50 Greatest Modified Drivers – Bo Gunning
“Like Him or Hate Him He Can Drive a Modified!”
William “Bo” Gunning is a three-time (1983, 1998, 2002) Stafford Motor Speedway SK Modified® champion. With 47 career SK Modified® feature wins to his credit, Gunning ranks third behind only Ted Christopher and Keith Rocco on the All-Time Winners List.
Gunning started racing at age five, in quarter midgets. For eleven years he won over three hundred main events and numerous track titles. During his teen years he first raced a Sportsman car at Connecticut’s Plainville Stadium and then moved to Danbury where he won his first of three events. He raced at Danbury until the Connecticut track closed.
Gunning was a charter member of the SK Modified® division at Stafford, taking part in the inaugural season of 1982 and Gunning has also raced and won at Waterford and Thompson.
Perhaps Bo’s greatest accomplishment, aside from his remarkable 47 career wins the SK Modifieds®, was winning multiple Most Popular Driver awards. Once disliked for his aggressive driving style, Gunning won Stafford’s most popular driver award four times (1996, 1997, 1998, 2002). As part of the Stafford Salutes NASCAR at 50 Program, William ‘Bo’ Gunning was voted to the list of the Fifty Greatest Modified Drivers of All-Time as voted by the public. In recent ceremonies Gunning spoke with press and media about being honored and how much it means to him.
“When you look at the names on that list, it’s incredible. I didn’t realize how important this was until I found myself standing with some of the truly great drives of the past like George Summers and Ron Bouchard. To have my name included with those and others like Richie Evans, Bugsy Stevens and Fred Desaro, it’s hard to imagine. It’s a real honor to be a part of this.”
By: Phil Smith
