This story, written by long-time Raceway Park announcer and motorsports writer, Wayne Adams, appeared in Raceway Park’s 1964 Souvenir Program.  Thanks to Todd Miller for his editorial help with this article.

The Bill Cornwall Story

by Wayne Adams

It has often been said that one of the toughest tasks in short track stock car racing is to win a track championship at Raceway Park. Ask Bill Cornwall, – who struggled thru 18 years of racing – 15 of these in stock cars, before finally gaining his first track title here in 1963 at the World’s Busiest Track.

First of all, Raceway Park runs more programs – more feature races per season than any track known: the track contour is such that a driver must learn to battle and shove every inch of the way; and the caliber of competition is so high that any one of a dozen drivers can win the feature race on any given nite. A driver who survives a full season here, certainly deserves to be called a Champion and could hold his own on any track in the nation.

The first time Bill Cornwall entered a competitive speed program, he suffered a broken leg. This occurred back in 1946, during a Tourist Trophy – cross country motorcycle race at Schererville, Indiana (now the Illiana Motor Speedway), where Bill embarked on his career of speed. Bill had long entertained a desire to enter some form of racing and this early accident failed to dampen his ardor for the sport. He had hoped to own a standard racing car but the cost was too high and he attempted cycle racing as a stepping-stone to bigger things. Since that day, he has continued in racing – riding cycles, driving stock cars and racing midgets.

Early career motorcycle racing took him to many different tracks around the nation and he competed in many National Championship events. He drove his first stock car at Raceway Park in 1949 – climbed the success ladder into National Title competition during 1954-55-56 at many of the large, major tracks and has driven most of the midwestern short tracks thru the years. He also drove standard midget race cars at Raceway Park several times during the 1951 season.

His speed career has been spotted with thrills and action. He suffered several spills while racing cycles – most of them minor in nature. However, in 1950 at the Kankakee, Ill. Fairgrounds, he sustained serious head injuries when his two-wheeled vehicle plunged thru a fence and went cart-wheeling out of control. He has been upside down four times in stock cars and has had several cars demolished while still at their wheels. He flipped three times at Raceway Park during the 1951 season and once during the 1962 campaign. He escaped from these accidents without injury.

He was badly shaken up Aug. 23, 1952 after leading a Raceway Park feature until the final lap. His car tangled with one driven by Chet Ogrentz and as Cornwall spun around, Dennis Rubino crashed into the driver side, pinning him behind the wheel. His car ran in tight circles with the unconscious Cornwall behind the wheel until pit men rushed to his rescue. Early in 1953, his 1951 Ford was ripped to shreds after a spinning tangle with Warren O’Lena in a Raceway feature but Bill escaped with minor bruises and a similar accident early in 1954, also demolished his car.

For years, he competed in the National Championship motorcycle races on the sands of Daytona Beach, Florida. His best attempt there was a 20th finishing spot over 125 riders in a 50 mile event. He also drove late model stocks at Daytona several times – his last appearance in 1954 when he qualified a brand new Oldsmobile at nearly 118 mph. Mechanical failure forced him from the 160 mile classic.

The first three years at Raceway Park, Cornwall was not listed in the top 15 drivers. He started the 1952 season with honors as he won his first feature race on Easter Sunday – April 13, 1952. He didn’t win another until Sept. 27th of that season when he copped the 100-lap Noble Trophy Race then came back with a repeat win the following nite. He finished the season 11th in point standings.

He enjoyed great success here in 1953 – started burning the track early in the season and had 8 features before early June. He finished the year with 13 wins – second only to Champion Bryant Tucker, who had 17 firsts.

During 1954, Cornwall won only 2 features and was 13th in points, then during 1955-56, he toured the country with the late model circuits, driving at many of the major mile ovals, etc. He came back to Raceway in 1957 and his consistent driving earned him 4th spot in final points, altho he failed to win a feature.

He won 1 feature in 1958 – (Aug. 13th) and wound up 13th in points; in 1959 he also won only one feature—a Monza Classic and again he was 13th in point standings. He raced at Santa Fe Park in 1960 but came back to Raceway in 1961 and again was 13th in final points.

Cornwall really started to move among top-rated drivers in 1962 after receiving financial and moral support from his current sponsor, Roy Repole of the Rosario Italian Sausage Co. He drove the Rosario Chevrolet to 18 feature wins and finished 3rd in points behind Ray Young and Don Oldenberg.

Last season he saw action in two Rosario Spl. Chevys – a 1960 and later a 1963. He won another 18 features including the Mid-Season Title, 50 lapper and two Monza 120 Classics and won the Season Title by a margin of nearly 1100 points over Bud Koehler.

Bill was born in Harvey, Illinois, Nov. 19th, 1923 and has lived in Harvey every since. He attended Lowell elementary school and Thornton Township High School where he played center and end on the football team. He is married (Rosemarie); has two sons, Robert, age 12 and Bill, Jr., age 7; is nearly six foot tall and weighed 200. Off the track, he is a self-employed mechanic.

His wife’s complaints about the dangers of motorcycle racing actually prompted him to enter stock cars, – she wanted him in safer activity. He has won numerous trophies along with his many title races but his greatest thrill in racing was winning the coveted Raceway Park Championship last season.

Cornwall is rather mild and modest – he doesn’t say too much, even when being interviewed after a big win and seldom loses his temper while racing. He feels that any deliberate action against him on the track can be repaid at a later date in the same manner. He has one ambition in racing – to stay with the sport as long as he can twist a wheel. He prefers stock cars – asphalt tracks – still entertains a desire to someday drive a big car in open cockpit action – and also has a great desire to return to Daytona Beach and try his luck on the huge banked 2-1/2 mile oval. He spent three years in Army Ordnance during World War II including two years in the South Pacific combat zones without injury.

In the 17-year history at Raceway Park stock car action, no driver has ever won the track title two years in a row. Bill Cornwall will try to break that ‘jinx’ during 1964 when he returns to the racing wars with his ‘well-armed’ Rosario Spl. Chevy with that bright orange paint job and the familiar No. 3.