Billy Wade was NASCAR's 1963 Rookie of the Year, and in 1964 he won four consecutive Grand National races for Bud Moore – a streak that announced him as a future star. His smooth, confident driving had the garage buzzing about what he might accomplish.
In January 1965, while testing tires at Daytona for the coming season, Wade crashed in Turn 1 and was killed at 34. His death was a cruel reminder that in that era, even testing could be fatal, and it cut short one of the most promising careers of the decade.
At a Glance
- Born: February 28, 1930, New York, New York
- Died: January 5, 1965, Daytona Beach, Florida
- Age: 34
- Cause of death: Injuries from a tire-testing crash at Daytona International Speedway
Final Resting Place
Brookside Memorial Park, Houston, Texas.
Photo: from Howard Wear's collection
From the Book
This profile is adapted from Legends at Rest: NASCAR Legends by Howard Wear.
Portrait: from Howard Wear’s collection. Grave photo: Photo: from Howard Wear's collection.