SpeedWORLD Story – How Did SpeedWORLD Become a Complete Racing Facility from a full time job and then getting injured?

• SpeedWorld owner Billy Bowerman began racing RC cars in 1981 with an Associated RC100 after moving back to California from Reno, Nevada.
• While driving through Cupertino, California, Billy heard the sound of small cars in the distance that reminded him of buzzing bees. Curious about what he was hearing, he drove over to investigate and discovered a local RC racing club known as the R.A.M.S. Club at a local college.
• It was there that Billy met Gary “Bear” Buraini, who was one of the top RC drivers in the country. The two quickly became close friends and even moving next door to Gary and his family and shared a friendship that lasted more than 35 years.
• Gary “Big Bear” Buraini was not only a talented racer but also a great friend and respected member of the RC community. Rest in Peace, Big Bear.
• During Billy Bowerman’s first year in RC racing with the R.A.M.S. Club in 1981, he became very involved with the club and the growing RC racing community.
• Billy started creating a monthly newsletter for the R.A.M.S. members that included racing information, club news, race results, new members and driver statistics for everyone to enjoy and follow.
• Everything was created completely by hand using a typewriter, pencil, ruler and copier machine long before computers were available for everyday use. It took a lot of time, creativity, and dedication, but it was a blast and became a fun part of the RC racing experience during that era.
  Each month, he would print approximately 20–25 copies, then staple them together like a small pamphlet and hand them out at the next race. The pamphlet was typically a single sheet of paper folded in half (about 4 x 5.5 inches). Depending on the month, it was sometimes 4 pages and other times expanded to 6 pages. so, time went on 6 years, and Billy became President of the R.A.M.S. Club for several years and then quitting and moving on in life.. 

• Timing systems in those early days were very basic compared to today’s technology, with no modern electronic scoring systems.
• Instead, up to 10 clicker counters were mounted on a wooden platform at a table. Two or three people, often including wives and volunteers would sit at the table and each person would be assigned specific cars to manually count during the race.
• A flagman would start the race by raising the green flag and sounding a horn. Turn marshals were also used around the track, which remains one of the few elements of racing that has not changed much over the years.
• Track markers were placed every 5 to 10 boards which were 1/2in x 8in high boards around the course to help track positions. The little nitro engines would race and run for 4 to 5 minutes, and when the horn sounded at the end, all drivers had to stop immediately and remain where they finished.
• After the race ended, officials would use the clicker counters at the table to tally laps for each driver, then locate each driver’s car on the track. They would identify which marker the car was closest to, measure the distance between markers using the boards, and write down final results manually.
• It was an extremely manual, intense, and sometimes chaotic process, it somehow worked, and it is remembered as an incredible and unbelievable part of early RC racing history.
• We also used VHT cut with methanol for traction, highly illegal to say, that chemical on the asphalt today's day in age would not go over well with hazmat. Plus, back then, it was like 20 dollars a gallon and we used 4 or 5 gallons a race, so it was pricey.
• Billy Bowerman worked for Federal Express from 1981 to 1990 while continuing to stay heavily involved in RC racing and the racing community.
• During that time, Pops Losi contacted Billy and asked if he would come to Southern California to manage and operate the famous Ranch Pit Shop and race facility as General Manager, at that time with starting a family how can you say no to one of the two top manufactures in the world, and it was Pop Losi.. The Losi family was very into smart business dealings. Having a son like Gil JR if not one on the smartest and best designers in the r/c industry in the world, even as of today, and then Alan the younger son was well known as one of the top skate boarders along with Pops having business ties with that hobby's also. On top of that Jr. was one of the top drivers in the county. and Alan played the drums in a local band.
• The Ranch Pit Shop was already world-famous for hosting major RC race events and was known as the home of Team Losi. But long before Pops and Janet Losi purchased the facility, the Ranch was already a legendary location in RC racing history.
• The facility was also widely known as the original home track of John Thorp and Thorp Racing, which later became the birthplace of the famous Thorp MIP tools and products that racers around the world still use today still being one of the best tools in r/c market.
• Billy and his wife Tracy packed up and moved south while Tracy was five months pregnant so Billy could begin working for Team Losi and the Ranch Pit Shop.
• Billy worked for Team Losi and the Ranch Pit Shop for approximately 12 months. During their time in Southern California, Billy and Tracy welcomed their daughter Ashley into the world.
