Bob Senneker

Last updated
Bob Senneker
ToledoSpdwy-Bob-Senneker-2003-chd2-crop.jpg
Bob Senneker in the Blue Bird special at Toledo Speedway
NationalityAmerican
Born (1944-12-12) December 12, 1944 (age 79)
Retired1998
Related toTerry Senneker (brother)
American Speed Association
Starts396
Wins85
Best finish1st in 1990
Championship titles
1990ASA National champion
Awards
1988 Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame
NASCAR Cup Series career
8 races run over 4 years
Best finish44th (1983)
First race 1968 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Last race 1983 Atlanta Journal 500 (Atlanta)
WinsTop tens Poles
000
Statistics current as of July 3, 2020.

Bob Senneker (born December 12, 1944) is an American stock car racing driver from Dorr, Michigan near Grand Rapids. [1] He is best known for racing on the American Speed Association (ASA) National Tour where he was the 1990 champion. Senneker's 85 wins were the most in series history. [2] He has also raced in eight NASCAR Cup Series races between 1968 and 1983. [1]

Contents

Background /Personal life

Senneker was born on December 12, 1944. [1] His brother, Terry Senneker, raced against him and has done some touring series starts. [3]

Racing career

Local driver (1963–1972)

In 1963, Senneker began racing at the 1/4 mile paved Grand Rapids Speedrome in 1963. [4] He began racing at Berlin Raceway after it was paved in 1966; [4] he won 92 features and over 130 preliminary races between 1966 and 1980. [5] In 1966, he won 18 features at Berlin. [5] He was the 1966, 1967, and 1968 Berlin track champion. [4] In the 1960s, he also won track championships at Grand Rapids Speedrome, Tri-City Motor Speedway, and Kalamazoo Speedway. [4]

He began this 1970 season by winning at Heidelberg Raceway; [4] he also won the Glass City 200 at Toledo Speedway by two laps. [4] In 1971, he raced Heidelberg Raceway as well at selected larger money shows. [4] Senneker won the Goodyear 250 that season at Cayuga Speedway in Ontario, Canada. [4] In 1972, Senneker was the U.S. Stock Car Champion at Tri-City. [4]

ASA / ARTGO (1974–1998)

Senneker took his first ASA National Tour win at the Winchester 400 in 1974; he ended up winning the race five consecutive times (1974–1978). [2] That season, he used a Camaro to win approximately 40 races. [4] He began teaming up with Ed Howe in 1975 and he started using a new car. [4] Senneker won 21 times in 1976 and 28 feature races in 1977. [4] In his "Bluebird" car, he won 24 times in 1978, including six ASA wins [4] - the first Milwaukee 150, his fifth consecutive Winchester 400, and a 300-lap race at I-70 Speedway. [4] In 1979, he promoted at Hartford Motor Speedway. [4] He cut back on weekly races and just concentrated on major races. [4] The final year of the decade ended with five wins, including one in ASA and one in ARTGO. [4]

He started the eighties by winning 15 times including the Anderson 300, Cayuga 300, Minnesota State Fair 300, and the Queen City 300. [4] He won five in ASA to take second in the national tour points. [4] Senneker recorded 11 wins in 1981, including five times in ASA (Milwaukee 500 and the first ASA race at Michigan International Speedway) as well as an All-Pro race at Birmingham International Raceway. [4] In the 1982 ASA season, Senneker primarily raced in ASA. [4] He had eight wins, including the Badger 150 at the Milwaukee Mile, [6] Indianapolis Raceway Park, [6] the Molson 200 and Molson 300 at Cayuga International Speedway, [6] the Fall Classic 300 at Indianapolis Raceway Park, [6] and the All-American 400 at Nashville Speedway. [6] Senneker remained racing primarily in ASA in 1983 and won six features. [4] Senneker won ten ASA races in 1984 and finished second after an accident in the final race of the season. [4] He raced strictly at ASA races and won once in 1985 and once in 1986 (Cayuga). [4]

