NASCAR Stars
The following is a list of
stars of NASCAR through the history of the sport. These may be drivers, owners
or crew chiefs. This is a list that appeals to me as those who helped bring the
sport to where it is today. It takes more than just wins to make this all-star
list. There is a certain attitude required to be successful in NASCAR it is that
spirit that gets you on this list.
Bobby
Allison
Winston Cup Career: 1961,1965-88
Champion '83
Born:
Dec.3, 1937
Hometown: Hueytown, Alabama
One of the founding members of the Alabama Gang, Bobby Allison's 25-year NASCAR Winston Cup career was crowned by the series championship in 1983. He also was the series runner-up five different times. He started his Winston Cup career in 1966 with a homemade Chevelle. "Somebody told me my chances of winning a race were about the same as Twiggy winning the heavyweight boxing championship. That made me mad" Allison recalls. Bobby Allison didn't win one race -- he won three. His fast start was accompanied by controversy, a years-long feud with Richard Petty and an ongoing war with the media. A winner of 85 NASCAR Winston Cup races and 59 NASCAR Winston Cup pole positions, Allison won the Daytona 500 in 1978, 1982, and 1988. He finished 1-2 with his son, the late Davey Allison, in the '88 event. He is tied with Darrell Waltrip for series victories (third all-time) and pole positions (fourth all-time). Allison trails only Richard Petty for most races led (414) and is fourth all-time for most career starts (718). He was named NASCAR's Most Popular Driver in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1981, 1982, and 1983. His career was cut short by a racing accident in 1988. Allison was inducted into International Motorsports Hall of Fame and National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1994. Bobby lost two sons to accidents. Clifford died in a Busch series crash while practicing at Michigan and Davey died in a helicopter crash at Talladega in 1993.
Davey Allison
NASCAR
Winston Cup Career: 1985-93 
Born: Feb. 25, 1961 Died:
July 13, 1993
Hometown: Hueytown, Alabama
In 1987, Allison became the first NASCAR Winston Cup Series rookie to ever qualify on the front row for a Daytona 500. Although he didn't win that race, he won two others that year and won the Rookie of the Year honors. Allison topped the field in races led (23) in 1991 and in laps led (1,377) the following year. In both of those seasons, Allison won a career-best five races. His life was tragically cut short in a 1993 helicopter accident. In 1996, Allison was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Stock Car Hall of Fame at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Allison was also inducted into Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway's Heroes of Bristol Hall of Fame the following year. In 1998, Allison was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala.
Neil
Bonnett
NASCAR
Winston Cup Career: 1974-90, 1994 
Born: July 30, 1946 Died:
Feb. 11, 1994
Hometown: Besemer, Alabama
Bonnett was one of the most affable drivers in NASCAR Winston Cup Series history, earning 18 series victories during his 18-year career. Among his 18 wins were back-to-back victories in NASCAR's longest (miles) race -- the Coca-Cola 600 (1982,'83). Bonnett also won back-to-back Busch Clash (now Bud Shootout) races at Daytona International Speedway (1983, '84). Bonnett's highest finish in the series points chase was in 1985 when he finished fourth and his teammate, Darrell Waltrip, won the championship. He was an original member of the Alabama Gang that include the Allisons and Red Farmer. Outside the cockpit, Bonnett developed a career as a television commentator for race broadcasts and hosted his own show, Neil Bonnett's Winners on TNN: The Nashville Network. Bonnett was fatally injured in a crash during practice for the 1994 Daytona 500. He was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame in 1997.
Dale Earnhardt
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1975-2001
Champion '80, '86, '87, '90, '91, '93, '94
Born: April 29, 1951 Died:
February 18, 2001
Hometown: Kannapolis, N.C.
Arguably the most talented driver in the history of
NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing, Earnhardt, the Intimidator, won his seventh series championship
in 1994. He is the only driver in NASCAR's history to win the Rookie of the Year
award (1979) and the series championship (1980) in successive seasons.
Earnhardt's hard-driving style has earned him 76 series wins, ranking him sixth
on NASCAR's all-time wins list. His $41,538,362 in career winnings rank him
first on the all-time winnings list. He ranks fifth all-time in laps led with
25,706. He is the all-time race winner at Daytona International Speedway, with
29 wins in three different divisions. Earnhardt is a five-time winner of the
National Motorsports Press Association's Driver of the Year award (1980, '87,
'90, '94, '86 -- Co-winner with Tim Richmond). He is also a two time winner of
the American Driver of the Year award (1987, '94). Dale Earnhardt tragically
died in a last lap wreck in the 2001 Daytona 500. For
more about Dale click here.
