Willie Borsch
American drag racer (1930–1991)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Willie Borsch (February 19, 1930 â October 1, 1991), nicknamed "Wild Willie",[1] was an American AA/FA and funny car drag racer.
| Willie Borsch | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | February 19, 1930 |
| Died | October 1, 1991 (aged 61) |
| Altered | |
| Awards | |
| International Motorsports Hall of Fame | |
History
Borsch started racing in Altereds in 1960 with Winged Express, built by Borsch and partner Al "Mousie" Marcellus,[1] assisted by Howard Johansen (of Howard's Cams), Don Reynolds, Phil Johnson, Dale Young, and Jerry Hyatt.[2] The car's 392 hemi was built by Jim Harrell (of Jim's Auto Parts).[2]
Borsch raced Winged Express for ten years, winning AA/FA (supercharged A-category Fuel Altered) at the NHRA Winternationals in 1967 and 1968.[1] Since AA/FA was not recognized as a class by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) until 1967, Borsch was never credited with a national title.[1]
On 28 September 1967 at Irwindale, Borsch turned in the first 200 mph (320 km/h) pass in an Altered, at 7.91 seconds and 200.44 mph (322.58 km/h).[3]
Borsch qualified for the 1968 NHRA Winternationals, a 32-car field in Top Fuel, setting an AA/FA record elapsed time of 7.29 seconds. The rest of the field refused to race him, for fear of the ill-handling Altered. It turned out they were right: in round one of Super Eliminator, Borsch went from guardrail to centerline in a wild ride, which was photographed by Bob McClurg; it "became one of the most famous drag racing photos of all time."[1]
After getting a deal with model kit maker Revell for royalties,[4] Borsch took the wheel of the new Wild Man Dodge Charger funny car. Because he had become famous for driving Winged Express one-handed, using his other arm to brace himself against the body of the car, he created a dummy arm and attached it to the left window of the new funny car. This was included as a feature of the Revell kit.[5] The Revell deal, and the partnership with Marcellus, fell apart after the independent-minded Borsch refused to wear a sponsor teeshirt for a publicity event.[6]
Borsch died in October 1991 at age 61.[1]
Borsch was named to Car Craft magazine's All-Star Drag Racing team six years in a row, starting in 1967.[5] He was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1992.[1] He was also rated as one of NHRA's 50 greatest drivers.[1]