The founding father of hot rod racing in the UK has died at the age of 94.

Hednesford Hills Raceway owner Bill Morris died peacefully in his sleep yesterday morning at The Lake View Care Home in Great Wyrley.

Mr Morris was responsible for transforming the former reservoir at Hednesford into a world-famous raceway for hot rod and stock car racing in the UK.

He was also the first person to bring the sport of hot rod racing to the UK after he visited the USA in the 1950s.

Mr Morris, formerly of Hill Street, Hednesford, leaves a daughter, June, and son, Martin, and four grandchildren Lawrence, Yvette, Hailey and Heidi.

His daughter June Nixon, 72, of Streetly, said: “He was very kind and helped a lot of people.

“His big passion was for racing and he never lost it, he still watched the grand prix races in the care home.” She added: “I am very proud of my father for what he did for Hednesford and racing.”

Bill Morris was born on April 26, 1914 in the Bordesley Green area of Birmingham. After leaving school at the age of 13 he became a driver’s mate with early forms of road haulage companies before starting his own garage in Birmingham before the Second World War.

During the war he joined the RAF and after becoming a pilot he was sent to Canada as an instructor. After the war he married wife Edna and started a business called Meadway Spares, one of the first yards to specialise in getting spare parts from scrap cars.

His love of cars and fast machines took him on a trip to the USA where he saw the American hot rod racing and Nascar circuits which he was determined to bring back home.

In the 1963 he took on a lease from Cannock Chase Council and created the first concrete circuit with banks on the corners at Hednesford which meant faster speeds.

He pumped his own money into the raceway moving an entire stand from the Bromford race track in Birmingham and creating Hednesford Hills Raceway as it is today.

In its heyday the raceway attracted thousands of spectators and made Mr Morris a household name in the town.

He was regularly seen driving a Buick Century and before that an old blue Ford Granada with his alsatian dogs always in the back.

He handed over the raceway to his son Martin in the early 80′s and ran a dismantling businesses in Cannock.

Family friend Jim Waddell, said: “Bill really did have the Midas touch and a real business head on him. He saw what they were doing in the USA and he wanted to bring that to the UK and he succeeded. He was definitely a man of firsts and was well known by everyone in the area.

“He was a real character who didn’t suffer fools gladly but who was also very kind to people.”

Mr Morris’ funeral will be held on October 20 at Streetly crematorium at 1.45pm.

Enquiries should be made to Ian Hazel Funeral Directors on 0121 308 2288.