Of the many good stories that came out of the 2007 racing season, the re-emergence of Billy Puterbaugh has certainly been heartwarming. 
Following a couple of years away from the sport, the tow-headed second-generation racer earned a rare double-championship. Proving that sometimes good things do happen to good people, he captured sprint-car titles at both the tough Gas City I-69 speedplant and Putnamville’s Lincoln Park Speedway.
It was a clear but blustery September afternoon at Bloomington Speedway, at least a decade ago, that Puterbaugh showed he had the right stuff, during Racin’ With D.O. Racin’ Fest, the brainchild of irrepressible D. O. Laycock. Called “Hero and Hotdog Qualifying,” and featuring many of the top Midwest sprint-car racers, two laps cost $100 and the fastest qualifier took the money. Just 15 years old, Billy was one of the first on the clock. Many took shots at the youngster’s time, but when qualifying was over, he not only took the money home, he also had lowered the track record with a trip that wasn’t surpassed for years.  
You couldn’t erase the grin from Bill, Sr.’s face that day. A star under USAC’s banner, he had been a barnstormer and an Indy 500 veteran in the ’70s. With the help of a well-funded sponsor, he and Billy were soon building their own cars while competing on both dirt and pavement and in USAC’s Silver Crown division. Twice Billy finished in the top 10 in USAC’s sprint-car points.
But when an economic downturn cost them the sponsorship, Billy decided to take a step back from racing. “Mom and Dad couldn’t do it on their own, so we just had to throttle back and decide what we wanted to do,” he says.
Billy avoided going to race tracks for more than two years, knowing how difficult it would be to sit in the grandstands or prowl the pits, and not be driving. He admits it “ate him up inside.” 
When he decided to return, he found it difficult to line up a ride; in fact, he says that there were many in the pits who didn’t remember him. 
At the end of 2005, he hooked up with legendary Paul Hazen, an arrangement that lasted most of 2006 and resulted in a handful of victories. This gave Billy a needed boost in confidence, and when they parted ways, he decided to field his own car. 
Going into the 2007, Billy knew it wouldn’t be a cakewalk. His father had contracted Bell’s Palsy and in addition to affecting his facial muscles, it had severely limited his sight. From his very first efforts, his mother and father had been an integral part of his racing. While he helped prepare the car as much as he could, Bill, Sr., avoided going to the track.
Billy often called his mother, Joyce, his crew chief, and that wasn’t far off. She was an experienced helper, both for his father and with his earlier efforts. Billy explains that she helped with everything she could —filling gas bottles, tightening bolts, bringing wrenches and anything else they needed. She became an expert at doing the things that Billy couldn’t do while he was in the car. 
“I give her credit for having wrenches in her pocket, and she’d always make sure we had water for the wash bucket because she can’t stand a dirty race car,” Billy contends.
By mid-season, Bill, Sr., was doing well enough to return to the track, just in time for a King of Indiana Sprint Series victory at Putnamville. His presence gave Billy a huge boost. 
It was an extraordinary summer. He collected nine victories: five at Gas City and four at Lincoln Park. He finished in the top 10 in every race at Gas City but one. The only exception came when he was spun out while leading with a lap to go. Billy pragmatically adds, “It’s kind of a heartbreaker that I didn’t make 13 out of 13 top 10s, but I know where I was at before I got spun out.” 
As impressive as Billy’s record was, the way he accomplished it was even more remarkable. They had just one sponsorship, and it provided $5,000 at the beginning of the season. They didn’t own a spare front end, or rear end, and certainly no spare motors.  Yet, they were able to put together a championship effort on just what the car brought in each weekend.
A welder at DRC, he would like to find a ride that will let him compete for the USAC sprint car championship again. But until that happens, he will have the white Puterbaugh 16 back on the road.