Biography
“They said I couldn’t do it,” remarked D. William (Bill)
Smith of Speedway Motors. “But I
did.” Located in Lincoln, Nebraska,
Speedway is the largest supplier of engine parts, chassis, suspension and body
panels for all types of race cars. Known to most as Speedy Bill, he started
Speedway in 1952, for manufacturing, on-site retail and high-volume mail-order;
it has been called America’s oldest speedshop. Bill’s private collection of
refurbished antique racing engines and other collectibles remains one of the
nation’s most impressive, and he enjoyed many successes as a race car builder
and driver. He served on the SEMA Board of Directors from 1977 to 1978. He was
the recipient of the PWA Pioneer Award in 1986, while the National Street Rod
Association named him Man of the Year in 1991, and the City of Lincoln
presented Speedway Motors with its Cornerstone Award in 1993 in recognition of
its phenomenal growth and provision of stable jobs in the city. Hot Rod
magazine inducted Bill into its Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2000, he was inducted
into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, and served as the Grand Marshall of
the Goodguys Street Rod Nationals in 2001.