TRIBUTE

Willard Kinzer 1928 – 2025

By Nate Van Wagnen

Kinzer was born on April 28, 1928, in Allen, Kentucky. A U. S. Navy veteran of World War II, Kinzer survived the 1944 explosion of the USS Mount Hood, which killed hundreds of crew members. He later credited the experience with shaping his perspective on life and fear.

“ After that explosion, it did something to me,” he said in a 2018 interview.“ I don’ t have fear anymore. No matter what I’ m doing, I’ m not afraid.”

After returning home, Kinzer built a successful business career as the founder of Kinzer Drilling, a gas and oil company that operated across Kentucky and West Virginia. He and his late wife, Lucy, became active philanthropists in Eastern Kentucky, supporting the creation of Wesley Christian School, Hope in the Mountains, and the Mountain Arts Center. The couple’ s contributions to local education, arts, and recovery programs have been publicly recognized, including the display of one

of Kinzer’ s race cars at the Mountain Arts Center.

Kinzer began racing in his 70s, first competing in the Street Fights series at Bristol Dragway, where he won 20 consecutive races over multiple seasons. He continued racing into his 80s

and 90s, eventually transitioning to faster, more competitive classes.

In 2011, Kinzer acquired a Fox-body Mustang previously driven by David Wolfe, a well-known small-tire racer. With this car tuned by Patrick Barnhill, Kinzer ran a best of 6.53 seconds at 240 mph in the Super Street 10.5W class, setting a national record at the time.

Kinzer competed in NMCA and LSX events and remained active at the racetrack for over a decade. His racing career continued into his 90s. At age 90, he raced a Pontiac Firebird at Bristol Dragway and won a local drag racing championship.

In 2013, Kinzer was injured in a crash during testing at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung but returned to racing after his recovery.

In 2019, U. S. Senator Mitch McConnell recognized Kinzer’ s career and community impact with a tribute in the Congressional Record. The University of Kentucky’ s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging also named Willard and Lucy Kinzer as William Markesbery Senior Stars for their example of active aging and community service.

Kinzer remained involved in his business and racing pursuits well into his 90s. His life and racing career drew attention from local and national media and earned him respect in both business and motorsports circles. DI

PHOTOGRAPHS BY IAN TOCHER AND KINZER RACING TEAM