Billy Bowerman

HMS Team Driver

Driver: Billy Bowerman Jr.
Birthday: 6/16/1958
Married: Wife Tracy of 18 years

Children: 3 Girls, Missy 21, Ashley 16 and Britney 14.

Resident: Roseville, Ca.

Started Racing Karts: 1995 @ the age of 38
Stop Racing: 1998 @ the age of 41

Started Racing again in 2006 with Hinton Motorsports and Auto Pro Racing Engines in the F200 4cycle class

First Kart: I bought a used 1991 Margay and fixed it up and raced it in 1995 through 1996 season. 

Tracks I raced @:  1995 Prairie City, Davis

                                 1996 Prairie City, Davis, and Dixon

                                 1997 Prairie City, Davis, Reno, Medford and Dixon

                                 1998 Prairie City, Davis, Reno, Medford, Dixon and Las Vegas

Classes I raced: 1995 - 1998      KT100 w/pipe

                            1997 - 1998      KT 100 w/pipe & 80 Shifters

Sponsors KT 100 w/pipe:

                  1995 - Bill Pinzini got me into karting and helped me out all the time. 

                  1996 - Bob Snow was my mentor.

                  1997 - E.K.S. – CRG Karts - Peninsula Motor - Bob Snow

                  1998 - E.K.S. – CRG Karts - Peninsula Motor - Bob Snow

                  June of 1998 EMMICK Karts and Engines for 1998 I.K.F. Nationals 

Sponsors 80 shifter:

                   1997 Leading Edge Motorsports w/ Track Magic Kart (Greg Bell)

                   1998 Leading Edge Motorsports w/ Track Magic Kart (Greg Bell)

Accomplishments: 1995 did not race for points and only race 6 races my first year

                                1996 4th place in club points @ P.C. K.T. 100 w/pipe

                                1997 Won the Championship @ Prairie City in KT100 w/pipe.

                                1997 3rd place finish overall in I.K.F. Region 11 Nationals points  @ 5 different tracks, with a I.K.F. with a Win in IKF @ Davis (Blue Max  Track) in KT100 w/pipe class.

                                1997 3^rd place overall @ the Tri-County Championship Series with a                  win @ P.C.

                                1997 Mid June raced my first race with an 80 shifter kart and Leading Edge Motorsports @ Davis. There were 25 shifter karts and I Qualified 3^rd and finished 7^th. I had to start in the back of the pack @ the start of the race as I was a Rookie with an X on the kart.

1998 U.S. Nationals held in Las Vegas. I Finished 9^th place and qualified 10^th out of 42 entries in KT100/w/pipe karts. I was the highest finishing and qualifier for a non-sponsored driver in the KT100 w/pipe class at the US Nationals. I just received some help from EMMICK Karts to run their chassis and motor at the Nationals. In June, two months prior to the Nationals I received help from Joey Hand and Ron Emmick. Receiving help from those two guys was an honor for me. I knew when we got to the Nationals that they were going to be too busy to help me so I was on my own from here on out. 

Not So good Accomplishments:  1997 I flipped 3 karts in 5 weeks (Dixon, Davis and Reno) Reno was the worst of the injuries, I was in a Leading Edge Motorsports 80 shifter kart coming on the straightaway through a high speed chicane and the right rear tire dropped off the asphalt into a 6in gully of pea gravel that was put down to fill the gully (not a good idea) 4 racers had flipped during that weekend practice because of that drop off., which is where I took off for a ride, sliding through the pea gravel and then bicycling until it finally grabbed on it's side and off I went 15 feet high and came down upside down while I was still seating in the kart. The steering wheel pushed into my chest, I broke 3 ribs, cracked sternum and ligament neck sprain. But I came back to the track 5 hours later and watched the races. I actually qualified 3^rd behind Joey Hand but I can not think of the other drivers at that time. 

The days of KT100 w/pipe: The talent that came from the NOR-Cal area in the late 90’s was unbelievable, Joey Hand, Bob Snow, Eric Bartolero, A.J. Almendinger, Daniel Woltjer, Tophie Stewart , Danny Stewart, Ron Sutton, Damon Meek, Eric Halverson, Kris Shaw, Kyle Rassuchine, Scott Speed, Memo Gidley and Bernie Lamar and many more talent that was out their that I have not mentioned. We use to have 18 to 26 KT100's w/pipe at club races, unbelievable. I have pictures to prove it.

Best Battles on the track at club level: I would have to say Ron Sutton @ P.C. We always raced hard and gave no room for error. I respected Ron as a driver. One thing about Ron is that he was very organized, keep his equipment in top notch form and he always practiced to be the best he could. We were friends but competitors also. Ron and I had some differences on the track and heated moments, but that is racing and being competitors. The bottom line is Ron was a very hard charging competitor and it was good for me to be racing with a driver at that level. Ron always made me step up my game if I wanted to compete and to want to win races. I always tell the new drivers that I help, enjoy your wins that you earn as much and as long as you can, because someone is always going to come along and be better and faster. I also believe that if you don't have anybody to chase or better than you to compete with, you also will not get faster or better. You might be the top dog at you local track, but go to the big races and see how fast you really are, it will humble you in a hurry.    

SPECIAL THANKS:  I personally like to thank Bill Pinzini for getting me into karting and helping me out and teaching me about karting. What can I say about this guy, my friend Bob Snow, Bob did not know me before karting but ended up mentoring me in 1996. Bob had taken me under his wing and taught me to be faster than I would have ever thought of in the 3 years of racing. Bob taught me to be a smarter and more knowledgeable driver with accomplishment that I never even thought I would have reached.

 Special Thanks to Greg Bell (Leading Edge Motorsports) for giving me an opportunity to drive an 80 shifter kart and becoming a very good personal friend. Greg and I was really learning about 80 shifter karts at that time, it was also the start of a dream of Greg’s to become a very successful business man and owner of Leading Edge Motorsports in Lodi. Greg and I got along very well and accomplished a lot and proved to be a contender in such a very short time before I ended up quitting racing after the Nationals in 1998. I would like to also thank Joey Hand for all his knowledge and helping me understand kart handling and the proper racing lines whenever I had a question. I never had the money to take a driving class from Joey, but I wish I did back then because Joey is one of the most talented and under rated drivers in U.S.A. hands down.

I would like to thank all of you guys that I have mentioned for your help over those years and to all the great drivers I have had the opportunity to race with and learn from.

I would also like to thank Todd Hinton from Hinton Motorsports and Auto Pro Race Engines for calling me up one day in 2006 when one of his drivers could not make it out and asking me to test one of his F200 karts. The confidence that Todd had in me was more than I have in myself.  Putting me in one of his seats of the F200 4 cycle karts and start racing again is great feeling. The karting community, F200 drivers and all my old friends I get to see again are the best around.

Well I am 49 years old and back in the seat, I hope I didn’t forget every one of you that have taught me something, see you at the track.  

Billy Bowerman  Jr.