• Ashley was born eight weeks premature, and doctors had to deliver her early to protect both Ashley and Tracy from potentially serious complications.
• With Ashley’s health uncertain at the time and not knowing what challenges might lie ahead, Billy and Tracy made the difficult decision to move back closer to family for additional support during such an important time in their lives.
• Looking back, it was the right decision for both their family and Ashley’s well-being.
• After moving back home, Billy Bowerman was fortunate enough to be offered a management position at Hobby Warehouse, a well-known RC race facility and mail-order company.
• Hobby Warehouse carried many of its own high-quality products and had built a strong reputation within the RC racing industry. Billy worked there for about a year before realizing he needed to focus on building a more secure future for his family.
• Billy then made several phone calls and was able to return to work at Federal Express in 1992. He always believed in leaving jobs on good terms, and that decision helped open the door for him to return.
• In 1995, while working at the Federal Express facility, Billy was seriously injured when an oversized and overweight package was placed onto a conveyor belt and slammed into him, herniating four discs in his back.
• Billy was out of work for approximately eight months. Even without full medical approval from doctors, he returned to work because he needed to support his family. He wasn't receiving any assistant beside workman's comp. 
• He continued working for another 4 years despite being in constant pain and eventually reached a point where he could barely walk very far and hunched over in pain like a 90-year-old man,. And he was only 41 years old.
• Federal Express was required to offer Billy another position, but the job and salary being offered were not realistic for his physical condition. He also received lifetime medical coverage, which unfortunately did very little to truly help his situation because he was turned down on 70% referrals and it took forever to be approved. No layer at the time would challenge a pay settlement. All Federal Express had to do to meet the law was re-bilitate and offer him a job. They were willing to him to college for a new trade, but is was only $2,000.00 dollars that they would give me. It was a joke. 
• Billy ultimately decided to leave Federal Express before starting the call center position that they offered him, but he knew physically sitting for long periods would not work with his injuries, those injuries would last 10 years before he was able to get used to the pain  Federal Express said I was only allowed to get up during my breaks, so that was not working. 
• During this difficult time, Billy and Tracy were raising their two beautiful daughters, Ashley and Britney, and Billy knew he needed to find another path to provide for his family.
• Even though Federal Express strongly encouraged Billy to become a manager, he knew the long-term future there was not going to work for him physically. At the same time, he had already begun searching for property where he could build and operate an RC racetrack and Hobby shop as a new source of income and a way to stay involved in the RC industry he loved. and knew.
• After the injury, Billy lived in severe pain for over a decade. During rehabilitation, he was taking large amounts of pain medication daily and Motrin around 4000-5600 daily just to try and function through the pain. after 10 plus years Billy had an esophagus problem, and other issue could be going on with liver and other parts from talking so many medicines. His inn liner of his esophagus was be eaten away by the medicine and Motrin, so they had to find an anther alterative for the pain.
• The medications often left him feeling exhausted and mentally drained while he struggled through therapy and recovery.
• For years, Billy could not even lift more than 10 pounds, including being unable to properly pick up and hold his own newborn children because of the damage to his back for over the years, but that didn't stop him from doing anything, even started lifting more weight and not caring any longer, but he also learned how to lift to get him through.. Billy was determined to do whatever he wanted and did care about the damage or pain. Tracy was having to do more than she signed up for, but never once did she ever complin, not one single frekin time. Tracy, even worked a full-time job and mother of two and more. She was working 50 hours a week at Intel. And then helping me  
• Billy lived with extreme pain for over 10 years, and at that time very few doctors were willing to perform surgery on his back because of the severity and risks involved.
• Doctors explained that major surgery would likely require rods and extensive reconstruction in his lower back, and even then there was no guarantee of a successful outcome. Because of the risks, Billy chose to continue living with the pain rather than gamble on a surgery that might not end well.
• Despite the constant pain and physical limitations, Billy refused to give up. Over time, he learned ways to manage the condition, even though he knew certain activities would always be limited, but he did it anyway. Billy raced completive go karts for about 6 years, He loved the racing, after a lot of the was Billy was in so much pain that Tracy or friends would have help get him out the kart. It was a great family sport. I was able to race and became good friends with AJ. Allmendinger, one of the greats Joey Hand, Vince Poulo, Ron Emmick, Bobby Oracle, Scott Speed, Patrick Long and much more. The talent that came from Northern California and Southern California was some of the best drivers in the country at one location. Naturally I was grandpa to them, I was like 43 years old and those kids were 15 to 19 years old.  
