| Bill Venturini | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Venturini in 2025 | |||||||
| Born | William Venturini (1953-02-14)February 14, 1953 (age 72) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||
| Related to | Tony Venturini (father) Billy Venturini (son) Wendy Venturini (daughter) | ||||||
| ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series career | |||||||
| Debut season | 1982 | ||||||
| Starts | 188 | ||||||
| Wins | 12 | ||||||
| Poles | 12 | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st in 1987, 1991 | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| 1987, 1991 | ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series | ||||||
NASCAR driver | |||||||
| NASCARCup Series career | |||||||
| 7 races run over 3 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 45th (1990) | ||||||
| First race | 1989Miller High Life 400 (Michigan) | ||||||
| Last race | 1991Miller Genuine Draft 500 (Pocono) | ||||||
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| NASCARO'Reilly Auto Parts Series career | |||||||
| 4 races run over 4 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 103rd (1985) | ||||||
| First race | 1982Goody's 300 (Daytona) | ||||||
| Last race | 1985Kroger 200 (IRP) | ||||||
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| NASCARCraftsman Truck Series career | |||||||
| 2 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 78th (1995) | ||||||
| First race | 1995GM Goodwrench / Delco Battery 200 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| Last race | 1996Sears Auto Center 200 (Milwaukee) | ||||||
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| Statistics up to date as of April 14, 2020. | |||||||
William Venturini Sr (born February 14, 1953), nicknamed "Big Bill",[1] is an American former professionalstock car racing driver. He is the founder and co-owner ofVenturini Motorsports, a team that competes in theARCA Menards Series. As a driver, he primarily competed in the same series from 1982 through 1996. Venturini has won two ARCA championships, which came in 1987 and 1991.
As a driver, "Big Bill" Venturini made his ARCA Series debut in 1982. In 1983, Venturini won his first ARCA race atFlat Rock Speedway and at the end of the season he became rookie of the year and finished runner-up toBob Dotter.[2] Venturini backed up this performance by finishing runner-up in 1984 and 1985. After finishing third in 1986 Venturini won his first ARCA championship in 1987.[3] After finishing fourth in the 1988 season Venturini scaled down and only ran a part-time schedule in 1989 and 1990. Venturini won his second ARCA championship in 1991 after a consistent season. He finished third in 1992 and sixth in his last full-time season in 1994. Venturini made his last ARCA Racing Series start at the season finale atAtlanta in 1996. During his ARCA Racing Series career Venturini set the all-time qualifying records atDaytona International Speedway andTalladega Superspeedway.[3]
Venturini made thirteenNASCAR starts across all three national series. He made hisWinston Cup Series debut atMichigan International Speedway in 1989. In his seven Cup Series starts, his best finish was eighteenth at the1990Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Venturini attempted to qualify for theDaytona 500 in1990 and1991 but failed to qualify on both occasions.

Bill, his wife Cathy, and his son Billy, also a retired driver, are the co-owners of Venturini Motorsports,[1] a team which competes full-time with three cars in theARCA Menards Series (Nos. 15, 20, 25) as well as one part-time car (the No. 55). They have competed in that series for decades to much success. In 2020, they began fielding teams in theARCA Menards Series East (the No. 20 part-time and the No. 25 full-time) andWest (one car part-time).
