Billy Rafter Explained

Birth Name:	William Rafter
Birth Date:	July 31, 1929
Birth Place:	Clarence Center, New York, U.S.
Achievements:	1959 NASCAR NY Sportsman Champion^[1] 1959 New York State Fair Champion^[2]
Total Cup Races:	35
Years In Cup:	6
Best Cup Pos:	19th (1958)
First Cup Race:	1949 Hamburg NY
Last Cup Race:	1958 Rochester NY^[3]
Cup Wins:	0
Cup Top Tens:	11
Cup Poles:	0

William “Billy” Rafter is a retired American champion stock car driver from Clarence Center, New York and a pioneer of the sport.

Racing career

Billy Rafter made 35 appearances in the NASCAR Grand National Series, the first of which was in 1949, the inaugural year of the Cup division.^[3] He otherwise spent the majority of his career racing in the Late Model Sportsman and Modified divisions, competing at the renowned tracks of the northeast, including Fonda Speedway NY, Langhorne Speedway PA, and Perry Speedway NY.^{[1] [4]} In 1961 he won the inaugural event at the newly opened Utica-Rome Speedway. ^[5]

Rafter was inducted into the New York State Stock Car Association and the Northeast Dirt Modified Halls of Fame. ^{[1] [6]}

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (

Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Grand National Series

NASCAR Grand National Series results
Year	Team	No.	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	49	50	51	52	53	54	55	56		Pts	Ref
1949			Ford	CLT	DAB	HBO		HAM 3	MAR	HEI	NWS																																																	20th	160	^[7]
1953			Plymouth	PBS	DAB	HAR	NWS	CLT	RCH	CCS	LAN	CLB	HCY	MAR	PMS		LOU	FFS	LAN	TCS	WIL	MCF	PIF	MOR	ATL	RVS	LCF	DAV	HBO	AWS	PAS	HCY	DAR	CCS	LAN	BLF	WIL	NWS	MAR	ATL																				146th	64	^[8]
1954	Billy Rafter	141		PBS	DAB	JSP	ATL	OSP	OAK	NWS	HBO	CCS	LAN	WIL	MAR	SHA	RSP	CLT	GAR	CLB	LND	HCY	MCF	WGS	PIF	AWS	SFS	GRS	MOR	OAK	CLT	SAN	COR	DAR	CCS	CLT	LAN	MAS		NWS																				201st	14	^[9]
1956		41	Dodge	HCY	CLT	WSS	PBS	ASF	DAB	PBS	WIL	ATL	NWS	LAN	RCH	CLB	CON	GPS	HCY	HBO	MAR	LIN	CLT	POR	EUR	NYF	MER	MAS	CLT	MCF	POR	AWS	RSP	PIF	CSF	CHI	CCF	MGY	OKL	ROA	OBS	SAN	NOR	PIF	MYB	POR	DAR	CSH	CLT	LAN	POR	CLB	HBO	NWP	CLT	CCF	MAR	HCY	WIL	73rd	623.4	^[10]
1957	C.M. Julian			WSS	CON	TIC		CON	WIL	HBO	AWS	NWS	LAN	CLT	PIF	GBF	POR	CCF	RCH	MAR	POR	EUR	LIN	LCS	ASP	NWP	CLB	CPS	PIF	JAC	RSP	CLT	MAS 17	POR	HCY	NOR	LCS	GLN 10	KPC																					99th	128	^[11]
	Billy Rafter																																							LIN 23	OBS	MYB
		4	Plymouth																																									NYF 24	AWS	CSF	SCF	LAN	CLB	CCF	CLT	MAR	NBR	CON	NWS	GBF
1958		150	Ford	FAY	DAB	CON	FAY	WIL	HBO	FAY																																																		19th	2916	^[12]
		50									CLB	PIF	ATL	CLT
		57													MAR	ODS	OBS	GPS	GBF	STR	NWS	BGS	TRN	RSD	CLB	NBS	REF	LIN	HCY	AWS		MCC	SLS	TOR	BUF	MCF	BEL	BRR	CLB	NSV	AWS	BGS	MBS		CLT	BIR	CSF	GAF	RCH	HBO	SAS	MAR	NWS	ATL
			Chevy																												RSP

Notes and References

1. Web site: Billy Rafter Returns For May 30 Hall of Fame Happening . DIRTcar Racing . May 1, 2023.
2. News: Rafter wins at Syracuse . . September 8, 1959 . . February 9, 2024.
3. Web site: Billy Rafter-NASCAR Cup Series. Racing-Reference. May 1, 2023.
4. Web site: Billy Rafter Career Results. The Third Turn. May 1, 2023.
5. Web site: Utica-Rome Speedway celebrates 900th modified feature race Friday . Syracuse Post Standard. 2023-05-01.
6. Web site: Meet Stock Car Hall of Fame inductees at Saratoga Auto Museum. The Saratogian. 2023-05-01.
7. Web site: Billy Rafter – 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Results. Racing-Reference. July 9, 2023.
8. Web site: Billy Rafter – 1953 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. July 9, 2023.
9. Web site: Billy Rafter – 1954 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. July 9, 2023.
10. Web site: Billy Rafter – 1956 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. July 9, 2023.
11. Web site: Billy Rafter – 1957 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. July 9, 2023.
12. Web site: Billy Rafter – 1958 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. July 9, 2023.