09/18/2026
π REMEMBERING BILLY NACEWICZ β A LINK BETWEEN GENERATIONS π
Billy Nacewicz was a link to the past and one of the people who helped carry Modified racing into the future.
He served as crew chief for the most legendary Modified drivers to ever do it, Richie Evans, but Billy's place in the sport extended well beyond his accomplishments with one driver or race team.
He was a mentor, a respected voice and a pillar of the Modified racing community.
Together, Evans and Nacewicz visited Victory Lane in the Race of Champions on three separate occasions, forever making Billy a part of the history of one of Modified racing's greatest traditions.
As we mourn his passing, we should also take the opportunity to celebrate Billy and the legacy he leaves behind.
We chose these two photographs for a reason.
Both were taken following victories, but together they illustrate just how much our sport has evolved.
One shows Evans and Nacewicz with βBigβ Bob O'Rourke in Victory Lane on Long Island. The other captures them during a post-race βpressβ interview βupstairsβ at Oswego Speedway.
Different places. Different moments. A different era of Modified racing.
Yet the foundation those people were building remains very much a part of the sport today.
People like Richie Evans and Billy Nacewicz paved the way for the generations that followedβgiving today's racers, crews and fans a history, a tradition and a sport worthy of respecting and celebrating.
For those efforts, we will always be grateful.
The Race of Champions extends its heartfelt and sincere condolences to Billy Nacewicz's family, friends and the many people throughout racing whose lives he touched.
Billy will always hold a respected place in the Modified racing community and in the history of the Race of Champions.
May his legacy continue to remind us where this sport came fromβand of the people who helped make it what it is today. π
