowa when I was a kid often included a pickup game of baseball, basketball or even football. But around 2 p.m., I was sure to get on my bicycle. Our town was at a crossroads. Highway 14 came south from Newton and Interstate 80. Highway 163 came east from Des Moines and Interstate 35. A blinking red light halted everyone where the highways met.
On my bike, I could hightail it from one highway to another through town, or I could just set myself up on the four-way corner after grabbing some ice cream from Maddie’s (long before Jersey Freeze).
My aim was simple. All roads led to Knoxville Raceway. I was going to see who would be running at Knoxville that night. If they came from the west or the north, they had to go through Monroe. Many teams made Monroe their last stop for gas, ice or beverages. I’d often go into the Amoco or Casey’s and check out what they’d purchase.
Many of the rigs were familiar, but as we got closer to Nationals, many of the cars on open trailers, or wings on top of enclosed trailers needed further identification. Where were the plates from? What number were they? My mind would wander back to the racing papers to try and identify who might be in the house that night.
That’s the way I made my own preview of the night for years. It started on my bike, and when I got my license, I was cruising around town in my mother’s ’77 Buick Skylark. There was one constant all those years. Without fail, one of the last (usually the last) rigs to go through town would be Gil Sonner’s #47 sprint car.
No trailer promoted the racing at Knoxville better. In fact, in addition to being painted up in his familiar colors and number back then, there was a message on the tailgate. The exact words escape me, but it said something like, “Follow us to the greatest show on dirt, the Knoxville Raceway”.
It would be years until I knew Gil, and what a great guy he was. But I did know his drivers. Jerry Potter, Mike Pinckney, Billy Robison, “The Jedi” TJ Giddings, “The Rocket” Rocky Hodges, Scotty Ritchhart, Jerry Janssen, “Jungle” Jim Grafton, “The Big Mac Attack” Mackie Heimbaugh and the list goes on and on (over 50 drivers bolted in).
Later, Danny Lasoski would win Gilly a track championship. Johnny Herrera would win the King’s Royal with that collapsed side panel on the top wing that we all remember. Gil raced fifty years at the Knoxville Nationals! That’s a long time commitment, and sometimes we take things like that for granted. Now we’ve said goodbye to longtime owners like Gil, Bob Trostle, Lenard McCarl in what seems like a very short time.
These icons that I looked up to as a kid and was afraid to approach became friends in my adulthood, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that. Anyone who knows Gil and Donnie and the Strange Performance team knows what it meant to them to make the Nationals championship event last August with Jeff Swindell behind the wheel. Will all due respect to Jeff and the team, it made me believe just a little more in divine intervention.
With Gilbert’s passing, another big chunk of Knoxville history goes with him. The list of drivers and teams that he helped out over the years, goes way beyond those who were employed by him. There were many visits to his shop on the north side of Des Moines for a part or advice throughout the work week. One of the most fitting tributes to him may be naming the “Sportsman of the Year” Award after him.
Those of us who crow about “the good ole days”, need to realize we are always living them. We need to smell the roses a little more. Gil was 82 and led a long and good life. The next time you are at a race, thank the owners, both those that have been around awhile, and those crazy enough to give it a try for the first time. They are the lifeblood of our great and wonderful sport.
Gilly, thank you, you will be missed!
Two Badlands Motor Speedway Events Added to Midwest Thunder Sprint Cars Presented by OpenWheel101.com Calendar
A pair of events have been added to the Midwest Thunder Sprint Cars presented by OpenWheel101.com calendar. The two races will be held at Badlands Motor Speedway south of Brandon, South Dakota. On Sunday, July 2, the World of Outlaws will visit the 3/8-mile oval, and on Sunday, September 3, the track will have a Huset’s Flashback. The two events bring the races on the tentative Midwest Thunder calendar to a total of 72.
