2017 Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers Society 1

BILL TOMICKI Pioneer - Hot Rod and Custom Car - Inducted 2017

with four children, six grandchildren and a recent great grandson.

In 1958 Bill purchased a 1955 Thunderbird that, in 1954, had been the first ever T-Bird to appear in the showrooms of B.C. Ford dealerships. Around this time, near the closing of the Digney Speedway, Bill also became involved with stock cars.

With his friend Jim Marchant, Bill became involved with the start-up of the B.C. Track Racing Association (BCTRA) which, after a lot of work, brought racing to Haney Speedway and other tracks in British Columbia.

Always tinkering, Bill, with his lifelong friend Brian Anhert, built a modified oval track race car with torsion bar suspension, Watts linkage and a downtube roll cage as part of the chassis. Later this downtube became the standard in sprint cars. The vehicle was then sold to Moe Vallaint the next year and Bill became crew chief for Moe, winning the BCTRA championship.

During the winter of 1962, with Moe’s assistance, Bill did a frame-off restoration of his 1955 T-Bird. The car became a well-known show car with a Fred Welsh candy apple paint job and Jack Peebles upholstery. It was during this time, under the guidance of Fred Welsh, Bill developed his expertise in custom painting.

Bill purchased a 1940 Ford Deluxe

2-door sedan in 1995. He spent four years rebuilding the Ford which became an impressive hot rod and is still seen at a number of events.

In 2001 Bill purchased an original 1929 Ford closed cab which he still owns. This led him to build a similar 1929 truck from scratch resulting in a beautiful black hot rod pick-up. Bill also acquired a stunning original 1955 Mercury Sun Valley.

For the better part of his life Bill worked on the waterfront for Canadian Stevedoring Company Ltd., as a heavy duty mechanic, foreman and superintendent. He retired in 2001 as an equipment and maintenance manager.

When not spending time with his family, Bill can be found in his back garage, building or re-building something to do with automobiles. An avid outdoorsman, Bill enjoys annual hunting trips with his two sons as well as an annual trip with Marg in the RV to Campbell River, where he belongs to the Tyee Club, and has caught a number of monster Spring Salmon over the years.

Weather permitting, Bill and his lovely bride, Marg, take his BMW motorcycle, his custom built pick-up or his 1955 Mercury out for Sunday rides.

By Fred Welsh Nominated by Fred Welsh

From motorcycles to custom cars to classics to oval track cars, William (Bill) Tomicki has had a passion for all motorized things on wheels since early childhood. Self-taught, for over sixty years Bill has mastered the skills of rough and tumble engine building and re-building; the finicky and sophisticated intricacies of modern-day electronics; mechanics, and the art and eye for finishing and painting.

Born on Richmond, BC farm lands in 1938, Bill quickly discovered a keen interest in motorcycles and automobiles. As a teenager, Bill hung out at local gas stations, watching and learning, soaking up all that he could. While attending school and before he had a driver’s license, Bill purchased his first used motorcycle, an A.J.S. This was followed by a new A.J.S. Scrambler.

As a young man, Bill’s first car was a 1949 Mercury which he quickly gave the custom treatment: lowering ; blanking out the door handles, trunk and hood; adding external pipes and custom upholstery; completing a beautiful blue paint job; and, of course, installing a hot flathead engine.

Like so many other young male car enthusiasts Bill had another passion — girls. Bill was lucky to meet Margaret Riedel in 1958. Now married for 57 years, Bill and Marg have been blessed

Left and above: Two stages of Bill Tomicki’s automotive life.

2 2017 Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers Society