Obituary for Dale Edward Wilch
Dale Wilch
Dale Edward Wilch, age 77, of Kansas City, Kansas passed away on Wednesday, August 11th, 2021 from Covid-19.
On Friday, September 24th his family will have a Celebration of Dale’s Life at Wyandotte County Park (631 N. 126th Street, Bonner Springs, KS 66012), Shelter D from 2pm-7:30pm. They plan on having a Service at 5:30pm followed by Car Cruise around the park.
Dale was born on November 23, 1943 in Topeka, Kansas and was the eldest of four children born to Kyle & Dorothy (Chubb) Wilch. At a young age his family moved to the Welborn area of Kansas City, Kansas where he was raised. He attended Washington High School before joining the U.S. Navy, stationed for a time in Iceland. Dale married the love of his life, Denise (Stone) on February 11, 1978 at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Kansas. Dale began his racing career behind the wheel of a 1937 Chevy Coupe powered by a Big Block. Along with partner Keith Stromberg, they frequented the KCTA drag strip on Chouteau Trafficway and many tracks throughout the Midwest. In the late 1960s he began working at Don’s Speed Shop in Lawrence, KS where he not only started his long career in the high performance parts business, but also began driving front motored “slingshot” dragsters for Don Baxter. They raced throughout the country, participating in the AHRA circuit and the Midwest All Stars Pro Dragster Circuit. Dale served as Vice-President of the Midwest All Stars. In late 1973, Wilch and Baxter took delivery of their first rear engine Top Fuel Dragster aptly named The Jayhawker, since it hailed from Lawrence. Dale drove the Chevrolet powered fueler in 1974 and 1975. In 1976 he formed a new partnership with Pat Holt and introduced the KC Bomber Top Fuel Dragster to the drag racing world. The KC Bomber also used a Chevrolet engine, bucking the trend of most teams from that era which were using a Chrysler Hemi. They competed in AHRA, NHRA, IHRA and UDRA races. His proudest moment from the 1976 season was when he and crew member Lowell Hickman qualified at the NHRA Spring Nationals in Columbus, OH with a 6.23. Adding to this impressive feat was the long list of non-qualifiers at this race, which read like a “Who’s Who” of top drag racing stars of the day. He continued racing the KC Bomber through the 1982 season. In 1983 he began driving the Law of the Yukon Top Fuel Dragster. In July 1984 at the AHRA Grand American Nationals at US 30 Dragway outside of Chicago, he qualified his car by running his quickest time in the quarter mile in 5.95 seconds at 245 MPH. Dale stepped out of the cockpit in 1986 in order to devote more time to his ever growing speed equipment business.
Besides being known throughout the country as a Professional Drag Racer, Dale was equally known for his success as a speed shop owner. As the proprietor of Specialty Equipment, he had a loyal customer base who followed him from his original shop on 18th and Minnesota Ave to his store at 55th and Leavenworth Road. In the late 70s, Dale was a Sales Representative for Mr. Gasket, where he represented several top line high performance automotive brands. By calling on speed shops and auto parts stores throughout the country, he took notice of obsolete and discontinued parts sitting in back rooms and warehouses. This gave him the idea that an outlet needed to be created for selling rare and hard to find high performance parts. In 1981 he opened Dale Wilch Sales, a concept which brought buyers and sellers of used speed equipment and complete race cars together on a consignment basis. Dale quickly outgrew his original location on South Early Street and moved to a more spacious location on 49th and State Ave. Billed as the “World’s Largest Speed Shop” it offered customers the opportunity to buy used parts and complete race cars, as well as new high performance equipment. Dale was a very early adopter of incorporating technology into his business. He recognized early on the power of the internet and creating a business out of online selling. He blended his expertise of finding unique and hard to find automotive parts at swap meets throughout the country, and selling them on Ebay when it was in it’s infancy. As the concept of online selling grew, so did Dale’s reputation as being the “go-to” guy for unique parts. He and Denise continued their business of selling new and used parts online until his passing. He also operated Dale Wilch’s Man Cave, a weekly swap meet located in the underground caves just West of downtown Kansas City. Dale was an avid storyteller. His favorite topics to discuss were the glory days of drag racing, the golden years of hot rodding and muscle cars, the latest adventures of his beloved Grandchildren or the many times people jumped for higher ground when he showed off his pet “Mongoose” and it “unexpectedly” escaped from its cage.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brother-in-law’s: Mark Andrews and Gene Hill, and by one nephew Michael Andrews.
Survivors include his wife Denise Wilch of the home. Three children: Mike Duncan and his wife Kim of Kansas City, MO., Chris Fivecoat of Mound City, KS., and Nichole Puskas and her husband Chad of Olathe, KS., Six grandchildren: Makayla, Denton, Blake, Austin, McKenna and Malaina. Three siblings: Leon Wilch and his wife Stephanie of Falls Church, VA., Ellen Hill and Anita Andrews both of Kansas City, KS., and family friend and long-time crew member Paul McCluskey and his wife Jeannie, as well as several nieces, nephews, extended family and many, many friends.