The current season ending purse for the Midwest Thunder Sprint Cars is $1,000. Visit the following link to see how to contact us, and support 410’s in the Midwest and the benefits included with each option… (http://www.openwheel101.com/Pages/Advertising)
Tentative Races that will be counted for Points with the Midwest Thunder Sprint Cars presented by www.OpenWheel101.com (subject to change)
Fri, April 7 – Jacksonville Speedway (IL) MOWA
Sat, April 8 – 34 Raceway (IA) IRA/MOWA
Sat, April 15 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Sat, April 22 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Sat, April 29 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Fri, May 5 – Missouri State Fair Speedway WoO
Sat, May 6 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Fri, May 12 – Jackson (MN) Motorplex
Sat, May 13 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Sat, May 20 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Sun, May 21 – Angell Park Speedway (WI) All Stars
Fri, May 26 – Jackson (MN) Motorplex
Sat, May 27 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Thur, June 1 – Jackson (MN) Nationals WoO
Fri, June 2 – Jackson (MN) Nationals WoO
Sat, June 3 – Jackson (MN) Nationals WoO
Fri, June 9 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway WoO
Sat, June 10 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway WoO
Sun, June 11 – 34 Raceway (IA) All Stars
Tue, June 13 – Eagle Raceway (NE) WoO
Fri, June 16 – River Cities Speedway (ND) WoO
Sat, June 17 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Sat, June 17 – Red River Valley Speedway (ND) WoO
Tue, June 20 – Granite City Speedway (MN) WoO
Fri, June 23 – West Liberty (IA) Speedway WoO
Fri, June 23 – Jackson (MN) Motorplex
Sat, June 24 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Tue, June 27 – The Dirt Oval at Route 66 (IL) WoO
Thur, June 29 – Deer Creek Speedway (MN) WoO
Fri, June 30 – Jackson (MN) Motorplex
Sat, July 1 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Sun, July 2 – Badlands Motor Speedway WoO
Fri, July 7 – Cedar Lake Speedway (WI) WoO
Sat, July 8 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Fri, July 14 – Jackson (MN) Motorplex
Sat, July 15 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Fri, July 21 – Jackson (MN) Motorplex
Sat, July 22 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Wed, July 26 – Peoria Speedway (IL) MOWA
Thur, July 27 – Tri-City Speedway (IL) MOWA
Fri, July 28 – Jackson (MN) Motorplex
Fri, July 28 – Jacksonville Speedway (IL) MOWA
Sat, July 29 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Sat, July 29 – Macon Speedway (IL) MOWA
Fri, Aug 4 – I-55 Raceway (MO) WoO
Sat, Aug 5 – I-55 Raceway “Ironman 55” (MO) WoO
Sun, Aug 6 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway Cappy Classic
Mon, Aug 7 – Southern Iowa Speedway Front Row Challenge
Wed, Aug 9 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway Nationals
Thur, Aug 10 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway Nationals
Fri, Aug 11 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway Nationals (Friday feature only)
Sat, Aug 12 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway Nationals
Fri, Aug 18 – River Cities Speedway (ND) WoO
Fri, Aug 25 – Jackson (MN) Motorplex
Sun, Aug 20 – Nodak Speedway (ND) WoO
Sat, Aug 26 – Knoxville (IA) Raceway
Fri, Sept 1 – Jackson (MN) Motorplex
Sat, Sept 2 – Jackson (MN) Motorplex
Sun, Sept 3 – Badlands Motor Speedway Huset’s Flashback
Fri, Sept 8 – Superior Speedway (WI) IRA
Fri, Sept 8 – Jacksonville Speedway (IL) MOWA
Sat, Sept 9 – Cedar Lake Speedway (WI) Jerry Richert Memorial
Sat, Sept 9 – Spoon River Speedway (IL) Tom Knowles Memorial
Fri, Sept 15 – Clay County Fair Speedway (IA) IRA
Sat, Sept 16 – Deer Creek Speedway (MN) IRA
Sat, Sept 30 – St. Francois County Raceway (MO) Queen’s Royale
Fri, Oct 6 – Fairbury American Legion Speedway (IL) MOWA
Sat, Oct 7 – Fairbury American Legion Speedway (IL) MOWA
Fri, Oct 13 – Jacksonville Speedway (IL) MOWA
Sat, Oct 14 – Jacksonville Speedway (IL) MOWA
Fri, Oct 20 – Lakeside Speedway (KS) WoO
Sat, Oct 21 – Salina Highbanks Speedway (OK) WoO
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
sprntcar@hotmail.com
Twitter: @BillWMedia
Website: www.OpenWheel101.com