News

Mr. Smooth knows how to get around Knoxville Raceway

Mr. Smooth knows how to get around Knoxville Raceway
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
by Lee Ackerman

If anybody has done it all in Dirt Late Model racing, it’s Mr. Smooth, Billy Moyer. A native of Des Moines, Iowa now living in Batesville, Arkansas, Moyer actually started his racing career in motocross winning 160 races and three Iowa State Championships.

In 1977, he switched to cars and won 20 features in Street Stocks. Then he switched to Dirt Late Models and as they say the rest is history. When some people had written him off as over the hill by the end of 2008, he came back in 2009 posting over 20 feature wins and then in 2010 he had an unbelievable year with 24 feature wins including the $100,000 to win Dream, his sixth World 100, the Knoxville late Model Nationals (where he won all 3 features) and the Illini 100.

His resume of victories in major Dirt Late Model races in mind-boggling. Six World 100’s, Two Dirt Track World Championships, Two Dreams, Four Topless 100’s, Three Show-Me’s and the beat goes on and on.

Not one to chase series championships, nevertheless Moyer totally dominated the World of Outlaw Late Models its first time around in 1988 & 1989 winning 22 of 39 features and the championship both years. He later added a World of Outlaw Championship in 2005, He also won the Hav-A-Tampa Championship in 1997 and the USAC National Championship in 1986 & 1987.

When it comes to Dirt Late Models and Knoxville Raceway, Moyer has been the most successful of any driver. He’s won at Knoxville with several different series and in 2010, he accomplished that no other driver has been able to duplicate and that is to win all THREE nights at the Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals.

Moyer’s first win at Knoxville was a big one as he won the 100 lap National Dirt Late Model (NDRA) feature on July 25, 1985. The NDRA was the first true national touring series for dirt late models and 1985 was its last year of existence.

Moyer inherited the lead when pole sitter and race leader Charlie Swartz went pit side on lap 37 with a broken coil. The win was worth $3,000 for Moyer but it was also his third win on the NDRA’s Midwest Swing and that earned him an additional $5,000 bonus.

The next big late model special at Knoxville wasn’t until July 29, 1988 when the newly formed World of Outlaw Late Model series hit town. This time Moyer had a real battle on his hands as he and Ken Essary traded the lead back and forth before Moyer assumed control with 12 laps to go and led the rest of the way to score a $4,000 and increased his lead in the World of Outlaw point standings. Moyer won both the 1988 & 1989 World of Outlaw Late Model Championships before the series went dormant for coming back to life in 2004.

It would not be until 2000 when Moyer returned to victory lane at Knoxville and that was to win with yet another national series in the United Dirt Track Racing Association (UDTRA) more commonly referred to as the Hav-A-Tampa series. Mr. Smooth started on the pole of the 60 lap feature but it wasn’t long and he had company.

Starting 14th was the “Wisconsin Wildman” Dan Schlieper and he was coming through the field. Schlieper was by Scott Bloomquist for second early and then passed Moyer for the lead and appeared to be driving away with the race.

Then on lap 33, Schlieper slowed in turn four with a broken suspension. This allowed Moyer resume the point and he drove on to win the event. “I don’t think we had anything for Dan,” Moyer said in victory lane. “He must have made a better tire choice than we did because he was awful strong. It looked like he broke the suspension when he hit the inside berm.”

Later, Moyer said what an honor it was winning at Knoxville. “I’ve always wanted to win a race here after growing up watching sprint cars,” said Moyer. “This is a special place for me because it’s Knoxville, and I have a lot of family members here that are either watching me race for the first time, or don’t get to see me race often.”

Two weeks later, Moyer returned to Knoxville for a UMP Hell Tour race and totally dominating the 100 lap affair despite some great racing for position going on behind him.

By 2008, many were saying Mr. Smooth had slowed down was entering the last stages of his career and just didn’t have it like he once did. So in 2009 he posted those 20 plus wins and then really he caught fire in 2010 and entering the Knoxville Late Model Nationals he had posted 21 wins (including the fore mentioned Dream and World), but nobody expected what was about to happen.

On Thursday night, he started 11th on the grid in the 25 lap preliminary feature and charged to the front of the stellar field to take the lead with eight circuits to go and pick up the win and pocketed $7,000.

Then on Friday, started sixth in the feature and moved to the front and hounded race leader Josh Richards in the later stages of the race, taking the lead in lapped traffic and posting his second win in two nights. Fans started to ask the question, can Mr. Smooth do what no other driver has done and sweep all three nights of the Knoxville Late Model Nationals?

They got their answer the next night and it was a resounding YES! Starting on the outside pole Moyer grabbed the lead from Scott Bloomquist on lap 12 and drove to a dominated victory to take home the $40,000 first prize check and become the first and still only driver to sweep all three nights of the Late Model Knoxville Nationals.

“It was a very special weekend for me, not only to win all three races, but to do it in front of a bunch of family and friends,” exclaimed Moyer. “A lot of those people only get to see me race once or twice a year, so it’s nice to perform at a high level in front of them.”

In 2016 Mr. Smooth has cut back his racing schedule. Oh he’s still winning, last time I checked he had least eight wins to add to his already 805 entering the season.

Finally, while continuing to visit victory lane, Moyer has concentrated on the continued development of the Moyer Victory chassis and sharing his wealth of experience at Karl’s Performance. There is a strong indication that this maybe his last year behind the wheel of a dirt late model. Whatever his decision it has certainly been a pleasure watching him wheel a dirt late model for over 35 years.

From Dirt Late Model fans across this great country, thank you Mr. Smooth for all the great memories you have given us.