Grundy County Speedway –Illinois remembers Bob Tattersall

Bob Tattersall

Morris- Illinois July 26th Saturday night the Grundy County Speedway ran the “Bob Tattersall’s Challenge“. The Bob Tattersall Challenge honors the memory of the Pennsylvania born racer.

Tattersall’s home base was Streator Illinois and from here is where his super career started. Bob Tattersall was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame for his achievements during his career that included 2 UARA Midget Titles in 1956 and 1959 plus the prestigious USAC National Midget Title in 1969 with owner Jack Stroud

.While Tattersall is remembered today in Morris at Grundy Speedway fans in Australia and New Zealand will never forget the 13 winters that he toured down.

Aggressive , bold and take a no prisoners approach to racing was at a level never before seen down under .I remember the first time I watched him wheel his imported Offenhauser race car around the Sydney Speedway Royal . I was speechless. I could not believe his car control, the ability to back the race into the corners, ride the high side of the narrow Sydney track and blast to race wins from the rear of the 24 car feature race fields.

Tattersall won many the major races across New Zealand and Australia, no track presented a problem and in those early years it may have been true that he had a few haters, over time I know Speedway fans in both New Zealand and Australia gained the greatest respect for him and we have never seen his like again. Many have come close but Tatt’s or Two Gun’s as he became known was one special racecar driver.

The race on the pavement at Grundy Speedway was won by Austin Prock from Kyle O’Gara and Nick Baran
The trophy presentation was mad by Bob’s window Mrs. Dee Tattersall
It’s wonderful to be able to remember and honor Bob Tattersall

Presentation of the Bob Tattersall Challenge to Austin Prock by Mr Dee Tattersall