Wednesday, September 18, 2019

"Canadian Motorsport Hall Of Famer" Billy Foster Born - September 18, 1937

September 18, 1937 - January 20, 1967
Billy Foster

Born in Victoria, British Columbia.
Besides driving in NASCAR, Foster also drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1964-1966 seasons, with 28 career starts including the 1965 and 1966 Indianapolis 500 races, making him the first Canadian to race in the "Indy 500". He finished in the top ten 10 times, with his best finish in 2nd position in 1966 at Atlanta.

Foster died in a crash during practice for a NASCAR stock car race at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California. Foster is the only Canadian racing driver to have been fatally injured at a NASCAR event.

He and Mario Andretti became best of friends, building a close relationship which Andretti claimed he would never do again with a fellow racer because Foster's death so significantly affected him.

Foster was cousins with musician, producer, composer, arranger David Foster and with Canadian stock car driver Jim Steen.

He was inducted into the Victoria Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 1993.

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