• What made the situation even harder was knowing that Federal Express provided very little financial support after the accident. At that time, the company’s responsibility was mainly limited rehabilitation and offering another position even though the injury happened while Billy was performing his job duties in front of over 50 employees.
• Billy did not have the luxury of standing still and feeling sorry for himself because he had a wife and two daughters depending on him.
• Instead of quitting, Billy focused his energy on building a future through the hobbies and passions he loved. He knew life could change at any moment, and he was determined to do everything possible to provide for his family no matter how difficult the road became. If Tracy was not going to support this idea, I wouldn't know where we or I would be in life.
• Billy eventually found a piece of land located at the Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville, California, only 4 miles from the house. This would later become the home of SpeedWorld Raceway & Hobbies foe over 20 plus years.

• Tracy and Billy had made the decision to go broke trying or work hard and go big.  Billy made an agreement with the fairground to lease for 5 years, not year to year. We were investing our life's, blood, sweat and tears into this place. The bottom line the fair board like because kindness to people on the property, help them out with electrical problems and Iwe kept the race factify clear and control people from speeding on the property and parking in order. If any disrespect the facility grounds, I would ask them to leave and not come back. I only had 1 major fight and kick out 4 people in the 19 years.

• The property had originally been an old spool yard for the Roseville electrical and rail yard dating back to World War II, where military artillery and bomb shipments passed through at the train yards located only a few miles away for us.  And there were 4 or 5 bombs that had to be blown up that the found in 2007 or so 20 or 30 feet deep buried from the war, crazy. They couldn't move them so they blew them up in the ground, The land was rough and filled with large holes in the ground, some nearly 6 feet wide and 1 to 2 feet deep.

• Billy knew that if he wanted to create an income and future for his family, he would have to work harder than ever, even if it meant putting additional strain on his already damaged back and strain on Tracy having a family that she took care of.
• Tracy was understandably concerned about the physical toll the project could take on Billy and her, especially after everything they had already been through with his injuries.
• But Tracy stood by Billys side the same way she always had over all the years. She believed in him completely and supported his dreams 100%, often believing in him even more than he believed in himself.
• Billy and Tracy both knew they did not have much cash money to invest, but they did have good credit and credit cards. Because Billy no longer had steady employment, getting a business loan was not an option.
• Tracy fully supported the dream, and together they started charging materials and expenses to credit cards while working day and night to make the project happen.
• Tracy still worked 55-60 hours a week, and took care of their two daughters, and somehow Tracy still found time to come help at the property almost every chance she had, including all day Saturdays and some Sundays. Billy has always said that none of his dreams or goals they have achieved together would have ever been possible without Tracy standing beside him every step of the way. You find a good woman, you will find a good man, Tracy shaped be to love instead for being angry all the time and not caring in life. With determination, support, hard work, family, friends and new friends that we meet while building this project, this project would have taken a year to finish, and I don't think we would have made it financially after setting back and thinking about it. 
  Billy and Tracy officially began building SpeedWorld Raceway & Hobbies from underground up, lol..
• Billy’s longtime and best friend and so-called brother, Jon Anderson, who was the lead machinist for Team Losi Manufacturing, actually quit his job at Losi and moved to Northern California. Jon moved in with us to help us build the dream with no questions asked.
• The project took nearly 6 months of nonstop work, often working seven days a week. Jon built and helped construct the pit tables, the driver’s stand, and the timing tower which required an incredible amount of wood and labor.
• Jon was known as a perfectionist, so extra time was often spent making sure everything was built correctly, but Billy would not have wanted it any other way.
• Once the word spread that a permanent RC on-road race facility was being built in the area, racer started showing up to volunteer and help. Billy always felt it was a blessing from the Lord above seeing so many people come together to support someone elses dream. But it also shows the r/c community that loves one of the best and greatest racing hobby in the world.
• Billy’s brother-in-law Tom also came out during his free time and weekends to help with construction and whatever else was needed for months.
