Bill Wigzell O.A.M.

Bill Wigzell the wizard of Speedway was born 13 / 04 / 30. In 1979 Bills height was 6′ and Weight was 12. 7. and in that year he recieved the Order of Australia Medal in the Queens Birthday List. Bill was one of only two speedway racers that raced both the first ever race meeting at Rowley Park Speedway in 1949 and the last in 1979… the other being Laurie Jamieson. Bill Wigzell went to school at Wellington Road Primary School where he finished grade 7. Bill Wigzell loved messing with cars, hotting them up etc. and through his then boss Ernie Turner was introduced to Alex Rowe and Alex Rowe’s Eliza Street workshop who quickly snapped up Bill as an apprentice mechanic, starting the very next week working with race vehicles. Bill Wigzell started his racing career in road racing on a motor cycle at the age of 16. Bill Wigzell’s first ever Speedway meeting was at the age of 18 in the 1948 / 49 season when good friend Peter Mildren asked Bill if he would like to race his ex Lindsay Mitchell J.A.P. at Kilburn Speedway. Bill Wigzell then went on racing at least twice a week at both Rowley Park Speedway on wednesday nights, Kilburn Speedway friday nights and occasionally at Sellicks Beach as well. Bill Wigzell racing Speedway was an expensive sport but with the help of Jack Young who gave Bill his used tyres, Bob Leverenz his used chains and Tom Butterfield who made his first set of leathers. ( Tom Butterfield still attends Motor Cycle Speedways such as Gillman Speedway. ) Bill was successful as a Solo rider representing South Australia all over the country. Bill gradually rose through the ranks to become a great Speedway Solo rider without becoming a star racing against the likes of Jack Young and Bob Leverenz. When Bill’s mates John Prettejohn and Bluey Scott headed overseas to compete in England on the Orcades in March 1951 Bill really wanted to go as well but unfortunately Bill was working as an apprentice earning 12 shillings per week and was already married. This did enable Bill Wigzell to compete interstate which was the highlight of Bill’s Solo Speedway carreer representing South Australia with the likes of Bill Maddern, Johnny Kelvin and Laurie Jamieson in a 3 match series against Western Australia at Claremont Speedway in December 1952. It was Bill Wigzells job look after all of Kym Bonythons Speedcars that Kym Bonython had purchased from interstate to boost Speedcar numbers at Rowley Park Speedway and also Kym Bonythons Speedboat ” Bullo Bee”. There were many times that they were at Rowley Park Speedway on friday nights, Tracey’s Speedway in Melbourne on saturday nights and back to Snowdens Beach on the Port River to race Kym Bonython’s boat ” Bullo Bee” on the Sunday. In the 1953 / 54 season Kym Bonython had organised Sir Jack Brabham to design and build an 1100cc VTwin Speedcar. Bill Wigzell was then asked by Kym Bonython in the 1954 / 55 season if he would like to race the speedcar built by Sir Jack Brabham. Bill Wigzell proved himself right away that he was to be a force on 4 wheels immediately qualifying for the South Australian Speedway Championships. In the following season 1955 / 56 Bill Wigzell took out the Chas Ern Sconce trophy for Speedcar handicaps ( Ern Sconce the X clerk of the course at Rowley Park in the 1950’s. ) , along with a second behind Harry Neale in the under powered Speedcar in a scratch race points score and the over all Speedcar point score. The following season 1957 / 58 they fitted a more powerfull Ford V8 engine into the Speedcar but unfortunately an accident at work kept Bill out for most of the season. In the 1958 / 59 season Bill Wigzell had little success but the following seasons improved. Bill Wigzell in the 1960 / 61 season was the Speedcar superstar winning four features and leading all four point score awards but in the 1961 / 62 season Bill Wigzell while practising had his leg caught in the gear box and universal joint causing serious injuries. In 1965 Alex Rowe asked Bill to drive the yellow number 2 Ford powered Speedcar that was later sold to and driven by Joe Brandler and then went on to be driven by various drivers including Colin Hennig (deceased), Steve Stewart and was then later powered by a Mazda rotary engine driven by the oldest son of Colin and Thelma Hennig Steve (also deceased) at Speedway Park and has now been restored to the Supercharged Peugeot owned by Mr. Ian Gear. Bill Wigzell then won the Harry Neale Memorial, the Golden Fleece 50 lap derby and the 40 lap South Australian round of the National Speedcar Drivers Championship. Kevin Fischer from Fischer Ford of Murray Bridge who origionally purchased “Suddenly” from Graeme McCubbin of Victoria offered Bill Wigzell the drive that was to become a great team. The Fischer family still own “Suddenly”.

Bill Wigzell and “Suddenly” (a 427 Chevrolet) won 14 race meetings for the season. In 1970 Bill Wigzell won the Australian Super Modified Championship at Morriset ( NSW ) and in 1972 Speedway Clubs were offering Bill $200 to thrill spectators with one or two lap exhibition laps on their tracks. Bill then won 3 successive Craven Filter National Titles – Brisbane 1972, Claremont 1973 and Rowley Park 1974. Bill Wigzell won five South Australian Titles in 1971 /73 / 74 / 75 and 76and was R.D.A number 1 on 6 occasions. He also has both Victorian and N.S.W. Titles, the Rick Harvey Memorial and the Easter Derby at Warnrnambool 1974 / 75 season along with so many other titles in both Super Modified and Speedcars. At one stage Bill Wigzell and “Suddenly” held every lap record at Rowley Park Speedway ( more in history ). In 1979 Bill Wigzell was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for service to the sport of motor racing and was still ranked second in the country after his second place in the Australian Title at Warrnambool. Bill Wigzell went on to race at Speedway Park still winning various races and then retired in 1986 going on to help Terry Wigzell (his son) who is successfully racing speedcars after a successfull Moto Cross career….. Bill Wigzell and “Suddenly” at a Gillman Speedway tribute to Bill on 20 / 10 2007