William Leonard Boat (born February 2, 1966) is an American former open-wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League.

Billy Boat
Billy Boat (right) preparing tires for his son Chad's sprint car in 2007
Nationality United States
Born (1966-02-02) February 2, 1966 (age 58)
Phoenix, Arizona
IndyCar Series
Years active1996–2003
TeamsA. J. Foyt Enterprises
PDM Racing
Team Pelfrey
Beck Motorsports
Curb Agajanian Performance Group
Panther Racing
Starts75
Wins1
Poles9
Fastest laps5
Best finish4th in 2001
Previous series
1986-1987Indy Lights
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish135th (2003)
First race2003 Bashas' Supermarkets 200 (Phoenix)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0

Racing career

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Boat began his career in USAC where he won 11 straight Western Series races on his way to the 1995 championship. He won the Turkey Night Grand Prix midget car race in 1995. He was a three-peat winner in the event after winning in 1996 and 1997. He made his first IRL start in the 1997 Indianapolis 500 driving for A. J. Foyt Enterprises. In 1998 he won 6 poles, including 5 in a row, both league records, and won his first race at Texas Motor Speedway. It was his only official IRL victory. (He appeared to have won the same race in the 1996-97 season, but a scoring error meant he finished second). He is one of the few drivers with the distinction to have started from both the pole (1998) and final 33rd (2000, 2001) starting position in the Indy 500. He has not appeared in an IRL race since the 2003 Indianapolis 500.

Personal life

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Boat is a graduate of Arizona State University. In 1986 he founded Billy Boat Performance Exhaust, a company that makes performance exhaust systems for luxury and high performance cars, light trucks, and high performance watercraft. Boat has four children, with three girls and one boy.

In 2014, Boat's son Chad began competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, driving a family-owned No. 84 Chevrolet.

Motorsports career results

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American open–wheel racing results

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(key)

Indy Lights

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Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rank Points
1986 Marsh Holt Racing PHX1
4
MIL
11
MEA
7
TOR POC
8
MDO
5
ROA
6
LS
8
PHX2
3
MIA
8
6th 67
1987 Machinist Union Racing PHX
10
MIL
13
MEA CLE TOR POC MDO NZR LS MIA 24th 4

IndyCar Series

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Year Team Chassis No. Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points Ref
1996 Pagan Racing Reynard 94i 99 Ford XB V8t WDW PHX INDY
DNQ
NC - [1]
1996–97 A. J. Foyt Enterprises Dallara IR7 11 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 NHM LVS WDW PHX INDY
7
LV2
23
18th 151 [2]
G-Force GF01 1 TXS
2
CLT
2
NH2
8
PDM Racing Dallara IR7 18 PPIR
19
1998 A. J. Foyt Enterprises Dallara IR8 11 WDW
21
PHX
3
INDY
23
TXS
1
NHM
21
DOV CLT PPIR
9
ATL
12
TX2
14
LVS
26
13th 194 [3]
1999 Dallara IR9 WDW
9
PHX
4
CLT
C
INDY
3
TXS
24
PPIR
24
ATL
10
DOV
4
PPI2
13
LVS
22
TX2
9
12th 204 [4]
2000 Team Pelfrey Dallara IR-00 81 WDW
9
PHX
6
LVS
7
TXS
23
PPIR
18
ATL
8
KTY
18
TX2
3
10th 181 [5]
A. J. Foyt Enterprises G-Force GF05 41 INDY
15
2001 Curb/Agajanian-Beck Motorsports Dallara IR-01 98 PHX
5
HMS
13
ATL
14
INDY
9
TXS
5
PPIR
4
RIR
18
KAN
9
NSH
2
KTY
6
STL
6
CHI
12
TX2
12
4th 313 [6]
2002 CURB/Agajanian/Beck Motorsports Dallara IR-02 Chevrolet Indy V8 HMS
16
PHX
8
FON
18
NZR
8
INDY
18
TXS
7
PPIR
14
RIR
22
13th 225 [7]
Infiniti VRH35ADE V8 KAN
9
NSH
14
MIS
14
KTY
19
STL
23
CHI
19
TX2
24
2003 Panther Racing Dallara IR-03 Chevrolet Indy V8 HMS
PHX
MOT
INDY
32
TXS
PPIR
RIR
KAN
NSH
MIS
STL
KTY
NZR
CHI
FON
TX2
37th 1 [8]

Indianapolis 500

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Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team
1996 Reynard 94i Ford XB V8t DNQ Pagan Racing
1997 Dallara IR7 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 22 7 A. J. Foyt Enterprises
1998 Dallara IR8 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 1 23 A. J. Foyt Enterprises
1999 Dallara IR9 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 3 3 A. J. Foyt Enterprises
2000 G-Force GF05 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 31 15 A. J. Foyt Enterprises
2001 Dallara IR-01 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 32 9 CURB/Agajanian/Beck Motorsports
2002 Dallara IR-02 Chevrolet Indy V8 23 18 Agajanian/Boat Racing
2003 Dallara IR-03 Chevrolet Indy V8 29 32 Panther Racing

NASCAR

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(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Series

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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 NBSC Pts Ref
2003 Braun Racing 30 Dodge DAY CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX TAL NSH CAL RCH GTY NZH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI NHA PPR IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM ATL PHO
29
CAR HOM 135th 76 [9]

References

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  1. ^ "Billy Boat – 1996 Indy Racing League Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  2. ^ "Billy Boat – 1997 Indy Racing League Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  3. ^ "Billy Boat – 1998 Pep Boys Indy Racing League Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  4. ^ "Billy Boat – 1999 Pep Boys Indy Racing League Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  5. ^ "Billy Boat – 2000 Indy Racing Northern Lights Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  6. ^ "Billy Boat – 2001 Indy Racing Northern Lights Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  7. ^ "Billy Boat – 2002 Indy Racing League Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  8. ^ "Billy Boat – 2003 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  9. ^ "Billy Boat – 2003 NASCAR Busch Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
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