Bill Elliott
NASCAR
Winston CupCareer: 1976-present 
Champion '88
"Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" is one of the most popular drivers on the circuit as well as one of the most accomplished. The NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion in 1988, Elliott has 40 NASCAR Winston Cup Series victories and 49 NASCAR Winston Cup pole positions in a 22-year career. He was the first driver to win the "Winston Million," in 1985, which earned him another nickname, "Million Dollar Bill." Elliott can count two Daytona 500 victories (winning from the pole position in 1985 and '87), four consecutive victories in 1992 and a single-season record 11 superspeedway races in 1985 to his credit. His total of 49 pole positions is seventh all-time in NASCAR Winston Cup Series history. Elliott won the Most Popular driver Award for a record 12th time in 1997, an award he has not won only twice (1989, '90) since 1984. He was named the Georgia Athlete of the Year in 1985 and 1988 and was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Jan., 1998. Elliott was also named to the American Auto Writers and Broadcasters Association All America Team in 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1992.
Tim Flock
NASCAR
Winston Cup Career: 1949-1961
Champion '52, '55
Born: May 11, 1924 Died:
1998
Hometown: Ft. Payne, Alabama
A true NASCAR pioneer, Flock finished fifth in the inaugural
NASCAR championship race on June 19, 1949, at Charlotte, North Carolina. Won the
NASCAR Winston Cup title in 1952 and 1955. His 18 victories (in 45 races) in
1955 stood as a record until Richard Petty won 27 races in 1967. Flock's 19
poles in 1955 still stand as a record. His winning percentage of 21.2 (40 wins
in 189 starts) is the highest in NASCAR Winston Cup history. Finished in the
top-five in 55 percent of his starts. Won NASCAR's only sports car race in 1955
driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing. Great racing family included brothers
Bob and Fonty and sister Ethel.
He was the son of a daredevil and sometimes drove with a monkey as his co-pilot. But make no mistake about Tim Flock. The NASCAR pioneer was one of the sports greatest drivers.
"I always thought you could do both: win and have fun," Flock once said, while describing his style. "It was a lesson the kids learned from my dad."
"Dad" was Carl Lee Flock, a tightrope walker whose adventuresome nature was handed down to his three sons and daughter.
During the early 1950's, Tim, Bob and Fonty were joined in a race by sister Ethel Flock Mobley, marking the only time in NASCAR Winston Cup history that four siblings competed in the same race.
"The three of us boys had trouble and Ethel finished ahead of us," recalled Tim. "The teasing got so bad for a couple of weeks that we had to go into hiding."
Tim Flock raced eight times with his pet monkey, "Jocko Flocko," in the co-pilot seat. But the monkey broke free during a 1953 race at Raleigh, North Carolina, and grabbed Tim by the neck, holding on for dear life. Flock had to make an extra pit stop to de-monkey his car, which ended up costing him the race.
Buck Baker recalls: "Tim had fun. He was a character and I mean that in a very nice way. But when he turned it on, he was tough as there was to beat."
Jeff
Gordon
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1992-present
Champion '95, '97, '98
Jeff Gordon made his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut in the 1992 season finale, the final race of Richard Petty's driving career. Since then, Gordon has won three NASCAR Winston Cup Series championships (1995 and 1997-98), 52 NASCAR Winston Cup Series victories, 34 NASCAR Winston Cup Series pole positions and the 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year Award. He seems to rise to the challenge of the biggest races of the season; his first win came at the 1994 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, an event he won again in 1997 and 1998. Other major victories include the 1997 and 1999 Daytona 500s, the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1994 and again in 1998, four consecutive Southern 500's at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1995-98), The Winston in 1995 and '97 and the Busch Clash (now the Bud Shootout) in 1994 and '97. In 1997, he also became only the second driver to win The Winston Million. He is the only driver in NASCAR Winston Cup Series history to win four consecutive Southern 500s at Darlington Raceway. Gordon was the first driver in NASCAR history to exceed $4 million (1995) and $6 million (1997) in single season earnings. He was named the Driver of the Year in 1995 and 1997. Gordon was also named the National Motorsports Press Association's and Eastern Motorsports Press Association Driver of the Year in 1995 and the True Value Man of the Year in 1996.
