Posted by Tony Baranek on 12/10/2004, 12:36 pm
Board Administrator

Special from www.dailysouthtown.com Local racing great Halligan dies at age 77 Friday, December 10, 2004 By Tony Baranek - Staff writer Rich Halligan, one of the most colorful figures in Chicago area auto racing for more than 40 years, died Thursday at his home in Burbank after a long illness. He was 77. Halligan had his greatest success as a car owner, capturing three late-model track titles: two at Raceway Park in Blue Island in 1996 and '98 with Gary Raven behind the wheel; and one in 1982 at Henry's Speedway in Boswell, Ind., with Bobby Dotter the pilot. "He had such an enthusiasm for racing. A lot of people respected him for his competitiveness," said Woody Church, who drove for Halligan and was also the crew chief for Halligan's Top Notch Auto Sales racing team during Raven's first championship season. Halligan began his own racing career in the early 1950s at 87th Street Speedway and at Soldier Field. He won a feature and five heats and finished sixth in points in the Novice Division at Raceway Park in 1959. Halligan went on to capture two more features and seven heats at Raceway over the next three years before joining the late-model ranks in 1963. He carried his final checkered flag in a late-model heat race at Raceway Park in 1966. From the 1980s until the closing of Raceway Park after the 2000 season, Halligan and his wife, Wilbalene, were two of the more recognizable figures at Chicago-area tracks. Halligan campaigned several competitive cars and had a bevy of local competitors who drove for him, in addition to Raven, Dotter and Church, including Jerry Kemperman, James Bond, Wayne Para, Bob Dotter Sr., Tom Nielsen, Phil Bretz and Halligan's son, Kirk Hardin. Halligan retired as a car owner after the 2002 season. "The most fun I ever had racing was driving for or working with Richie," Church said. "It was just really an experience. No matter what would happen he'd always find a way to get the car back out there. "With Richie, it was whatever it took. His whole life was racing." Far from a silent owner, Halligan worked on his cars and had a reputation for standing up for his drivers — and his opinion — even if his adversary was twice his size. "We used to call him 'Billy Goat,' because he was so stubborn," Wilbalene said. "He could be a pain at times, but there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for you if you needed it. "We'll miss him. Who's going to tell us what to do now?" Halligan, who is survived by his wife and six children, will be waked Saturday (3-9 p.m.) at Hann Funeral Home in Bridgeview.