Bobby Bottcher
| Bobby Bottcher | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Bottcher Jr. June 26, 1939 Manhattan, U.S. |
| Died | August 10, 2024 (aged 85) Palmerton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Modified racing career | |
| Debut season | 1957 |
| Championships | 1 |
| Wins | 72+ [1] |
| Finished last season | 1980 |
Robert "Bobby" Bottcher, Jr. (June 26, 1939 – August 10, 2024) was an American Dirt Modified racing driver. Bottcher had a 9-year winning streak at the Orange County Fair Speedway (New York, 1970–1979), capturing 26 modified features and the 1973 track championship at the venue during his career.[2][3] Bottcher died at Palmerton, Pennsylvania on August 10, 2024, at the age of 85.[4][5]
Racing career
[edit]Bobby Bottcher started racing as a 16-year-old at Pennsylvania's Lehighton Fairgrounds and nearby Mahoning Valley Speedways in 1957. He went on to compete successfully at the Mid-Atlantic's toughest venues including Evergreen Raceway (Pennsylvania), Grandview Speedway (Pennsylvania), Harmony Speedway (New Jersey), Lebanon Valley Speedway (New York), Nazareth Speedway (Pennsylvania), and the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway (Pennsylvania).[1][6][7][8]
After he retired from driving, Bottcher turned to supporting his son Steve's racing career, which included a 1982 Sportsman division championship at Orange County.[9] Bobby Bottcher was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame in 2000.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Hanna, Bill (May 11, 2019), 1973 Modified Point Champion and 26-time Modified Winner honored tonight, Orange County Fair Speedway, retrieved April 6, 2024 – via Auto Racing Research Associates
- ^ McMillan, Ken (June 3, 2010). "Good old days return to OCFS". Times Herald-Record. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ "Bobby Bottcher Tribute at OCFS on Saturday, May 11". Dirt Track Digest. May 2, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ "Bobby Bottcher Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Famer dies". Speed Sport. August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "Robert "Bobby" Bottcher, Jr". Schisler Funeral Home. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ "Bottcher nabs Mahoning race". The Morning Call. June 22, 1959. p. 14. Retrieved April 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bobby Bottcher makes progress". Reading Eagle. July 17, 1967. p. 17. Retrieved April 6, 2024 – via Google Books.
- ^ Taylor, David (August 3, 1978). "Bottcher captures Schaefer". The Evening News. p. 5B. Retrieved April 6, 2024 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Numbers adding up for Bottcher sponsor lightens work load for Lehighton modified driver". The Morning Call. July 21, 1994. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ Donnelly, Jim (January 11, 2020). "Orange County Fair big blocks sanction with DIRTcar". Speed Sport. Retrieved April 6, 2024.