Remember When by Don Gamble

Bill Webster

Bill Webster started his racing career racing hydroplane boats for Doc Frawley.

Frawley was a very successful car owner and a dentist. Bill developed an interest in racing, and wanted to get behind the wheel to see what it was like. That was his explanation of his start in racing. He got behind the wheel and liked it.

A few years later, he started maintaining and driving racecars for Frawley. Webster’s auto racing career began in 1950 driving for Vee Colangelo of Trafford, PA. The maroon and white Ford coupes carried the number V-3 to many victories. He had this ride over a five-year period. This was unusual in the early days as drivers were changing cars on a weekly basis.

Webster drove for Joe Borandi, Doc Frawley and Joe Meinert just to name a few. His most successful ride was with Doc Frawley. Bill built and maintained the cars and Frawley supplied the engines. The little Blue and White 1937 Ford Coupes were one of the sharpest looking and most competitive cars in the Pittsburgh Racing Association at that time. The years Bill drove the Frawley cars he finished as high as third in the point standings in the competitive Pittsburgh Racing Association circuit. In those days, the Pittsburgh Racing Association ran five nights a week, and Bill held down a steady job with Menzie Dairy as well as maintaining the racecar.

A stormy finish in 1958 put Billy Webster and his blue and white Ford in third place, making him the hottest driver for the last month of the season. The combination of Frawley engines and Webster prepared cars were very competitive.

With 1386 points, he ended up within striking distance of the runner-up spot held by Joe Mihalic. In Bill's case, as in Joe's, he ended up with shortly after with almost 300 points in 1958; more than the previous season had produced. Bill became a staunch member of the "1,000 point club.

Webster was a familiar name around the Pittsburgh Racing Association during the coupe years. When Frawley quit racing Bill started driving car #17 owned by Joe Meinert. The car was powered with an Oldsmobile engine. The Meinert brothers were involved in racing cars for several years. Bill was the driver that gave them their first feature victory. In 1959, the team scored a career first at South Park.

There was and is more than just racing in Bill's life. He and wife, Dorothy, raised five children. The family consisted of Janet, Debbie, Katy, Kimmie and Billy, Jr. Young Bill Jr. also raced in the four cylinder division for several seasons at the local tracks. 

Bill, Sr’s. favorite track was Heidelberg. Most of his success was realized at the popular Carnegie speedway. He was always a sportsman on and off the track and ready to lend a helping hand to any driver in need. His only other hobby besides racing was hunting.

Bill Webster Sr. may have been forgotten over the years and was unknown by most of the younger fans. He returned to the Western Pennsylvania tracks behind the wheel of the Blue and White Ford Number 7 in the Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Senior Series over thirty years after his great career with the Pittsburgh Racing Association. He was a regular in the old timer’s races at Lernerville, Pennsylvania, and Motordrome Speedways.

Bill, like many of the pioneers in local racing, is no longer with us but the race fans from the glory days of the P.R.A. will always remember the hard charger from McKeesport, PA and his regular visits to the winners circle.