Bob Barkhimer - 1945 BCRA Midget Driving Champion

BOB BARKHIMER
March 15, 1915 - June 17, 2006

Bob Barkhimer, or "Barky" as he was known in motor sport circles, passed away on Fathers Day, June 18 at age 91.
Undoubtedly one of the West Coast's premier race promoters, Barky was a major influence on short track auto racing, along with promotions in champ car, motorcycle and event unlimited hydroplane racing in California.
It was he who opened the way for NASCAR on the West Coast, replacing his California Stock Car Racing Association in 1954. That came about when Bill France Sr. asked Bill Jr. to look up Barkhimer while stationed at Moffett Field during his stint in the U.S. Navy. A relationship with Barky and his partner Margo Burke developed. Bill Jr. stayed weekends with them and attended several of the Bob Barkhimer Associates 22 short tracks in California. Barky journeyed to Daytona Beach to meet the NASCAR founder, Bill France Sr. With only a gentleman's handshake, NASCAR, under NASCAR Vice President Bob Barkhimer's guidance, became the premier stock car sanctioning body on the West Coast.
To look into the long career of Barky, we need go back to 1937. He and his wife of only six month, Molly, both 21-years of age, attended a midget race in Emeryville (CA). That encounter with the small cars skidding around the track and emitting loud exhaust noise was enough to hook the future racing star. In later years Barky would state, "I was totally 1000% hooked! For the first time in my life I had a goal....I wanted to be one of those midget race car drivers!" Barky finally drove in his first race....going from the pole to last in quick order. His not-too-heroic start quickly changed and he became one of the top drivers in Northern California, venturing into the south at such tracks at Gilmore Stadium and north into Oregon and Washington. With the resumption of racing following World War II, Barky became the 1945 driving champion of the Bay Cities Racing Association. Along the way, with several injuries, Barky quit driving and became business manager of BCRA in 1948. He then took over operation of the San Jose Speedway in 1949, soon to establish the CSRCA stock car organization and developing that into a 22-track operation. Most of his individual track operators were retired racers.
While at the helm of West Coast NASCAR racing, Barky branched out and produced a number of other racing venues. The Oakland Exposition Building became the site of indoor midget racing over the winter months in 1948, sanctioned by BCRA, and running into the 1960's. Future Indy 500 winner Bob Sweikert was the first indoor champion. He also promoted several indoor races at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, although not near as successful as Oakland. It was also at the fairgrounds, located in San Jose, that he promoted AMA Camel Pro Series motorcycle races on the one-mile dirt oval for many years. There too, he co-promoted with J.C. Agajanian a AAA National Championship Indy car race in 1951 won by Tony Bettenhausen. He even co-promoted the 1965 Champagne Cup Regatta unlimited hydroplane races at Lake Berryessa, as well as boat shows and rod and custom shows in San Jose and elsewhere.
During all of his active years he was a "promoters promoter". He was big on publicity stunts over the years to rouse the interest of the racing fans. Reports of his giving funds to hard-luck racers was common.
Unlike his famed friend and promoter to the south, Barky was not at all a seeker of publicity for himself, and in fact held to the background for the most part, letting the racers receive the glory. As an example, at the AMA Camel Pro Series races at San Jose, if you were to seek Barky, you would probably find him sitting in the far upper corner portion of the grandstands with the fans who were usually unaware of who that gentleman was!
Barky retired after promoting more than 4000 races, selling his BBA corporation to Ken Clapp, where it continues today under a different name.
He resided in his home far up in the Santa Cruz mountains between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz. In his later years he enjoyed visits from former racing associates and friends. Even as his sight and mobility waned, his memory was sharp and he relished reminiscing about times, people and places gone by......Even now, Barky undoubtedly has a promotion in mind at that great race track in the sky.