Williams Takes Final Checkered Flag
By Ray Cunningham
(Robert “Tiger Bob” Williams 1941-2025)
One of the top Heartland racers of the 1960’s and 1970’s, Robert “Tiger Bob” Williams passed away in his sleep earlier today.
Williams grew up in the greater Kansas City area in the 1940’s and 1950’s, and sold pop as a child at KC’s Olympic Stadium so he could watch the races.
By the late 1950’s, Bobs older brother Ken was racing. and soon after Bob would follow in his footsteps competing at Olympic and Riverside in North KC as a teenager.
Williams would cut his teeth racing against the likes of the Weld brothers, Dick Sutcliffe, Jay Woodside, Thad Dosher, Eddie Leavitt, and Jud Larson, just to name a few.
Racing for Pappy “Taylor” Weld, father of Jerry, Greg, and Kenny, led to great success for Williams in the 1960’s driving his super modifieds.
Tiger Bob would win at venues that included Knoxville, Iowa, Lakeside and Topeka in Kansas, the Missouri State Fairgrounds, Jeff City, Olympic, and Marshall in Missouri. While winning the Southwest title at Amarillo, Texas, all racing off and on for Pappy during that time.
For the 1969 season, Tiger Bob would drive for Jack Cunningham in his 14, winning track titles at Topeka (Friday) on the half mile, Knoxville (Saturday) on the half mile, and Olympic on the short little bull ring on (Sunday). While winning 46 times total, in states that included Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Texas, (SW Title) again.
Bob would have won even more races and titles in 1969, but took off more than a month after his brother Ken Williams succumbed to injuries following a crash at Topeka during a race Bob was leading.
Williams would also add the 100” Inch NCRA style super modifieds to his resume as well during this period. And raced for Al Weiland in his stout #37. Winning the OKC Nationals in 1970, while finishing second at the Hutch Nationals that season as well.
As Bobs exploits grew in super modifieds and sprint cars in the 1970’s into the 1980’s. Williams would expand his horizons once again to drive late model stock cars primarily at I-70, but also at other venues across the Heartland. Williams won several features at I-70 in stock cars, and in 1975 would win the Missouri 300 against competitors that included “Mr Short Track” Dick Trickle.
After Tiger Bob Williams retirement from racing in the 1980’s he would later be honored with inductions into the Central Auto Racing Boosters Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. High Banks Hall of Fame and the Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame among others.
RIP Great Champion & Racer Robert “Tiger Bob” Williams.