In 1991, he won four consecutive ASA races in the middle of the year. [7]

Senneker's final ASA start happened on September 26, 1998 where he won in his final race at Southern National Speedway. [2] He had competed in 396 ASA races with 85 wins. [8]

Senneker won nine times in frequent ARTGO starts throughout his career. [8]

NASCAR

Senneker made eight NASCAR Cup Series starts in this career. [9] He made his first start at the 1968 Daytona 500 in a home-built 1966 Chevelle. [4] He had his career-best 13th-place finish. [9] His next NASCAR race happened at his home track of Michigan International Speedway in 1970. [9] He started 30th and finished 21st. [9] Eleven years later, Senneker started 23rd for J.D. Stacy at Charlotte Motor Speedway and finishing 21st after crashing. [9]

Senneker made his final five NASCAR starts in 1983 for Terry Marra in the No. 80 Pontiac. [9] He finished 28th after crashing at Atlanta, 27th with battery issues at 1983 World 600 (Charlotte), 14th and 16th at Michigan, and 15th at Atlanta. [9]

Driving style

Speed Sport describes his personality as "intensely focused, ... engrossed with the thought of winning the next race." [2] Speed Sport also said "His smooth, calculating style was perfectly suited to long races and he had an uncanny ability to conserve his equipment." [2] Michigan fans nicknamed him "The Sneaker" for his patience and "The Bluebird" for his blue car which was often "flew" in front. [5]

Awards

Senneker was inducted into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. [4] Bob was inducted into the Grand Rapids, MI Sports Hall of Fame(www.grshof.com) in 2006. He was added to the Berlin Raceway Hall of Fame in 2015. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Wimmer</span> American stock car racing driver

Scott Allan Wimmer is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He has a total of six wins in the Xfinity Series. His brother Chris Wimmer competed in the Busch Series. Wimmer co-owns State Park Speedway in Wausau, Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Trickle</span> American racing driver

Richard Leroy Trickle was an American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Benson Jr.</span> American racing driver

Jonathan Thomas Benson Jr. is an American retired stock car racing driver and the son of former Michigan modified driver John Benson Sr. Benson has raced across NASCAR's three national series, and his career highlights include the 1993 American Speed Association AC-Delco Challenge series championship, the 1995 NASCAR Busch Series championship, the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year Award, and the 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Bickle</span> American racing driver

Richard Allen Bickle Jr. is an American former professional stock car racing driver. Now retired from NASCAR racing, Bickle, who never completed a full season in the NASCAR Cup Series, had a long history in short track racing. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel described him in 2012 as a "stud on the short tracks in the late 1980s and early '90s and a journeyman who rarely caught a break in NASCAR." He won three NASCAR truck races and had a career-best fourth-place finish in the Cup Series in 218 career NASCAR starts.

Jim Sauter was an American stock car racing driver from Necedah, Wisconsin. He formerly raced in all three of NASCAR's national series, and is best known for having been a test driver for the International Race of Champions, as well as winning two championships in the Midwest-based ARTGO Challenge Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Vogler</span> American racing driver (1950–1990)

Richard Frank Vogler was an American champion sprint car and midget car driver. He was nicknamed "Rapid Rich". He competed in the Indianapolis 500 five times, and his best finish was eighth in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlin Raceway</span> Racetrack

Berlin Raceway is a 7/16-mile-long paved oval race track in Marne, Michigan, near Grand Rapids. The track races weekly as part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. It has also held touring series events on the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, American Speed Association National Tour, USAC Stock Cars, USAC Silver Crown, World of Outlaws Sprint cars, and World of Outlaws Late Model Series tours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Haseleu</span> American stock car racing driver

Nathan Haseleu is a racecar driver from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. His career peaked in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with four Top 10 finishes for Roush Racing. Haseleu has also competed in the ASA Midwest Tour, the CRA Super Series, and the Wisconsin Challenge Series. He lives in Marshall, Dane County, Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I-70 Motorsports Park</span> Racetrack

