Some years ago, probably 1992 or so, at a CarGuys, Inc.® high-performance driving school at Roebling Road in Savannah, Ga., Tarheel member, Bill Wilkins, was instructing Tarheel member and novice track driver, Bill Gratton. Though Bill W. was a very good instructor, Bill G. was just a little too aggressive for his experience and overcooked turns 1 and 2. The two went off on the outside and then back across the track. The car almost came to a stop, but the sand had built up along the wheels and, at about 5 or 10 mph, over on its side it went. Both occupants were unscathed, but Bill W. exited the car with the instructor's-side door handle in hand, only adding to the bench-racing story of the incident.

The original door handle was returned to Bill G. to mend his car. However, later that same year, Ron Spencer was walking from one worker-station to another at Summit Point and saw yet another door handle on the ground. The Roebling incident immediately came to mind, along with an idea to immortalize the humorous Bill and Bill incident. Together with Queen Jean Wilkins, Bill's wife, the Golden Door Handle Award was born to "honor" the Tarheel member(s) involved in the most notorious off(s) of the year.