Tribute to Team Owner Wayne Spears

By Vincent Delforge, Special to Kickin’ the Tires

A great man from the NASCAR West Series, current ARCA Menards West Series, passed away on September 18, 2023. This man was Robert “Wayne” Spears. He was the owner, with his wife Connie, of Spears Motorsports team in the West Series between 1987 and 2000.

Spears Motorsports was active between 1986 and 2007 in numerous NASCAR series. Spears Motorsports first competed in the Southwest Series from 1986, Craftsman Truck Series (1995-2007), and even the Cup Series (1987-1994).

Born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, on November 5, 1934, he was surrounded by family and friends when he passed away September 18, 2023.

Wayne was an extraordinary man who touched many lives and accomplished several visions. His greatest passion was Spears Manufacturing Company, founded in 1969, which has become the largest single-source pipe and pipe fitting business in the United States. He also enjoyed fishing, flying, boating, NASCAR racing, quiet time at home with Connie and their dog Jenny, and spending time with friends at the Agua Dulce Airport. Wayne lived in the Agua Dulce, California area for 47 years, along with time in Florida and summers in Alaska.

Wayne is survived by his wife Constance “Connie” Spears; children Richard “Rick” Spears, Robert “Bob” Spears, James heyen, Tami Smith and Susan Heyen, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; sister Carolyn Crittendon and brother William “Bill” Spears.  

His iconic blue and white cars bearing the No. 75 and sometimes the No. 76 were instantly recognizable in a racing field. After starting in the NASCAR Southwest Series in 1986 with driver Roman Calczynski, they decided to move up to the NASCAR Winston West Series in 1987. That year Calczynski obtained four top-10s including a ninth place in their very first race in the series at Sonoma Raceway and win the Rookie Of The Year title.

It was a good start for Spears Motorsports. In 1988 the team focused with Calczynski on the Southwest Series championship and together they won the team’s first title. In 1988, several drivers drove in the West Series for Spears Motorsports including Rusty Wallace, Bill Sedgwick and Tommy Kendall who gave the team its first top-five at Sonoma with a fourth position.

In 1989 Bill Sedgwick was a full-time driver and gave the team its’ first victories. The very first win came on April 30 in the opening race of the season in Madera, CA from pole position, the first pole for the team as well. At the end of the year Sedgwick was vice-champion and also won the ROTY title. Sedgwick finished runner-up again in 1990.

The next two years saw Spears Motorsports dominate the series with Bill Sedgwick in top form. They won the championship consecutively in 1991 and 1992. And in 1993 for the fifth consecutive year he finished on the final podium in the championship with a third…