Nicknamed the “Silver Fox”
because of his gray hair and the sly tricks he used to win
races, Cantrell came to Southern California from Missouri
before World War II. He started racing in jalopies in 1936,
and raced midgets with the United Midget Association in 1939.
In 1940 and ’41 he drove more than fifty different
midgets looking for a car that would make him a winner. In
1942 he found that car and scored 15 wins and a 2nd in the UMA
points.
From
1945 thru 1964, Billy won more than 120 main events with the
United Racing Assn., AAA, and USAC. Included in this total is
the 1962 “Turkey Night Grand Prix”. He won the URA Red Circuit
Title in 1947 and was that association’s overall champion in
1951 and ’52. He also collected 18 sprint car wins with the
California Racing Association in this period.
After retiring from driving, he served for a time
as the west coast supervisor for USAC and as starter for the
USRC midget club. He died in 1986.
