Bill McAnally owns 70,000 square feet of shop space – split between his race shop and automotive care business – and 31 race cars built on site at Bill McAnally Racing NAPA AutoCare Center in Roseville.
Photos: Ken James Captions: Allison Joy
“The art to building a car is to build it as light as you can,” he says. His mechanics use lightweight tubing and drill holes into the frame to eliminate unnecessary weight. “The car will go around the corner faster if the weight is down low, and it will roll over if it’s top heavy,” McAnally says.
McAnally likens his shop to a college for drivers aspiring to join the world of high-speed racing. In a given year he estimates he evaluates two-dozen racers and chooses three to drive full-time.
“We work with drivers and crew members to give them the experience they need to move up the NASCAR ladder to get to the national ranks where they can make big money doing what they love,” he says.
The roster of racers he has worked with includes Brendan Gaughan and Paulie Harraka, both of whom have gone on to enjoy success nationally.
McAnally also trained Allison Duncan, who in 2005 was the first driver to win a race through NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program and the first female to win at the Stockton 99 Speedway in the track’s 57-year history.
Need for Speed
A peek at Bill McAnally's NASCAR