Godspeed Dale. May you Race in Peace.
Dale Edward Wilch, age 77, of Kansas City, Kansas passed away on Wednesday, August 11th, 2021 from Covid-19.
On Friday, September 24th his family will have a Celebration of Dale’s Life at Wyandotte County Park (631 N. 126th Street, Bonner Springs, KS 66012), Shelter D from 2pm-7:30pm. They plan on having a Service at 5:30pm followed by Car Cruise around the park.
Dale was born on November 23, 1943 in Topeka, Kansas and was the eldest of four children born to Kyle & Dorothy (Chubb) Wilch. At a young age his family moved to the Welborn area of Kansas City, Kansas where he was raised. He attended Washington High School before joining the U.S. Navy, stationed for a time in Iceland. Dale married the love of his life, Denise (Stone) on February 11, 1978 at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Kansas. Dale began his racing career behind the wheel of a 1937 Chevy Coupe powered by a Big Block. Along with partner Keith Stromberg, they frequented the KCTA drag strip on Chouteau Trafficway and many tracks throughout the Midwest. In the late 1960s he began working at Don’s Speed Shop in Lawrence, KS where he not only started his long career in the high performance parts business, but also began driving front motored “slingshot” dragsters for Don Baxter. They raced throughout the country, participating in the AHRA circuit and the Midwest All Stars Pro Dragster Circuit. Dale served as Vice-President of the Midwest All Stars. In late 1973, Wilch and Baxter took delivery of their first rear engine Top Fuel Dragster aptly named The Jayhawker, since it hailed from Lawrence. Dale drove the Chevrolet powered fueler in 1974 and 1975. In 1976 he formed a new partnership with Pat Holt and introduced the KC Bomber Top Fuel Dragster to the drag racing world. The KC Bomber also used a Chevrolet engine, bucking the trend of most teams from that era which were using a Chrysler Hemi. They competed in AHRA, NHRA, IHRA and UDRA races. His proudest moment from the 1976 season was when he and crew member Lowell Hickman qualified at the NHRA Spring Nationals in Columbus, OH with a 6.23. Adding to this impressive feat was the long list of non-qualifiers at this race, which read like a “Who’s Who” of top drag racing stars of the day. He continued racing the KC Bomber through the 1982 season. In 1983 he began driving the Law of the Yukon Top Fuel Dragster. In July 1984 at the AHRA Grand American Nationals at US 30 Dragway outside of Chicago, he qualified his car by running his quickest time in the quarter mile in 5.95 seconds at 245 MPH. Dale stepped out of the cockpit in 1986 in order to devote more time to his ever growing speed equipment business.
Besides being known throughout the country as a Professional Drag Racer, Dale was equally known for his success as a speed shop owner. As the proprietor of Specialty Equipment, he had a loyal customer base who followed him from his original shop on 18th and Minnesota Ave to his store at 55th and Leavenworth Road. In the late 70s, Dale was a Sales Representative for Mr. Gasket, where he represented several top line high performance automotive brands. By calling on speed shops and auto parts stores throughout the country, he took notice of obsolete and discontinued parts sitting in back rooms and warehouses. This gave him the idea that an outlet needed to be created for selling rare and hard to find high performance parts. In 1981 he opened Dale Wilch Sales, a concept which brought buyers and sellers of used speed equipment and complete race cars together on a consignment basis. Dale quickly outgrew his original location on South Early Street and moved to a more spacious location on 49th and State Ave. Billed as the “World’s Largest Speed Shop” it offered customers the opportunity to buy used parts and complete race cars, as well as new high performance equipment. Dale was a very early adopter of incorporating technology into his business. He recognized early on the power of the internet and creating a business out of online selling. He blended his expertise of finding unique and hard to find automotive parts at swap meets throughout the country, and selling them on Ebay when it was in it’s infancy. As the concept of online selling grew, so did Dale’s reputation as being the “go-to” guy for unique parts. He and Denise continued their business of selling new and used parts online until his passing. He also operated Dale Wilch’s Man Cave, a weekly swap meet located in the underground caves just West of downtown Kansas City. Dale was an avid storyteller. His favorite topics to discuss were the glory days of drag racing, the golden years of hot rodding and muscle cars, the latest adventures of his beloved Grandchildren or the many times people jumped for higher ground when he showed off his pet “Mongoose” and it “unexpectedly” escaped from its cage.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brother-in-law’s: Mark Andrews and Gene Hill, and by one nephew Michael Andrews.
Survivors include his wife Denise Wilch of the home. Three children: Mike Duncan and his wife Kim of Kansas City, MO., Chris Fivecoat of Mound City, KS., and Nichole Puskas and her husband Chad of Olathe, KS., Six grandchildren: Makayla, Denton, Blake, Austin, McKenna and Malaina. Three siblings: Leon Wilch and his wife Stephanie of Falls Church, VA., Ellen Hill and Anita Andrews both of Kansas City, KS., and family friend and long-time crew member Paul McCluskey and his wife Jeannie, as well as several nieces, nephews, extended family and many, many friends.
Godspeed Dale. May you Race in Peace.