Mile High Sports Magazine March 2010 : Page 43
S KU H: These days, you’re on Pinks All Out. You race. When I came to Denver in 2002, people in the racing world were always talking about “Willie B.” How’d you get into being a competitor? WB: KH: KH: B:WhenIwas a kid, I wouldgotothedragstripandwatchmydadrace. Thenhegaveupthe sport for a long time. Butmy twin brother andI… H: Waita minute. You’re tellingme there’s another one of you running around? Was he “Willie A” and you’re Willie B? WB: B: Yea, I’ve got a twin. That’s right, he was “A.” We were always really competitive. He was a Chevy guy, taking after the family. Iwas the MOPAR guy. He had a Monte Carlowith a 305 in it. If you ask himhowhe got into hot-rodding, he’ll tell you that I was sitting on my girlfriend’s porch and he drove by; I yelled out, “I’ll give you a hundred bucks if you can spin the rear tires on that Monte Carlo!” He tried and he tried. He poured oil on the street and couldn’t do it. He tried relentlessly. He just couldn’t power brake the car. Iwas laughing and cutting upwith him.We just had permits;wewere twoweeks away from getting our licenses. And that’swhat started it all. Itwas our big, ongoing car battle that we’ve had now for more than 20 years. KH: So thinking back, you were almost meant to be the guy on Pinks? WB: I watched that show religiously. You’ve seen those movies where the guy who’s a big fan of the band, all of sudden gets a tryout and then becomes the lead singer? It was like that. Iwas always watching that show.Me and all of mycar buddies would get together at Eck’s Saloon before I did my Thursday night bar appearance and we’d watch that show – every new release. So, when Pinks came to town, I was like, “Yea! I’m going to get behind it and promote it.” I didn’t know it at the time, but Bob Ecker, the VP of programming for SPEED Channel, was asking, “Who’s the guy that has all his people around his tent at Bandimere?” I’m really into the racing scene, like you are, so a lot of fans and listeners were around. Ecker was like, “I want to seewhat that guy can do on a mic.” Jeff Sipes and Sporty Bandimere came up and got me. Here I am wrenching on the car – it’s between rounds for qualifying – and I’m like, “Youwantme to come and playwith the crowd right now? Um. Okay. Iwill.” I didn’t understand. My friends finished up the car, and I went out and did a little thing with the crowd. Well, that was a litmus test for the SPEED guys to see how I was with a crowd. (Ecker) comes over to me after that and said, “Hey, have you ever thought about being on television?” I was like, “Look at me. I don’t really have a face for TV. Radio, sure, but not TV.”He toldme hewas goingto callme at the endof the season to talk about a positionon SPEED. I didn’t believe him, never thought I’d hear fromhimagain. But threeweeks later, he called me. B: Yea, it’s crazy. I have an absolute blast doing (the show). You know car guys; there’s just some unique bond about it. You get a whole group of guys and they’re talking cars – it’s like fish stories, you know? H:Our stories arebetter. They’re bigger, they’rebetter,we’re always faster. And the best part of it? It doesn’t cost a penny and nobody gets hurt. We can lie all night. That’s what’s awesome about being a car guy. We got the needle stuck in our arms at an early age. There is KH: no motor sports methadone. You’ve said in several interviews that you ultimately became “frustrated”with racing. Why? Atwhat point did your desire to become a radio host surpass your desire to make a living in the sport you loved? Or did it? milehighsports. com MARCH MA CHR 201020 01 43 H:: Kind of howthis business rolls, isn’t it? You got your shot and you grabbed the mic. WB: KH ex, drugs and rock n’ roll. Oh, and sports. And cars. And radio and television. And bodybuilding. That’s Willie B, 106.7 KBPI’s morning show host, a man who wouldn’t necessarily be called a “shock jock” butwho can justifiably hold practically any title he so chooses. Since arriving in Denver in 1992, Willie B has been – and done – it all. Fromhis work as the market’s top FM morning show and his recent endeavors as a host on SPEED TV, to his involvement in the sports of drag racing and bodybuilding and as a PA announcer for the Colorado Mammoth, it’s nearly impossible to imagine that this Denver icon has five minutes to sleep. Luckily,Mile High Sports Radio’s Kurt Hansen, a multimedia host and self- proclaimed “car-nut,” caught up with Willie B to chat about cars, sports and life. Is there really anything else? NOTE: Kurt Hansen’s “Race Central” can be heard on Mile High Sports AM 1510 Saturdays at noon. Willie B can be heard weekdays on 106.7 KBPI from 5:00 to 10:00 a.m. KURT URT HANSEN:Youmowedlawns, savedupandgot intodragracingby the ageof 15. Butbefore that,howdidyouget interestedinthe sport? WILLIE B: It’s funny because I grewup around a car guy.My dadwas a car guy, a ’57 Chevy guy. For some reason, Iwas always into MOPAR. I was always drawn to the lines of a MOPAR. My first car was a ’71 Charger. I literally saved up cutting grass. The deal was, the guy who owned the car, I cut his yard for free, all summer long. I cut all the other lawns in my subdivision for $15 or $20. If I had an extra $40 or an extra $100, I’d give it to him. I saved up until I paid him $2,500 for the ’71 Charger. WILLIE
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