Billy Seebold: Powerboat Racing’s Greatest Champion Dies

Powerboat racing has lost its greatest champion. Bill Seebold Jr, known throughout the sport as Billy or Mr Bill, has passed away following a battle with ALS.

The Granite City, Illinois native was, without question, the most successful driver in the history of tunnel boat racing. Over a 46-year career that began when he won his first race at the age of 11, Seebold amassed more than 900 victories and 69 world and national championships.

The Numbers That Define Greatness

Born on 23rd February 1941 in Fenton, Missouri, Seebold claimed his first American Power Boat Association national points title in 1958 at just 17 years old. He retired from driving following the 1997 season at 57, winning the PROP Tour Formula One championship in his final year of competition.

His eight world titles in international Formula One racing remain unmatched. He won North American championships in 1989, 1993, 1994 and 1997, and claimed the prestigious Bud Light St. Louis Grand Prix seven times in a race often called the Indy 500 of powerboat racing.

Innovation and Engineering Excellence

Seebold was not simply a driver. He was an innovator who revolutionised tunnel boat design and construction. Working alongside his father Bill Sr and later with his sons Mike and Tim, he built custom powerboats that set new standards in the sport.

His technical knowledge was legendary. He understood that victory came from the total combination of boat, engine, propeller, setup and driving. In later years, he explained how a single six-inch modification to running pads could transform a third-place boat into a championship winner.

Bristol 1982: The Race That Defined Him

Perhaps no single event better demonstrated Seebold’s brilliance than the 1982 Embassy Grand Prix in Bristol, England. After winning the up-to-2.0-litre ON class, he had mechanic Leo Molendijk swap powerheads in under seven and a half minutes, fitting a 2,001.5cc unit to compete in the OZ class against 3.5-litre V8 engines.

Molendijk was still fastening the engine cover whilst astride the rear cowling as Seebold headed for the start pontoon. The mechanic jumped into the water and swam back to the pits. Seebold’s second place finish, combined with consistency, won him the series and the Embassy Gold Cup.

International Recognition

In 1992, Seebold received the Union of International Motorboating’s Medal of Honor. He won the Duke of York Trophy in England six times. In 1999, he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Detroit, becoming its first Missourian and 10th representative of powerboat racing.

Further honours followed with induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2004, the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, and in 2009 he became one of the first two inductees into the International Hall of Fame for Formula One Boat Racing alongside Italian legend Renato Molinari.

The Dynasty Continues

The Seebold racing dynasty spans three generations. His father Bill Sr began racing in 1939, winning national championships in 1955 and 1956 before becoming renowned for his propeller modification work.

Billy’s sons Mike and Tim became multi-time champions in their own right. Mike won North American titles in 1982, 1992 and 2000. Tim, who started racing at eight years old, won his first championship and set a world record at 17, going on to claim seven US Formula One Championships and becoming the all-time winningest driver in US Formula One history with 37 victories.

After retiring from driving, Billy served as team manager for the Bud Light Racing Team and continued building boats through Seebold Racing. He remained a constant presence at races, his enthusiasm for the sport never diminishing.

The Humble Champion

Early in his career, Seebold campaigned a boat owned by country music legend Johnny Cash and band member Marshall Grant. Yet despite racing against the famous and competing at the highest international level, he remained approachable and generous with his knowledge.

“I tried to put something back in the sport that was so good to me.”

In October 2023, at 82 years old, Seebold was seen at the Havasu Classic jumping up from his seat the moment the first V6 Mercury engine fired, rushing to the fence. He was not going to miss a lap. The race never stopped for Mr Bill.

Billy Seebold is survived by his sons Mike and Tim, who continue the family legacy through Seebold Sports and the NGK F1 Powerboat Championship Series.

The sport has lost its greatest driver. But his influence on tunnel boat design, his records, and the dynasty he built ensure that the name Seebold will forever be synonymous with excellence in powerboat racing.