• In Memory • - Legacy Tobacco Documents Library

Van Allen Tradition Lives On At Santa F e
A bright yellow car and a Jorge number 6 . For nearly three
decade, they were synonymous in Chicagoland racing circles with
the name of Bill Van Allen .
And with good reason. During his driving career . Van Allen
claimed six track crowns at Santa Fe Speedway in Hinsdale, three
late model titles at Raceway Park in Blue Island and o championship
or the Kankakee Fairgrounds Speedway in Kankakee . He also prov.
ed outstanding at the old 87th Street Speedway in Chicago . where
the soh spoken competitor netted live season titles and the long
forgotten Manco Pork Speedway, where he was also the titleholder
twice .
From the late 1940. right on through the stam of the 1970, there
was hardly o race fan around who hodart seen Van Allen behind the
wheel of one of his sanitary creations - be it on old Ford coupe . a
little Nash Ramble, a Studebaker Hawk or Lark, a big Ford Galaxie
or a midsize Chevelle . He drove them all with expertise .
So revered was the often called "Little Bill," that when he suc
cumbed to cancer in 1973 . Some Fe retired his number and initiated
a championship race in his honor .
But IO years lour, a living memorial to the legend has emerg'
old of Santo Fe ,
Its his nephew, Errol Van Allen, who at 33 . is not too young to
remember the contribution, his uncle made to the soon of auto racing,
And it's for that reason that Errol . in the midst of a comeback in
the late model class this year . has revived the familiar number. as
well as the pain, job.
No stronger to the cloy action . Errol . of Downers Grove, began
his driving career in the sportsman class in 1977, switching to the
late model division the following year . Experiencing just minimal
success . in 1975 he finished fourth in points and was named the
"moss improved driver' in the class .
In 1976. however. Van Allen , number 61 suddenly disap .
peared from the racing scene .
"It was mostly money ." Errol says of his untimely retirement .
But a lot of things have changed . I'm married now and my wife
likes stock car racing .'Financially I'm much better off too ."
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ecb81b00/pdf
Van Allen's brother, "Honest Melvin" Van Allen, 35 . of Justice.
a longtime fixture in the sportsman class, naturally kept Errol s in
forest in the spore olive during his "off years ." But he admits that it
was his involvement with three-time late model kingpin Jim 0 Con
nor of Kankakee last season that really sparked his comeback .
Surprisingly, Errol says that the cost of maintaining a competitive
machine has not changed much since he last drove . "The
expense is just about the some . There, no more shopping at the
junkyords for pans, though, its all store be for now . "
yet, Van Allen does not feel that the advonced technology has
hurt the spore . it . mode the young guys more competitive right
away now without having to go through the growing pain, she older
guys had to . I think its been harder on the guys who hove been r crng
for a lot of years . though . "
Errol readily admits that it is much easier to go to a stock car
pons store to purchase a replacement pan than to cruise a
unkyard in search of the needed pan .
He feels that the' lighter. more delicate cars have also forced
drivers to change their driving habits . "I think the guys are more
cautious with their equipment now as a result of it . "
With an investment of approximately $15.000 in his 1993 Howe
Firebird . Errol estimates .that by the end of the season he will have
spent nearly $30 .000 . An expensive hobby to be sure . But Van Allen
contends that Santo Fes generous payoff Mips drivers recoup at
least pan of their cash outlay .
His car is ca-sponsored by Prime Materials of Bridgeview,
Carmen's East Avenue Lodge in Hogkins . Palos Auto Pans of Polo,
Hills and Ray's Trockside Service in Chicago . Ace wrenches on the
Flrebird this year are Tom Dzedcic, Tom Novock, Neil Howell . Bill
Laverty. Lou Lefrana and Van Allen 's wife . Kathy .
As for his switch in numbers, Errol says that watching visiting
drivers taking pan in the back's special shows lost season promp .
fed his inquiry into the status of the long retired numeral .
'I talked to Howard (7eidt, Santo Fe owner'promoter) at the
banquet last foil and asked him why he was telling driven use the
number 6 again . He said that they were just visiting drivers and it
hod been a long time, a lot of people had forgotten about my uncle .
I asked him if I could register the number and he said I could - I
wanted to preserve it . Not have someone else out there using it .'
Assessing his chances this year . Von Allen predicts a 'pretty
successful season. "
Although he has been winless in two outings thus for in 1983,
Errol says that M has already seen some improvement. On open.
ing night I was in with he slower qualifiers . But Sunday night I
qualified for the fast heat. I didn't finish shot good in the feature
but we we go, some chassis problems to work owl . Once we get
around thet I think we'll be right up there .
"I'm lust so happy to be back out there again . Doing what I
really like . ' odds she enthusiastic competitor .
"I feel alive again!"