Over the summer of 2015, Bill Sauve of Tully, NY, lived out a longtime dream of getting behind the wheel of a dirt modified car at Rolling Wheels. He documented his Kenny Wallace Dirt Driving Experience as a contributor for Apex (read it here). For those that don’t know, this program travels to tracks all over the country and for a fee, anyone can try their hand at running dirt oval late models, sprint cars, and recently added big block modifieds. The thrill of this experience hooked Bill so hard that he went out and bought his own race car!
Bill is a Teacher at Ithaca High School, where he teaches Technology and Engineering Education courses and is an inspiration to students and friends as he pursues his dream to become a dirt racer on the weekends. He is going to share his experiences at the track with his students and show them that you should chase goals and dreams that may seem unattainable. He will also be documenting his progress as a racer and describe what it takes to get into the motorsport for us.
Along with Apex Automotive Magazine, Bill has already picked up a few sponsors to help alleviate some of the costs and getting his car in proper shape for its first race, including Eco Electrical Contractors, Veteran Construction, C&B Auto, and AtomicWraps.com (who is helping us design a full vinyl wrap with an exciting theme and colorful graphics). A mock up can be seen below, but graphics are subject to change.
Bill will be racing weekly at Fulton Speedway, cutting his teeth in the Sportsman Novice class while he gets the hang of wheeling a machine of this caliber. He’s no stranger to racing and has competed in many various forms of competition over the years. I have a feeling it won’t be long before he starts climbing the ranks and winning races. Just look at his dominating performances at the local kart track.
Here are some shots of the progress on his car. New sheet metal panels are already on order and the crew is working tirelessly to have the car ready for the spring.
We know how tough it is to get started in a new endeavor (look at our magazine), so we are trying to step up and give this man all the support we can to jump start his racing career. For those interested in also helping Bill pursue his dream, I’ve personally set up a GoFundMe page where folks can donate towards the many upcoming season expenses he’s going to incur. We even threw in some Apex gear to sweeten the deal. You can also Like his Facebook page and follow along as he posts updates on the car’s progress and results through the year.
Good luck at the track Bill!
-Kevin Crandall