Junior Johnson
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1953-66
Born: June 28, 1931
Hometown: Ronda, North Carolina
It is said that folk heroes are no more. Modern times have replaced them with "superstars". Junior Johnson qualifies as both.
As in many legendary tales, the Junior Johnson saga has a humble beginning on a North Carolina farm, complete with coon hunting and a little moonshine running as part of the family business. Johnson was one of the early drivers competing in NASCAR races, who honed his skills on the back roads of rural North Carolina. He did hard time in an Ohio prison for moonshining in his native North Wilkesboro county. The story evokes images of Robin Hood, perhaps chomping a Barney Oldfield style cigar. According to legend, local residents cocked their ears each time they heard the whine of a souped-up engine echoing from the ridges of Wilkes County. "There goes Junior Johnson!"
When Junior's brother asked him to take a break from his mule plow and race at a real speedway, the image of the hard charger, out in front, red dust clouds flying, became reality.
Johnson competed on the NASCAR racing circuit for 13 years, racking up 50 Grand National victories. Before his retirement as a driver at age 35, he had won the 1960 Daytona 500 and was victorious at all the superspeedways that existed at the time.
Despite Hall of Fame credentials as a driver, Johnson's accomplishments as a car owner were even more impressive. By 1990 his cars had won 130 times on the Winston Cup circuit.
His drivers could start their own Hall of Fame: Fred Lorenzen, Curtis Turner, Bobby Allison, LeeRoy Yarbrough, Cale Yarborough, Gordon Johncock, Darrell Waltrip, Terry Labonte, Geoff Bodine, and Bill Elliott.
Major successes have come in threes for the Johnson Team. LeeRoy Yarbrough captured wins in the Daytona 500, World 600 and Southern 500 for the "Triple Crown" of Stock car racing in 1969, a feat that currently pays one million dollars. Beginning with the 1976 season, Cale Yarborough became the only driver ever to put together three consecutive Winston Cup Championships. In six years of driving for Johnson, Darrell Waltrip tallied three Winston Cup Season Championships, which included a record 24 wins over two consecutive seasons.
In an Esquire Magazine article published in 1965, a New York journalist, now world-renowned author Tom Wolfe dubbed Junior Johnson "The Last America Hero". He has earned the title - and then some!
His aggressive driving style earned him 50 NASCAR Winston Cup Series wins, tying him with Ned Jarrett for eighth on the all-time win list. He is also ranked eighth on NASCAR Winston Cup Series' all-time list of pole positions won with 47. Johnson led the field in 1961 and '65 in both laps led and races led (2,373 laps and 23 races; 3,998 laps and 30 races, respectively). Johnson also found success as a car owner, winning 119 races and six NASCAR Winston Cup Series championships. In 1973, Johnson was inducted in the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. In 1990, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala. Johnson was also inducted into Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway's Court of Legends in 1996. The following year, he was inducted into Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway's Heroes of Bristol Hall of Fame.
Alan
Kulwicki
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1985-93
Champion '92
Born: Dec.14, 1954 Died:
April 1, 1993
Hometown: Greenfield, Wisconson
The most recent owner/driver to win a NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship, Kulwicki claimed the 1992 title by the closest margin in the series history -- edging Bill Elliott by 10 points. During that championship season, Kulwicki also led the most races (20). He was killed in a 1993 airplane accident while flying to a race in Bristol, Tenn. In 1993, Kulwicki was inducted into Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway's Court of Legends. Four years later, in 1997, Kulwicki was inducted into Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway's Heroes of Bristol Hall of Fame.
Fred Lorenzen
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1956, 1960-67, 1970-72
Born: Dec. 30, 1934
Hometown: Elmhurst, IL.
Equally adept at racing on short tracks and
superspeedways, Lorenzen was one of the most capable drivers in NASCAR history.
An example of
Lorenzen's driving skills came in 1964 when he won eight of the 16 races he
entered and finished 13th in NASCAR Winston Cup points despite not competing in
45 of the 61 races held that year. Lorenzen scored wins in seven of the 12 years
he competed in NASCAR Winston Cup competition. Lorenzen was the first driver in
NASCAR history to earn more than $100,000 in one season ($122,588 in 1963). In
1978, he was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of
Fame at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. In 1991, Lorenzen was inducted into the
International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala.
