DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla. — Bobbie Adamson, a champion sprint car driver who was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2010, died April 11 at the age of 86.
Born in Zanesville, Ohio, to Harry Laurence and Zelma Ross Adamson, Adamson served his country in the U.S. Navy and was a skilled aircraft mechanic.
However, he was best known for his career as a sprint car driver. He made his racing debut in 1958 at Greater Pittsburgh Speedway in a stock car, but one year he later he moved to the sprint car division.
While he was successful in the Midwest, it wasn’t until Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., began presenting sprint car racing that his career really took off.
In 1967, he won 12 races, including the 100-lap National Open, at Williams Grove en route to the track championship while driving for Wilbur Hawthorne. He added seven wins and a track championship at Selinsgrove (Pa.) Speedway that same season.
He also added two wins with the IMCA sprint car division, a victory at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway and he closed out the year with a win in the 100-lap Pacific Coast Nationals at California’s Ascot Park.
The 1968 season saw Adamson score six more wins at Williams Grove, including another National Open victory. He also collected wins at Selinsgrove, Jennerstown and Latrobe speedways.
Adamson parted ways with Hawthorne early in 1969 and landed a ride with team owner Al Hamilton. The duo stayed together until early in 1973, winning 36 races, including 10 at Selinsgrove in 1972.
During his time driving for Hamilton he also won multiple IMCA events and scored wins at Hagerstown and Tri-City, with the Tri-City victory coming during the inaugural All Star Circuit of Champions season in 1970.
He also scored a midget victories, winning twice in a car prepared by Ken Brenn at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds and Reading before crashing at Williams Grove when the throttle stuck.
His last victory came in the 1973 Winternationals in Tampa, Fla. He parted ways with Hamilton soon after. He never raced regularly after that, only taking the occasional ride as his career wound down.
Adamson is survived by his wife Nancy Adamson of 65 years; three sons, Jeff Adamson and wife Tammy, Kevin Adamson and wife Karen, and Brett Adamson and wife Tammy; one daughter, Dawn Britcher and husband Tony; two sisters, Joy Hudson and Janet Lewellen; 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
A private celebration of life service was held.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be mailed to the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing, P.O. Box 688, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055. Please put “Bobbie Adamson” in the memo line of the check.