• Then Scotty Barns came along in our life and began helping as well, eventually becoming one of the biggest contributors to SpeedWorld’s success for nearly the next 19 years. Billy has always considered Scotty one of the best friends anyone could ever ask for because of his kindness. Scotty is someone that you would want to work for you, he takes pride in himself and work.
• Then we had one of Billy’s closest and dearest friends, Otto, also became a huge part of the project and the SpeedWorld family. Otto was known as the “gentle giant,” standing around 6'3" or so and nearly 280 pounds, with the ability to build or fix just about anything or even move a car out of the way by himself, lol.
• Billy joked that Otto was so strong that he broke things simply because he tightened everything too much, but Otto would fix everything he ever broke. Otto was the kind of friend who would give someone the shirt off his back in 10 deg or drive 100 miles at 2:00am in the morning just to help with something as small as a flat tire.
• Billy and Otto shared countless memories together and built a friendship strong enough to write a book about. With crazy shit, lol
• Another person came out to help and became a major contributor to SpeedWorld Raceway, we were like a sponsor track from Cipolte Buritos when he worked as the District manager., Tom Meyer, known by many as “Mr. Red Robin,” “Mr. Chipotle,” and later “Mr. Blaze Pizza” because of his successful management career with major restaurant.
• Before his passing far too young, Tommy was known as one of the kindest, funniest, and most respectful people anyone could meet. He had a calm personality, incredible leadership skills, and a work ethic that made major companies seek him out to manage and improve their businesses. Billy remembers Tommy as a truly special person, with a gift and was good friend. 
  Rest in Peace Tommy.
• Tracy’s cousin’s husband also stepped in to handle the electrical work for the facility.
• Since the property originally had no electricity at all, Billy, Tracy, and Jon first had to dig 8-inch-deep trench stretching nearly 300 feet just to bring power onto the property.
• The project required installing a 200-amp electrical service and purchasing large amounts of expensive cable and electrical equipment pulling with a car threw the ground conduit. .
• After the trenches were completed, Tracy’s cousin’s husband and installed all of the electrical outlets and wiring throughout the facility, including 192 receptacles and more than 600 feet of electrical wire just for the outlet system alone.
• At the time, there was no permanent RC on-road racetrack within nearly 160 miles from Roseville California, which made the project even more exciting for racers throughout Northern California and the Sacramento region.
• One of the first major construction projects was completing and repairing the perimeter fencing around the property.
• After that, we had to have a Folsom asphalt company came out and completely resurface the grounds 3in deep with fiberglass inside the material to keep the strength at 106 deg in the summer, transforming the old World War II spool yard into what would eventually become SpeedWorld Raceway & Hobbies. Folsom Asphalt and even helped us and allowed us to make payment for 2 years until paid off, this was unheard off. At that time it was around $20,000.00 dollars, they only asked for 1/2 done. 
• Then Billy decided to put up lights which wasn't in the plan for night racing, Billy study how to draw up a blueprint and how to design and measure wind structure and place rebar for the design so he can take it the city approval and the permit. It saved about $3,500.00 dollars at that time doing it himself. These were not stand-up lights; these were 6 or 7 30 ft light poles in the ground around the track that needed permitting, The lights were around $7,000.00 dollars.
• Then we had a racer that become a dear personal friend Marc Richards come out and be my builder, Marc is another perfectionist that would build anything I asked, Marc built our snack shack building and garage shed for storage. This guy can build and do it correctly. You never knew he was around working, he just goes to work, and you might hear him sneeze once in a while. Dud is the best friend away from SpeedWorld.
•  The snack bar area we had some of the best food and best French roll sandwich's, hot dogs, deep fried French fries, nachos, candy, soda, ice cream and much more, we had the machines. And guess what, Tracy had to spend 3 hours a week just to feel the snack shack on top of all her other duties. 
• The kids were like 12 and 14 years old, they ran the snack shack when they needed money Tracy ran the snack shack and ran the hobby at the same time, glad they were close together while I announced the races and organized the day. The kids made tips lie most the time 40 to 60 on a club race on tips, plus we pain them 10 dollars a hour, they would work 6 hours on a Sundays.
• SpeedWOLRLD raced on Wednesday's nights, Fridays nights  and Sunday days. We alternated Wednesday and Friday night racing.
  
  
  SpeedWorld Raceway had been one of the premier racing facilities for on-road and oval 1/10th scale nitro and electric racing from 1999 to 2021.