Fred Lorenzen was the first Winston
Cup driver to shatter the popular stereotype of stock car drivers as "good
ol' boys" of native-born southern heritage. A handsome and articulate
man from Elmhurst, Illinois, Lorenzen spent summer nights during his childhood
camped under the stars listening to radio coverage of races like the Southern
500 and dreaming of the chance to drive against the legends who battled for
glory at Darlington. Little did he know that one day he'd not only be
driving against such big names in the sport, but that he'd be passing them on
his way to victory lane.
Born on December 30, 1934, Lorenzen's first races were for bragging rights on local roads against area hotrodders in a 1952 Oldsmobile. His talent obvious, he entered NASCAR competition in 1956, making seven starts and a grand total of $250. This attempt was short-lived, however, and he moved over to drive USAC stock cars where he won championships in 1958 and 1959 before forming a NASCAR team in 1960. His second attempt at NASCAR resulted in ten races, including a solid run late in the year at Atlanta.... a run that caught the eye of Ralph Moody, the partner of John Holman and half of perhaps the greatest car building team in NASCAR history.
His good showing at Atlanta resulted in a Christmas Eve telephone call from Moody who wanted Fred to drive his race cars in 1961. For the first time, he was pitted in top-notch equipment against such legends as Curtis Turner, Fireball Roberts, and Junior Johnson. Though his Holman and Moody debut resulted in a wreck and a 33rd-place finish, Fred Lorenzen was en route to a stellar career as one of NASCAR's brightest new stars. As he once said to the media, "Ford and Holman-Moody made me."
Ford's "Golden Boy" during the1960s heyday of NASCAR, he was one of its first "modern" drivers: a media-savvy and charming Midwesterner who turned his lead foot and good looks into a successful racing career. By 1967, however, Lorenzen was ready to call it quits. His goal was to go out while still on top of his game, so he stepped down from his Holman-Moody ride and decided to enjoy life. By the time he retired, Fred Lorenzen's record totaled 26 victories, including a win in the 1965 Daytona 500.
Wheeling an assortment of Dodges, Plymouths and Fords for owners that included Hall of Famers Junior Johnson and the Wood Brothers, he tried a comeback in the 1970s. After a season ending, near fatal crash at Darlington in 1971, Lorenzen closed out his career driving a limited number of events for Hoss Ellington in 1972.
Over a sixteen-year span, Fred Lorenzen redefined the image of the stock car driver. His personality, good looks, charming nature, and business skills set the stage for today's stars. Lorenzen was the first to break the mould and show fans that winning stock car drivers were more than country boys out of the American Southeast. Fred drove with class, talent, and courage, and his impact on the sport will always be part of NASCAR's rich heritage.
J D McDuffie
One of the sport's most determined independent drivers. He ran with determination and enthusiasm but very limited resources. He never won a race, but did take a pole at Dover in 1978. He died in a crash in the opening laps of the race at Watkins Glen in 1991.
David Pearson
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1960-86
Champion '66, '68, '69
Born: Dec. 22, 1934
Hometown: Spartanburg, South Carolina
Pearson, a
three-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion, is second on NASCAR Winston Cup's
all-time win list with 105, second only to Richard Petty. Pearson, or the
"Silver Fox" as he became known, set an unprecedented superspeedway
qualifying record by winning 11 straight pole positions at Charlotte (N.C.)
Motor Speedway form 1973-78. He won the NASCAR's all-time pole
positions earned with 113, fourth in laps led with
25,425 and sixth overall in races led with 329 races. He won 11 of the 18 NASCAR
Winston Cup events he entered in 1973. Pearson won 43 races from 1972-79 while
driving for the famous Wood Brothers. For his efforts, Pearson has been inducted
into the National Motor Sports Press Association's Hall of Fame at Darlington
(S.C.) Raceway in 1991. Two years later, in 1993, Pearson was inducted in the
International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega Ala. Then in 1995, Pearson
was inducted into Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway's Court of Legends and in
1998, Pearson was also inducted in the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway's Heroes
of Bristol.