It has been a tradition since 2006 for "Big Bill" to kiss one of his drivers in victory lane if they win a race. The first time he did it was when Billy was still competing in ARCA as a driver and won an ARCA race atSalem that year, and they continued it in 2007 when the Venturini's turned their team into adriver development team.[4][5]
Venturini was born inChicago,Illinois, as the son of Tony Venturini, an amateur racing driver who began his stock car racing career at the historicSoldier Field, also in Chicago. His father competed againstNASCAR drivers such asTom Pistone andFred Lorenzen. Venturini's wife Cathy was part of hispit crew during his championship winning season in 1987. His sonBilly also became a racing driver and competed in the ARCA Racing Series from 1994 through 2007. His daughterWendy currently works in NASCAR as a radio reporter for thePerformance Racing Network and formerly on TV forSpeed andFox as well.[3]
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| NASCAR Winston Cup Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | NWCC | Pts | Ref | ||||
| 1989 | Venturini Motorsports | 35 | Chevy | DAY | CAR | ATL | RCH | DAR | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL | CLT | DOV | SON | POC | MCH 37 | DAY | POC | TAL | GLN | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | CLT | NWS | CAR | PHO | ATL | 100th | 52 | [6] | ||||||
| 1990 | DAY DNQ | RCH | CAR | ATL | DAR | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL 18 | CLT DNQ | DOV | SON | POC | MCH 30 | DAY | POC | TAL 25 | GLN | MCH 28 | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT DNQ | CAR | PHO | ATL | 45th | 349 | [7] | |||||||||
| 1991 | DAY DNQ | RCH | CAR | ATL | DAR | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL | CLT | DOV | SON | POC | MCH 40 | DAY | POC 39 | TAL | GLN | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | PHO | ATL DNQ | 74th | 89 | [8] | |||||||||
| 1992 | DAY | CAR | RCH | ATL | DAR | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL | CLT | DOV | SON | POC | MCH DNQ | DAY | POC | TAL | GLN | MCH DNQ | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | PHO | ATL | NA | - | [9] | |||||||||
| 1993 | DAY | CAR | RCH | ATL | DAR | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL | SON | CLT | DOV | POC | MCH | DAY DNQ | NHA | POC | TAL | GLN | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT DNQ | CAR | PHO | ATL | NA | - | [10] | ||||||||
| 1994 | DAY | CAR | RCH | ATL | DAR | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL | SON | CLT | DOV | POC | MCH | DAY | NHA | POC | TAL | IND | GLN | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | PHO | ATL DNQ | NA | - | [11] | |||||||
| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Venturini Motorsports | Chevrolet | DNQ | |
| 1991 | DNQ | |||
| NASCAR Busch Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | NBSC | Pts | Ref |
| 1982 | Venturini Motorsports | 35 | Buick | DAY 13 | RCH | BRI | MAR | DAR | HCY | SBO | CRW | RCH | LGY | DOV | HCY | CLT | ASH | HCY | SBO | CAR | CRW | SBO | HCY | LGY | IRP | BRI | HCY | RCH | MAR | CLT | HCY | MAR | 126th | 124 | [12] | ||||||
| 1983 | 65 | Pontiac | DAY 24 | RCH | CAR | HCY | MAR | NWS | SBO | GPS | LGY | DOV | BRI | CLT | SBO | HCY | ROU | SBO | ROU | CRW | ROU | SBO | HCY | LGY | IRP | GPS | BRI | HCY | DAR | RCH | NWS | SBO | MAR | ROU | CLT | HCY | MAR | 130th | 91 | [13] | |
| 1984 | 35 | DAY | RCH | CAR | HCY | MAR | DAR | ROU | NSV | LGY | MLW 11 | DOV | CLT | SBO | HCY | ROU | SBO | ROU | HCY | IRP | LGY | SBO | BRI | DAR | RCH | NWS | CLT | HCY | CAR | MAR | 113th | - | [14] | ||||||||
| 1985 | DAY | CAR | HCY | BRI | MAR | DAR | SBO | LGY | DOV | CLT | SBO | HCY | ROU | IRP 21 | SBO | LGY | HCY | MLW | BRI | DAR | RCH | NWS | ROU | CLT | HCY | CAR | MAR | 103rd | - | [15] | |||||||||||
| 1995 | Colburn Racing | 36 | Ford | DAY | CAR | RCH | ATL | NSV | DAR | BRI | HCY DNQ | NHA DNQ | NZH | CLT DNQ | DOV | MYB | GLN | MLW | TAL | SBO | IRP | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | CLT | CAR | HOM | NA | - | [16] | |||||||||
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | NCTC | Pts | Ref | ||||||||||||||
| 1995 | Venturini Motorsports | 35 | Chevy | PHO | TUS | SGS | MMR | POR | EVG | I70 | LVL | BRI | MLW | CNS | HPT | IRP | FLM | RCH | MAR | NWS DNQ | SON | MMR | PHO 34 | 78th | 116 | [17] | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | HOM | PHO | POR | EVG | TUS | CNS | HPT | BRI | NZH | MLW 31 | LVL | I70 | IRP | FLM | GLN | NSV | RCH | NHA | MAR | NWS | SON | MMR | PHO | LVS | 119th | 70 | [18] | |||||||||||||||||
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)