Bill Burrows
Bill started his racing career back in 1957 in a 1936 Coupe #31J at Pinecrest Speedway. The “J” in the number was to identify the division he raced in, “The Jalopy Division”. The first cheque Bill ever received in racing was for $5.00 and he was hooked on racing.
The following year, 1958, Bill now had a year of racing experience so he moved up into the “Modified” division. Bill’s Modified was built from a Model “T” body with a flathead Ford garnishing three Carbereteurs. This car was a powerhouse!
The year 1963 is when Bill switched to Late Models at Pinecrest Speedway.
The CNE switched from Supermodifieds to Late Models in 1963 so Bill would race both the CNE and Pinecrest Speedway. Bill raced the #65 at the CNE but the CNE Stadium from 1963 to the CNE’s closing in 1966 were not Bill’s best years. Bill went through 3 transmissions as he was running six cylindar transmissions in an eight cylinder car (the gear ratio was wrong).
Bill’s first feature win was at Pinecrest Speedway back in 1964 driving a 1955 Pontiac in the Late Model division.
During the 1967 racing season Bill was out of work and made his living racing at several tracks throughout southern Ontario such as Speedway Park, Westgate and Pinecrest. He would race as often as he could, wherever he could but he was always at Pinecrest Speedway on Saturday nights. On many race nights spectators would see Bill’s familiar #65 on Highway #7 without the hauler. Bill just lived across the road from Pinecrest at the time so he drove the car to the track.
Bill raced a 1965 Ford Falcon during the 1968 racing season.
It was 1969 that Bill first started racing Nova’s. This was the beginning of Bill’s Racing Team racing Nova’s for several years.
After Pinecrest Speedway closed its doors permanantly on August 14th, 1976, Bill started travelling to other tracks such as Sunset, Barrie, Westgate, Flamboro, Nilestown, Cayuga and Mosport.
For a few years Bill had a few cars on the track at Sunset Speedway that were all a part of his race team. Bill raced his familiar #65, Bob West raced the #64 and Bill Pickford raced the #66 all running for the Burrows Racing Team.
The “BURROWS BOYZ” racing team was formed when Bill got his oldest son Chris into racing. Then, in the mid 1980’s, Bill’s next son Jamie joined the team, and in 2000 Bill’s youngest son Michael joined the “BURROWS BOYZ” racing team.
Bill switched from Late Models to the Modified division in 1994 at Varney. He then joined the Ontario Modified Thunder series before joining the Ontario Modified Racing Series (OMRS).
Bill was 80 years old in his last season of competition. He did a farewell tour by going to different tracks in his ALL PRO Modified. The two best years of Bill’s career were 1970 and 1971 at Pinecrest Speedway.
That being said, the Burrows family racing legacy lives on. Bill put the racing bug in all of the Burrows boys, his grand sons and his great grandson. In 2003, Beau, Bill’s grandson started racing, then in 2006, David, his other grandson started racing.
Cole Burrows is Bill’s great grandson. Cole started racing in 2017 at only 8 years old. Cole has won a Championship in Jr. Late Models at Sauble Speedway and he is moving up to Mini Stocks in 2022.
Courtesy of Chris Burrows
