Dell Crill
| Dell Crill | |
|---|---|
| Born | Delbert E. Crill September 27, 1939 Booneville, New York, US |
| Died | September 2, 1997 (aged 57) |
| Retired | 1960 |
| Debut season | 1956[1] |
| Modified racing career | |
| Car number | 10 pins |
| Championships | 1 |
| Wins | 10 |
Delbert Crill (September 27, 1939 – September 2, 1997) was a pioneering American driver of dirt modified stock cars. Known for driving car number "10 pins" with 10 lit bowling pins on the roof, he was always a favorite of the younger race fans.[2]
Racing career
Dell Crill began racing in 1956 in a 1939 Ford campaigned by Malcolm and Willard Ryder from Chaumont, New York .[3] He was barely 17, but his mother signed a form falsifying his age so Crill could race.[2]
Crill was one of the first to wear a shoulder harness as a winning advantage, finding that he would not need to expend as much energy holding himself in his seat on the turns.[2] He dominated the 1960 season at Watertown Speedway, winning 8 feature events including a streak of 4 in a row which was halted by a flat tire the fifth week.[4] Crill was also crowned the 1960 track champion.[5]
After the 1960 season ended, Crill fractured his pelvis in a work related injury and left the driver’s seat to raise a family and eventually become road supervisor for the village of Boonville, New York.[3][6] The Ryder brothers put Paul Shirley behind the wheel the following year prior to exiting the sport.[7]
References
- ^ Stoodley, Dave (2003). The Legends of Watertown Speedway. Speedway Press. p. 48. ISBN 9780967743844.
- ^ a b c Farney, Lloyd (May 16, 1997). "Boonville's Dell Crill remembers the wins, crashes, and the rivalries of the championship season of 1960". The Adirondack Mountain Sun. Lowville NY. pp. 10–11. Retrieved April 10, 2025 – via The NYS Historic Newspapers.
- ^ a b Stoodley (2003), p. 65.
- ^ "Tracks, Series & Organizations - Watertown Speedway". Auto Racing Research Associates. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
- ^ "Dell Crill captures title among local stock drivers". Watertown Daily Times. NY. September 14, 1960. Retrieved April 10, 2025 – via NNY360 Archives.
- ^ "Crill succeeds Brazie". Boonville Herald and Adirondack Tourist. NY. January 6, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved April 10, 2025 – via The NYS Historic Newspapers.
- ^ Stoodley (2003), p. 68.
