Billy Wade (February 28, 1930 in Houston, Texas, USA - January 5, 1965) had a brief yet successful stint in NASCAR.
a.k.a (Wade Lavender), Billy was the 1963 NASCAR Rookie of the Year for car owner Cotton Owens. He finished the season with 14 Top 10 finishes in 31 races.
He won four consecutive races the following year for Bud Moore Engineering between July 10 and July 19, 1964. He also accumulated 5 poles and 25 Top 10 finishes in his 35 starts.
He died during a tire test at Daytona International Raceway in 1965, when his car spun on the backstretch and hit the wall head-on.