Bill Brodrick

Who is Bill Brodrick?

Bill Brodrick is the former victory lane ringmaster or “Hat Man,” who conducted all the post-race festivities at hundreds of NASCAR and IndyCar race venues between 1969-1997. An imposing figure at 6'3" with flowing red hair, Big Bill was a welcoming presence in the victory ceremony who famously started the traditional ‘hat dance’ of methodically passing out the different sponsor-themed hats for team photographs. He notably parlayed a position as a PR Director for the worldwide motor racing division of UNOCAL, into the director of the oft-captured television spectacle that routinely occured after the competitions concluded. At the height of his employment, Brodrick spent 200 days on the road in any given year, shuffling to Daytona, Le Mans, Indianapolis and anywhere in between. He also cameoed in the 1983 film Stroker Ace, depicting a NASCAR racing driver, played by Burt Reynolds.

Before fully retiring, Brodrick owned and operated a bar in Algonquin, IL.