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O'Doski's Love Of Racing Was Always With Him

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By BILL GREEN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 29, 2008

Bartow - Gail O'Doski was not a household racing name, but he will be remembered by local race fans for his impact on the career of a talented young Bartow stock-car driver named Rick Wilson.

With the help of O'Doski, Wilson reached NASCAR's top series in the late 1980s.

O'Doski died of cancer Sunday in his native Bartow. He was 67.

O'Doski fell in love with stock-car racing the first time he visited Sebring Raceway in 1958. That was the night he sneaked onto the track in his 1958 Dodge DeSoto Firedome two-door hardtop. He almost completed the 3.7-mile road course, but track officials finally caught up to end his attempt to navigate the course in the dark.

He was quietly escorted off the premises.

In the 1960s, O'Doski joined the U.S. Air Force and was introduced to broadcasting in radio and television, working as an announcer, disc jockey, news anchor and weather reporter.

Years later, O'Doski opened an advertising and public relations business in Bartow in 1967. He soon united his business venture with his early love, racing.

O'Doski worked hard to find sponsors for Wilson's car, signing Murphy Chevrolet in Bartow to help finance his late-model racing at Central Florida short tracks in the early 1980s. When Wilson moved up to the ARCA series, Wilson worked harder to find bigger sponsors — whatever it took to make sure Wilson raced in the next big event.

O'Doski negotiated a deal with Kodak, which sponsored Wilson in NASCAR's Grand National and Winston Cup series, known today as Nationwide and Sprint Cup, respectively.

"He really enjoyed the years he spent working with Rick, learning the marketing of an athlete as he went," said O'Doski's son, Rhett O'Doski. "My dad worked hard to secure the Kodak deal, but soon realized that his work securing a Grand National ride for the talented Wilson was complete and turned his attention back to family and music. His collection of memorable personal racing photos was a joy to him and the family over the years, though."

Included in those photos were the likes of A. J. Foyt and Marty Robbins around the race track. Country singers Tammy Wynette and Ray Stevens were counted as friends in country music.

Wilson went on to run 206 races in the former Winston Cup series. From 1986-89 he drove the No.4 car for Morgan McClure racing. Later, Wilson drove for RahMoc, the Stavola Brothers and Petty Enterprises as the first driver to replace Richard Petty after he retired.

While Wilson enjoyed racing success, O'Doski returned to music.

In the mid 1980s, O'Doski signed a recording contract with a Nashville company and made the Billboard 100 with five of his singles.

"My dad was a great dad," Rhett O'Doski said. "An entertainer, a comedian, a disciplinarian when he had to be, but he was a friend to everybody he ever met."

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