Bill Alsup
A consistent and resilient driver who nearly won the 1981 CART championship without a victory, proving that relentless points-scoring can trump race-day glory.
1938–2016 (age 78)·American open-wheel racing driver·Birthday: July 15·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bill Alsup's path to the upper echelons of American open-wheel racing was one of quiet determination. The Missouri native didn't burst onto the scene as a young phenom but built his career through the grueling ranks of USAC. His big break came in 1981 when the mighty Penske team hired him. That season became his defining chapter: Alsup, in a winless campaign, strung together a remarkable series of top finishes, his disciplined, error-free driving making him the championship runner-up. It was a testament to his understated skill. The following year, returning to his own underfunded operation, he struggled, highlighting the razor-thin margin between contender and also-ran in the era. He retired after the 1984 season, leaving a legacy not of trophies but of a driver who maximized every opportunity, earning the inaugural CART Rookie of the Year honor in 1979 and the respect of his peers for his tenacity.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bill was born in 1938, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1938
#1 Movie
You Can't Take It with You
Best Picture
You Can't Take It with You
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1938Born
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1943Started school
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1951Became a teenager
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Could drive
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1956Could vote
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Turned 21
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1968Turned 30
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 40
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 50
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 60
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 70
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2016Died at 78
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Key Achievements
- Named the first-ever CART Rookie of the Year in 1979.
- Finished as runner-up in the 1981 CART Championship driving for Penske Racing.
- Competed in the 1981 Indianapolis 500, finishing in 11th place.
- Achieved a career-best finish of third place on three separate occasions in Champ Car.
Did You Know?
His full name was William Alsup, but he was universally known as Bill.
He drove for the legendary Team Penske for only a single season, in 1981.
His final Champ Car start was at the Sanair Super Speedway in Quebec, Canada, in 1984.
Before his CART career, he competed in USAC's stock car and sprint car divisions.
“You show up, you do the work, and you hope the car is good enough on the day.”
