Bill Koenig

By Stan Kalwasinski

Chicago, Ill.—Noted Chicago area stock car owner, builder and mechanic, Bill Koenig passed away on September 26, 2015  Born in 1936, Koenig was a product of Chicago’s southside and as a young man tinkered with engines, camshafts and crankshafts at the family-owned business, Jerry’s Auto Parts on West 103rd Street in Chicago.

 Koenig got involved in street drag racing as a young man, but soon found himself helping driver Ted Janecyk with his 1941 Buick stock car at Raceway Park near Blue Island – the year was 1953.  Later, he began owning his own stock cars with drivers like Louie Panico and Rich Sutkus doing the driving with the cars sponsored by Jerry’s Auto Parts.

 Koenig became involved in drag racing, building a twin 409 cubic inch Chevy-powered dragster.  He later would admit there was definitely no money in drag racing at the time.  In addition to stock car and drag racing, Koenig also worked on midget and Indianapolis car equipment, helping out on some of car owner Babe Tuffanelli’s racing machinery.

 1963 saw Koenig begin to become a very successful car owner at Raceway Park.  He started the season with two red and white, Jerry’s Auto Parts-sponsored, Chevrolets with Ted Janecyk and Johnny Kapovich doing the driving.  The drag racing 409s were providing the power and running up front and winning became familiar for the Koenig-prepped race cars.

 For the 1965 season, Koenig built a ’65 Chevelle on a ’59 Chevy frame and stuffed a 409 engine into it.  With Janecyk handling the wheel, the team won the late model track championship at Raceway Park.  Janecyk won 27 feature races in the fast red and white No. 1.

 Legendary Chicago area racer Bud Koehler began driving for Koenig in 1966, wheeling Koenig’s freshened up Chevelle – now carrying Koehler familiar number, 77, on its sides.  Koehler won 28 feature races at Raceway in 1966 and another track title for Koenig.

 The Koehler/Koenig combination had begun their domination of Raceway Park.  Bud and Bill would team up to win six Raceway Park late model championships from 1966 through 1976.  Koehler would win a then-record 30 feature victories at Raceway Park in 1967 during the track’s usual four-night-a-week summer schedule.

 Each year, Raceway Park would host its late season 300 Lap Classic on the tight quarter-mile paved oval with Koehler and Koenig winning the race five times, including three straight (1972, ‘73 and ’74).  The K&K team would end up winning 241 feature races from 1966 through 1978 as Koehler and Koenig retired after the 1978 racing season.  Koehler passed away in 2003.

 A former policeman for the Village of Calumet Park, Koenig was the owner of Bill’s Auto Repair and B&B Hot Dogs in Calumet Park.  Koenig’s stock cars were kept at his auto repair shop, which was across the street from Raceway Park with the cars sometimes just driven to the track for a night of racing.

Inducted into the Illinois Stock Car Hall of Fame in 2014, Koenig never seemed to miss an old timers’ get-together or reunion.

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