I-70 Motorsports Park, also known as I-70 Speedway, is a multi-purpose motorsports facility near Interstate 70 east of Odessa, Missouri, USA. The track, first opened in 1969, and has since been completely rebuilt and renovated in 2021 under new ownership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landon Cassill</span> American stock car racing driver

Landon Douglas Cassill is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockford Speedway</span> Racetrack

Rockford Speedway was a 1/4 mile short track high banked asphalt oval located in Loves Park, Illinois on Illinois Route 173. Rockford Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway are the only racetracks running under NASCAR sanctions in Illinois.

Heidelberg Raceway was an American auto racing track which was built near Heidelberg, Pennsylvania in Scott Township, Allegheny County, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) southwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It held weekly races and numerous special events between 1948 and 1973. It held four NASCAR Strictly Stock/Grand National Series and one NASCAR Convertible Division race between the 1940s and 1960s. In 1960, Heidelberg became the first track to fall off NASCAR's tour. The land is now occupied by a shopping center called Raceway Plaza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Sieg</span> American racing driver

Ryan Shane Sieg is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 39 Ford Mustang for RSS Racing. He is the younger brother of late former driver Shane Sieg and older brother of current teammate Kyle Sieg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norm Nelson</span> American racing driver (1923–1988)

Norman Huber "Norm" Nelson was an American racing driver. Known primarily for his stock car career, Nelson competed in AAA and USAC Stock Cars from the 1950s through 1970s. He won the season championship in 1960, 1965, and 1966 as a driver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Schendel</span> American stock car racing driver

Tim Schendel is an American professional stock car racing driver. A past winner of the Toyota All-Star Showdown and champion of the NASCAR Midwest Tour, he has also competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the ASA Midwest Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Hansen</span> American stock car racing driver

Scott Hansen is an American stock car driver from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Now retired, Hansen primarily competed in the American Speed Association. He raced for several years in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Busch Series.

Gary Wayne St. Amant is an American former stock car racing driver from Columbus, Ohio. While he competed in several NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races, his career is most notable for his success in the American Speed Association, winning the National Tour in 1998 and 2000. When the ASA folded after the 2004 season, he found success in the Hooters Pro Cup Series, winning the Northern Division Championship in 2007. With St. Amant having won the Snowball Derby and Winchester 400 twice, along with the All American 400 and Snowflake 100 once, he is the only driver in history besides Chase Elliott to have won all four short-track crown jewel events. He also showed his mentorship to a young Jimmie Johnson in his early ASA days, before his transition to NASCAR. Johnson has since mentioned his appreciation for the coaching while making history himself in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Mills (racing driver)</span> American racing driver

Matthew Robert Mills is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports. He has also previously competed in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Graf Jr.</span> American racing driver

Joseph A. Graf Jr. is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 19 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Driver Bob Senneker Career Statistics - Racing-Reference.info". Racing Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Argabright, Dave (5 April 2020). "The Rivalry: The Bluebird & The Polar Bear". SPEED SPORT. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Driver Terry Senneker Career Statistics - Racing-Reference.info". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 "Senneker, Bob 1988". www.mmshof.org. Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame . Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Steve, Kaminski (August 11, 2015). "Berlin Raceway Hall of Fame to induct racing great Bob Senneker". mlive. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Grubba, Dale (2009). Alan Kulwicki: NASCAR Champion: Against All Odds. Badger Books Inc. pp. 226, 227, 229, 231, 236, 238. ISBN   978-1-932542-39-4 . Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  7. ↑ Ott, Larry (August 5, 1991). "SENNEKER'S DATE WITH HISTORY FOILED WITH ASA LOSS TO EDDY". The Buffalo News . Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Sullivan, Matthew (16 November 2015). "NASCAR: Five Great Short Track Drivers Who Never 'Made It'". Beyond the Flag. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Driver Bob Senneker's NASCAR Cup Series races - Racing-Reference.info". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.