Column By: MIKE TRAVERSE / RPW – WAYNE, NJ – There will be an air of sadness as the Orange County Fair Speedway racing family gathers this Saturday for the annual Nostalgia Night festivities. A beloved member of the local racing family has passed away.
Bill Boyle, a.k.a. Doctor Dirt was a legendary figure around the speedway. For many years, he wrote columns for both the track program and also for Area Auto Racing News. Doc passed away Tuesday, May 31, 2022.
Before he started writing, Doc had for years been a racing fan, often making the ride up from New Jersey with his friend, racing writer Hank Nagelhout. Seeing Doc’s increased interest in the sport, Hank encouraged Doc to give writing a shot, Doc was reluctant at first. But with Hank’s guidance, Doc quickly became a great writer and his weekly columns during the racing season became a must read for so many people, He quickly picked up the name by which most would refer to him as, Doctor Dirt, or just plain Doc.
Doc’s columns would be a great mix of information, both racing and the people involved. But he also added a wonderful sense of humor into his writings.
A couple of years ago, I interviewed several people that Doc had gotten very close to over the years for a column about him that was posted on his birthday. Former Sportsman racer, Carol Birchwale, was one of those that I talked to. And she best summed up what the column’s that Doc produced were.
“Doc’s columns weren’t just about the results on the track. He would write about the moms and dads, family members, friends and fans. He shared our triumphs and great times along with our defeats and our tragedies. he could make you both cry and belly laugh in the same column. He would deliver his columns with style, class and respect. And all of us racers respected his work every week.”
Style, class and respect. That sums up Doc very well.
Doc was one of the most generous people that I have ever met. Not only to my family, but to many racers and friends throughout the speedway grounds. And he did this out of the goodness of his heart.
So many people amongst his circle of friends now have the treasured $2 bills autographed by Doc himself. Not many people go to a track and hand out money, but Doc did with the $2 bills and gold dollar coins. These keepsakes will now be, more than ever, most treasured with those who have them.
Doc’s generosity to my own family was off the charts. He took such a liking to my sons, Jason and Matt. He really made a place in his heart for Matt who has special needs. He would always make sure to send me some money to take Matt out for his birthday. He gave to him a folder about the history of the $2 bills, autographed of course. And Jason’s has a wall in his room that is completely covered with 1/64 NASCAR cars that Doc gave him. There’s much more, too numerous to list.
Once, back in 2014, Doc messaged me before the season to see what my plans were for opening night. I told him that I had no plans to attend, it just wasn’t in the budget at that time. He messaged me back a few minutes later and told me that a season’s pass had been arranged. Doc, along with the then OCFS GM, Ken Sands, had paid for it. It was a wonderful thing for them to do and it kept me going at the races until things finally started to get better for us.
One night, I pulled into the OCFS parking area, we were running a little late. I saw an open parking spot right across from the entrance. “What luck,” I thought as I pulled into the spot. Then I saw a sign, “Reserved For Mike Traverse.” Doc had purchased for us a reserved parking spot so it would be easier to get Matt and his wheelchair in and out of the grandstand area. How awesome was that?
And there are many others throughout the OCFS racing family that he has done great things for. I would always marvel at the awesome things this man would do. I would post on social media about his good deeds he did for my boys and he would grumble at me a bit. Doing nice things for people was so natural for him. He was such a down-to-earth person.
Retired racer and now OCFS official, Emerson Cargain Sr., one of Doc’s great friends and a great person himself, summed up Doc perfectly in one sentence Tuesday.
“There is not a racer, race fan or child of any fan or racer at OCFS, from the 80’s-90’s ,that did not have their life touched with kindness by this man.”
Doc was very pleased for me when I started doing media photography with Race Pro Weekly in 2019. He was always very encouraging with his comments. Late in 2019, I was pondering whether or not to give a try at column writing, RPW needed a writer for OCFS and Accord. I had zero experience with it.
I talked about it with Doc and he told me that I should give it a shot. And Doc was a great mentor to me with the writing. He would always give me his honest opinion on something that I wrote, be it positive or negative.
That was good, I valued his opinions. He gave me some great tips and I will miss discussing the racing happenings with him. If I can just have a fraction of the greatness that this man had with his writings, I’ll be doing pretty good.
So on behalf of Race Pro Weekly, my sons Matthew and Jason and myself, we extend to the Boyle family our deepest condolences.
Doc, when you were at the track and around your group of friends, you made everyone feel like they were in a much better place, you just had that quality about you.
We will never forget your kind heart. Rest easy my friend.