Like many of us, playing with cars was a favorite pastime when we were children. For Daniel Field, owner and operator of Woody’s Towing, it’s his career and his main hobby to this day. From a young age Field followed along behind his father, Dion Field, to the race track. His dad along with his friend Doug Pennington spent many weekends at the drag strips, “We probably went every weekend together from when I was like three or four and up until I was about in my thirties.”
Field often spent time with Pennington racing, with and without his dad. So much so that many people would think Field was Pennington’s son. Field said he remembered that when the mistaken identity would happen that Pennington would joke and say Field was his nephew Billy. At some point Field started joking back that Pennington was his “Uncle Billy”. Field shared that this would confuse people but the name “Uncle Billy” just stuck and Field currently still refers to Pennington as “Uncle Billy”. “I have probably raced at every track in the North West at least once with Uncle Billy” shared Field.
As time has gone by Uncle Billy no longer races, but often attends with friends, including with Field. Last summer Uncle Billy’s orange 1970 Barracuda went up for sale and unbeknown to Uncle Billy, Field bought the car. Field purchased the car about three weeks before a big Street Outlaw drag race out at Firebird Raceway that was coming up. At this race producers and camera crew for the discovery+ show, Street Outlaws: Locals Only, would be in attendance. With little time before the race Field stripped down the Barracuda and restored the car into race ready condition. Field surprised Uncle Billy with the restoration and a trip to the drag strip for the event, also renaming the car, “Uncle Billy” in honor of Uncle Billy.
The Street Outlaws: Locals Only crew were at the race offering eight local small-tire racers a chance to compete for $5,000 and an opportunity to race a legendary Street Outlaw. Field was one of the eight racers they filmed. He beat out a local driver from Twin Falls during his first race of the weekend, but fell short in his second race. Field came in at the middle of the pack overall for racing that weekend. The crew interviewed him and Uncle Billy and the episode with their interview aired earlier this month on discovery+, Session 1 Episode 8, Kye is The Limit. Even though they came away with a loss for the race that weekend it was a win in terms of the time Field was able to spend with Uncle Billy, a man who made an impact on Field throughout his life. Memories were reminisced and memories were made that day.
Over Fields’ lifetime he has raced more than just on the drag strip. He has raced, arena trucks, hornet cars, mud drags, demolition derby and has raced the SCORE desert races, including a couple trips to race in Mexico for the Baja 1000. “I like to race because it’s fun and challenging. I am never going to grow up. My toys have just gotten more expensive and bigger. If it’s got wheels and a motor I’ll race it,” he stated.
Currently Field is not racing the drag strip this season as he is restoring his fathers 58 Ford race car for the upcoming Redwood Rally race this fall. Field is, however, this summer enjoying his new endeavor of Truck and Tractor Pulling. He shared that out of all the types of racing he has done that Truck Pulling is a unique experience sharing, “Truck Pulling is probably the most challenging thing I have ever done in my life. Because you get your teeth kicked in even if everything is running perfectly. Everything has to line up 150% perfect to do a good pull. Everything from the front bumper to the back bumper has to be exactly perfect. And, even if everything is still all perfect, your buddy could still out pull you by three feet”. You can watch him along with other local pullers at the Weiser Invitational on July 14th and 15th put on by Believe Pulling Sled at the rodeo grounds in Weiser.
*All photos are curtesy photos.
