Chicago Stock Car Racer Bob Weyrauch, 94

CHICAGO — One of the headliners in stock car action at the old O’Hare Stadium, Bob Weyrauch passed away Feb. 3 at the age of 94.

Around 1959 or so, Weyrauch began his speed career in the Cadet (sportsman) division at O’Hare – the quarter-mile paved oval located in the shadows of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

Late in the 1959 season, Weyrauch took a ’56 Chevy to the Meadowdale International Raceway’s road course in Carpentersville, Ill., and finished 15^th, after starting 31lst in an “open competition” event that was won by Gene Marmor. 

Weyrauch dominated the Cadet (sportsman) class at O’Hare in 1960, winning nine feature races.  He was listed in the O’Hare souvenir program as driving a Chevy No. 73 with his hometown being Antioch, Ill.

In 1961, Weyrauch moved into the O’Hare late model ranks and finished sixth in the points in a ’57 Chevy with a couple of heat race wins to his credit.  Prior to the 1961 season getting underway in the Chicago area, Weyrauch competed at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway in February, driving a 1957 Pontiac to a 13^th place finish in the NASCAR-sanctioned modified/sportsman race which saw 60 cars start.

He was among 61 NASCAR champions eligible for the Florida event as NASCAR sanctioned the races at O’Hare in both 1960 and 1961.

Weyrauch’s wife at-the-time, “Tootie”, also raced at O’Hare as well as his late brother, Don. “Tootie” Weyrauch passed away in 2024.

From 1962 through 1964, he was not ranked among the top drivers at O’Hare, but made a “comeback” at O’Hare in 1965, finishing ninth in the points. Calling Des Plaines, Ill., home at the time, Weyrauch was eighth in the O’Hare standings in both 1966 and 1967 and fourth in 1968 – the final season of racing at the “Track of Champions.”

Weyrauch won a late model feature at O’Hare in 1967 and won another late model main event in 1968 in his ’67 Chevelle No. 73.  Retiring from racing, he represented BorgWarner at Daytona for several years.  Weyrauch relocated to Florida for a time but returned to the Chicago area and was recently residing in Lake Geneva, Wis.