Dubbed the "Silver Fox" for his driving style as well as his prematurely graying hair, Pearson is considered among the most cunning of drivers. Ran for NASCAR Winston Cup Series honors only five times and won three titles in 1966, 1968 and 1969. His career 105 career NASCAR Winston Cup wins is second only to Richard Petty's 200, but Pearson started only 574 races - less than half as many as Petty. Also ranks second with 113 career poles. Won 64 races on superspeedways. Won 11 of the 18 races he entered in 1973 and a total of 43 races during 1972-1979 while driving for the Wood Brothers. Won 18 percent of his starts and finished in the top five 52 percent of the time.
 |
| Historical finish in the Daytona 500, when
the two drivers of the moment, King Richard Petty and David Pearson fought
for the finish ending in a crash. Petty's car remained immobilized on the side of the track, whereas Pearson finished the race at 20 mph. |
David Pearson was a smart race car driver. Crafty. Calculating. Cunning. Cool. When he had to be fast, Pearson was as fast as anyone.
But his style was to save his equipment early in the races - usually after winning the pole - then charge late.
"You couldn't make David race you on the tenth or the one-hundredth lap," said Bobby Allison, one of Pearson's fiercest rivals. "But when they got that checkered flag out, he was ready to go."
Pearson raced on his terms - not his rivals'.
"He worked hard at making it look easy," said Ned Jarrett. "He took care of his equipment. He knew when to race hard and when not to. And he was smart."
The 1974 Firecracker 400 at Daytona was an example of Pearson at his best. Petty was stalking race leader Pearson and setting "the Silver Fox" up for a slingshot pass entering the final lap. As they approached the white flag, Pearson slowed and dropped low on the track as Petty flew past.
Pearson had flipped off his ignition for a split second, then refired. The hunter was now the hunted. Pearson passed Petty on the final turn for the win.
"David was just so smooth. He made it look easy," said Leonard Wood. "He knew exactly what he could do with a car and when he could do it. And before you'd know it, he'd run you into the ground."
Richard Petty
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1958-92
Champion '64, '67, '71, '72, '74, '75, '79
Born: July 2, 1937
Hometown: Level Cross, NC
Won 7 NASCAR Winston Cup titles (1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974,
1975, 1979) and 200 races. Started 1,184 with 126 poles, 599 race leads, and 555
top five finishes. Completed 307,836 laps and led 52,194 of them. Career spanned
35 seasons and his successes helped propel NASCAR into the spotlight. Best
season also considered the best in NASCAR Winston Cup history. In 1967, won 27
of the season's 48 races - including a record 10 straight - and finished second
7 times. Drove 303,662 miles in NASCAR Winston Cup races.
Richard Petty is not "the King" of NASCAR racing simply because he won more races than anyone else. Petty set the standard for drivers on and off the track during a thirty-five year career that established records for fans as well as victories.
NASCAR's winningest driver was also its most popular personality during a time when the general sporting public was first taking notice of NASCAR.
There was Petty leading the pack. And there was Petty - with his signature dark glasses, oversized cowboy hat, and toothy grin - signing autographs and doing interviews until dark had descended on yet another of his 1,184 NASCAR Winston Cup outings.
He came from a racing family. Father Lee was one of NASCAR's pioneers who claimed three championships of his own. The senior Petty formed Petty Enterprises for Richard and youngest son, Maurice, who became the team's engine builder while cousin Dale Inman served as crew chief.
But Petty took racing beyond the family, and NASCAR out of the South. The cars that Petty drove to victory became Detroit's hot sellers. No. 43 and "Petty Blue" became NASCAR's most identifiable trademarks.
More importantly, Petty understood that the fans were the core of his popularity and the heart of racing itself.
"His legacy is not all the races he won and all the trophies and all the championships," states son and NASCAR Winston Cup driver Kyle. "It's how he laid the groundwork for NASCAR Winston Cup drivers to treat fans."
Tim
Richmond
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1980-87
Born: June 7, 1955 Died:
August 13, 1989
Hometown: Ashland, Ohio
Although his NASCAR career lasted just seven years, Richmond's on-track performances made an impression on the competition. In 1986, the flamboyant driver won seven races, more than any other driver, and finished a career-high third in the NASCAR Winston Cup points race. Richmond started just eight races in 1987, winning two races, one pole position, tallying three top-five and four top-10 finishes. Richmond passed away on Aug. 13, 1989.
