Allan Willard
The
Merrittville Speedway Wall of Fame, all started twenty years
ago this season ,in 1990 ,when the owners of Merrittville
Speedway, the Irvine Family, organized a gathering of Alumni
to honour members of our racing family who had devoted
decades pursuing their love for stock car racing. Jeno
Begolo, Ivan Little & Bill Willard Sr. were these people.
Bill Willard Sr. was a car-owner who=s passion for stock car
racing was shared not only by his wife Annie, but also son
Allan and daughter Betty. During the 1950's and 1960's
Willard=s Auto Wreckers and Towing fielded bright red stock
cars for drivers such as Don Taylor, George Winger, Bev
MacTavish and Terry Edwards. It was during this period
that the now famous #77 and #777 were born. During the
1970's however the family=s passion for stock car racing
passed on to the third generation.
Allan and Laura=s son Bill Willard Jr. showed interest in
racing and under the support of Grandpa Bill, Bill Willard
Jr. showed up at Merrittville with a stock car, painted red
with #77 on the doors. It wasn=t long before Bill Jr. was
moved up to the unlimited 6 cylinder sportsman class in a
1933 Ford coupe. At this point, Bill Willard Sr., Annie,
Allan and Laura were supporting the budding career of Bill
Jr. but by the 1980's Tammy, Bill=s sister was racing
go-karts with the Virgil Kart Club and the racing bug was
catching on. The Willard Family again supported Tammy=s
moving up to the Abomber division@ and after apprenticing in
that division, Tammy moved up to the, you guessed it,
Sportsman division.
We
now had the 77 jr and 77 jr.ette racing in the sportsman
division under the watchful eye of Grandpa Bill Sr. and
father Allan. At this point in time, Willard and Son Towing
had evolved into the CAA towing service founded by Bill Sr.
with Annie becoming its first dispatcher. The Willard
family lived on First St. Louth, having moved from Rockway
where they operated the CAA towing fleet and the Willard
Racing Team. Bill Jr.=s and Tammy=s racing careers in the
Sportsman division were evolving under family guidance but
in 1990, Bill Sr. was diagnosed with cancer and later passed
away. After Bill Sr.=s passing the family regrouped and
under the watchful eye of Allan, Laura and Annie, the CAA
towing business continued to evolve and grow and so did the
careers of Bill Jr. and Tammy with their racing at area
ovals especially at their home track- Merrittville Speedway.
Allans passion for racing carried over from his father
Bill Sr. where he continued to field sportsman racers in the
1990's for Bill Jr., Tammy and even son-in-law Guy
McPherson in the 777 who caught the sportsman division
racing bug. By the new millenium, Tammy, Bill Jr. and Guy
had enjoyed much success in the sportsman division,
collecting track championships at area ovals, including
Merrittville Speedway. Not only was Allan mentoring
sportsman division racing, but Tammy, Guy and Bill Jr. were
mentoring the next generation of Willard Racing as Tyler
McPherson enjoyed a very successful karting career at
Merrittville and by 2004 with multiple Merrittville karting
championships in hand, moved up to the Hoosier Stock
division, driving a Mike Granton prepared 777 Camaro,
sponsored by the McPherson family trucking business. In a
short period of time Tyler adapted to the Merrittville oval
and other area tracks winning 2 championship titles in
2005.
For
2006 under the watchful eye of Allan, Bill Jr., Guy , and
Tammy, Tyler moved up to the sportsman division under the
Willard-McPherson family 777. The fourth generation of
AWillard Racing@ was now racing sportsman stock cars. After
racing for 4 decades and two Merrittville track
championships, Bill Willard Jr. decided to hang up his
helmet but not before winning the Bill Willard Sr. Memorial
feature race on Labour Day weekend 2005, in his new
Bicknell, won at the 2004 banquet. After the season
finished Bill=s son B.J. having raced go-karts, met with
grandfather Allan, father Bill Jr. and it was decided to let
B.J. race the 77 Jr. in the sportsman division as a rookie.
For 2006 Tyler=s brother Cody also after racing go-karts,
moved into the 777 Mike Granton Camaro, for his turn at the
wheel. So after a couple of seasons learning his way around
Merrittville=s oval, Cody ,as well, decided that he would
join his cousin and brother in the sportsman division. These
young racers have come a long way in short period of time
where these fourth generation drivers are carrying on a
family tradition that started in the 1950's under great
grandfather Bill Sr., with as many as 4 cars; #77 Terry
Edwards, #78 Stan Friesen, #79 Allan Willard and #777 Bev
MacTavish. Today Cody McPherson #7, B.J. Willard #77, and
Tyler McPherson #777 some 6 decades later are keeping the
Willard Racing legacy alive in the sportsman division at
Merrittville Speedway under the watchful eye of Grandpa
Allan.
Tonight Allan, it is your turn to take your place
alongside your father Bill Sr. And daughter Tammy, on the
Merrittville Speedway Alumni Wall of Fame. Your leadership
in keeping your father=s passion for stock car racing alive
at Merrittville Speedway with the fourth generation.
Whether on the track, providing towing, or a stage for our
59th Anniversary-Reunion night, the CAA has always been
there to help. The difficult part for Allan and Laura is
sitting in the grandstands cheering for 3 grandsons in the
same feature. In fact, Tyler=s 777 won the 40 lap sportsman
AKing of the Crates Arace on June 19, 2010. Congratulations
Allan from the Merrittville Speedway Racing family on this
evening of celebrating 59 years of continuous Saturday night
dirt track racing and your induction on to the Merrittville
Speedway Alumni Wall of Fame, sponsored by L. St. Amand
Enterprises, CAA Niagara, Auto F/X and Lucas Oil.
Sincerely Rick Kavanagh
“Chairman” Merrittville Speedway Alumni Reunion
Committee.