250px | |
Nationality | ![]() |
Born | 13 May 1931 |
Woonsocket, Rhode Island, United States | |
World Stock Car Championship | |
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10 races run over 1 season(s). | |
Rookie Season | 1950 |
Team(s) | Alfred Rose |
Championships | 0 |
Pole Positions | 0 |
Wins | 1 |
Podiums | 2 |
Top 5s | 6 |
Top 10s | 6 |
First Start | 1950 Icebreaker Sweepstakes |
First Win | 1950 NSCS Race 02 |
Last Win | 1950 NSCS Race 02 |
Last Start | 1950 Turkey Bowl |
Best Result | 3rd (1950) |
WSCC Canon Driver |
William Brian Gordon is a semi-retired American race car driver who competed in the World Stock Car Championship and open wheel racing. Gordon qualified on the outside pole for the first World Stock Car Championship race and managed to finish runner-up to race winner Ben Rogers; he would go on to win the next race at Seekonk Speedway.
Early Life and Career[edit | edit source]
Gordon began racing after World War II, taking up sprint cars when he was just 14; he recalls that he often lied about his age to promoters in order to race. Due to his young age, he became known to racing fans throughout lower New England as "Billy the Kid", a nickname which would follow him to stock cars when he met promoter Elliott Crawford in 1949.
World Stock Car Championship[edit | edit source]
Upon learning that Crawford and a group of track promoters had organized a professional sanctioning body, Gordon began to shop his talents to interested partners; one, Alfred Rose of Providence, offered Gordon a chance to drive his new Buick during the inaugural season.