Bill Dominey
Mini Stock #30
Bill Dominey has been involved in the automotive business
all of his life. In the 1950’s he operated a service
station in St. Catharines, where he also sold used cars. In
1954, when Merrittville Speedway was only two years old,
Bill became involved as a crewman, along with Harry Ross and
Chuck Richardson and sponsor on the #3 Championship winning
car, driven by Orville Kelley and in 1955- #32 car driven by
Murray Stricker.
In 1958 when the jalopy division started,
Bill owned the J-16 stock car driven by Ted Holt and
sponsored by Dominey’s Service Station, better known as
“Jesses Place.” During the 1960’s Bill would own more stock
cars, now carrying the #30 and driven by Chuck Richardson
who also worked as a mechanic at the service station.
During this time, Dominey’s Auto Sales developed into a new
car dealership in 1965 for Toyota.
During
the mid to late 60’s Merrittville and Speedway Park
developed the Mini class of racing. By 1970-72, the Mini
Stock division was a good fit for Dominey’s Toyota and he
first built a Corolla and then a Celica race car, but also
furnished a Celica pace car for Merrittville Speedway. By
the mid 1970’s Bill and son, Dennis were racing against the
likes of Bob O’Hara, Larry Benjamins, Stan Pockupec and
Harry Vanderzanden with their racing Toyotas #30 and #36,
with the assistance of crew chief Bill Howe.
In the early 80’s the minis evolved into
the mini modified class and in 1984, Bill raced in two
divisions, the #30 Mini Modified and #30 Limited Sportsman
at Merrittville Speedway. In 1989 Bill decided to move up
to the modified class, fielding a new BRP #30 modified. In
1990 son Dennis took over the driving duties in the #30
Dominey’s Toyota sponsored modified, racing competitively
until 1994. Bill Dominey has accomplished much in racing
and business.
In racing, Bill will probably regard his
involvement in the Dominey’s Toyota Mini Stock team,
culminating in back to back championships in 1978 and 1979,
as a high mark, and in business, the rise of “Jesses Place”
into one of the oldest Toyota dealerships in Canada. Bill
has since sold his dealership to the Performance Group and
still is a race fan at Merrittville some 50 years later.
Bill will always be remembered as King of the Minis.
Sincerely, Rick Kavanagh