Bill Okell isn’t slowing down. Not at 70. Not when the track ahead still feels like home.
This weekend, May 10-11, the Saanich driver heads back to Portland International Raceway for another run at the Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour – an event he’s quietly dominated over the last three years. He’s won four straight races at the Oregon road course since 2021, and even after a three-month break from the wheel, the veteran racer is cruising in with a full tank of confidence.
“Portland has always historically been a good track for me,” Okell said. “From a confidence perspective, I mean, look, I’ve got four straight wins there.”
The 1.97-mile, 12-turn circuit just north of downtown Portland has been part of Okell’s story for decades. He first raced there in the 1980s. Its layout – short, technical, and brutally unforgiving – isn’t for the faint of heart. But for a driver who studies every inch of every corner, it’s familiar ground.
“A lot of American racetracks are three-and-a-half miles, 14 corners, big elevation changes. Portland’s different,” Okell said. “It’s tight. It’s short. Nine turns. I know where the bumps are. The concrete curbs are the same every year. That’s the kind of track knowledge you just can’t teach.”
That knowledge has powered him to 17 career race class wins and two SCCA Western Conference Championships behind the wheel of a 1990 MG Midget – an old-school car driven with a modern mindset. And this weekend, Okell is back in it, running in the H Production (HP) class against a field that might be small but packs serious horsepower of its own.
“As of now, we’ve got three cars entered in my class at Portland,” he said. “There were five at Bakersfield, and I think there will be six total in the field across the different production classes.”
But for Okell, it’s not just about who he’s racing against – it’s who they are.
“All three of us in the HP class are from Joe Carr’s garage down in California. We’re all friends,” he said. “I’m 70. Tommy’s 76. Lee’s 78. So, believe it or not, I’m the young guy in the group.”
The banter runs deep. So does the mutual respect. This isn’t a group of hobbyists out for a Sunday cruise. These are credentialed drivers with decades of experience, trophies to their names, and a competitive fire that still burns.
“Tommy’s leading the Western Conference championship right now. I’ve slipped to eighth in the national points, but we’re all racing at a pretty high level,” Okell said. “It’s wild when you think about it – guys our age still pushing hard like this. But we love it.”
That love showed earlier this season in California, where Okell won back-to-back races in Bakersfield – his last competitive outing before Portland.
The layoff since that weekend hasn’t bothered him. After decades in the sport, Okell knows how to manage the calendar – and his body.
That perspective is part of what keeps him grounded – and dangerous. Because while he might not be chasing a full season, he’s never just showing up.
“When I go to Portland, I’m asking myself, ‘What’s left? Where can I be better?’” he said. “Can I brake deeper into Turn One? Can I carry more speed through Turn Four? You’ve got to stay sharp.”
He also knows racing is never guaranteed. Reliability issues, weather, mechanical failure – any of it can ruin a weekend before it starts. But he’s been fortunate. And as long as the car holds up, he believes he can win.
The SCCA Super Tour runs May 10-11, with Okell once again behind the wheel of his trusty Midget, chasing podiums against the same tight-knit crew he’s known for years.