Fireball Roberts
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1950-64
Born: Jan. 29, 1929 Died:
July 7, 1964
Hometown: Daytona Beach, Florida
Perhaps the greatest driver never to win a NASCAR Winston Cup title, Roberts accumulated 32 wins, including the 1962 Daytona 500, in a career that spanned 15 seasons before his untimely death in 1964 from injuries incurred in an accident at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Roberts finished second to Bill Rexford in his rookie season. He split his time between the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the NASCAR Modifieds for five years before returning full-time to NASCAR Winston Cup racing. In his first year back, 1956, Roberts won five races and four pole positions to finish sixth in the point standings. He raced only 10 times in 1958 but had six wins, one second and a third, and finished 11th in the point standings despite missing almost 80% of the races.
Wendell Scott
Wendell
Scott differed from other 1960's drivers -- he was African-American. He suffered
from attempts to sabotage his vehicle and rarely had any sponsorship, but
refused to be intimidated. Scott usually remained silent during these problems,
but one time he decided to do something about a driver who repeatedly tried to
run him off the track and shouted obscenities at him. As the tow drivers went through
a flat turn circling the football field track in Winston Salem, this driver
slammed Scott and tried to run him off the track and out of the race. After
regaining control of his car, he pulled along side the other driver and stared
at him trough the driver's window. Then Scott slowly lifted a handgun to the
window pointing it at the other driver. He never had a problem with that driver
again. Scott only had one career victory, but
left a mark on the sport.
Curtis
Turner
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1949-61, 1965-68 
Born: April 12, 1924 Died: October 4, 1970
Racing by the philosophy of, "Run it 'til it breaks or wins," Turner was a vital part of NASCAR Winston Cup stock car racing from its earliest days. He won the fourth race of the 1949 season -- a 200-mile event on the dirt of Langhorne (Pa.) Speedway. In 1950, Turner led the competition in laps completed (1,626), laps led (1,110) and races led (12). Turner was killed in a crash of his private plane on Oct. 4, 1970. In 1971, Turner was inducted into the National Motor Sports Press Association's Hall of Fame at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. In 1992, Turner was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala.
Darrell
Waltrip
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1972-2000
Champion '81, '82, 85
One of the enduring figures on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit and a three-time series champion (1981, '82, '85), Darrell Waltrip became the elder spokesman for the sport prior to his retirement "Victory Tour" in 2000. His 809 starts is third-best, his 84 victories ties him for third (with Bobby Allison) on the all-time list, and his 59 pole positions are fourth best in NASCAR Winston Cup history. Waltrip won the (1989) Daytona 500 in his 17th attempt. He is the only five-time winner of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and won the inaugural The Winston in 1985. Waltrip holds the modern-era record for wins from the pole position with eight in 1981. He was the first NASCAR Winston Cup driver to win $6 million, $7 million, $8 million, $9 million, and $10 million in prize money and was the third driver in NASCAR Winston Cup history to surpass the $15 million mark. Waltrip was the winner of the NASCAR Most Popular Driver award in 1989 and 1990 and the National Motorsports Press Association Driver of the year in 1977, 1981, and 1982. Waltrip will continue to reap the respect he has cultivated as a motorsports broadcast analyst in 2001. He was inducted into the Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends and Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway's Heroes of Bristol Hall of Fame in 1997.
Wood Brothers
Glen and Leonard Wood have done more to revolutionize
the sport of NASCAR racing than anyone in motorsports history. These siblings
from Stuart, Virginia, have scored 96 victories, 116 pole positions, and were
responsible for developing today's orchestrated pit stop technique. Not only did
the Wood Brothers use their choreographed system to win at such competitive
speedways as Daytona, Charlotte,
Darlington, Michigan, and Atlanta, but they also used it to win the 1965
Indianapolis 500 with the late Jimmy Clark as their driver.
Part of the Wood Brothers' legacy over their fifty years in stock car racing has been their knack for hiring talented drivers, even though Glen Wood (known as "The Woodchopper" since he owned a sawmill in Stuart by the age of 21) drove the family's race cars himself during the 1950s and became recognized as one of the sport's best short-track racers. Of the top fifty drivers named to commemorate NASCAR's fiftieth anniversary in 1998, seventeen had driven for the Woods. Such legendary competitors as David Pearson, Tiny Lund, A.J. Foyt, Cale Yarborough, Donnie Allison, Marvin Panch, Dan Gurney, Neil Bonnett, and Parnelli Jones have all been behind the wheel of a Wood Brothers entry.
The Wood Brothers' greatest mark on motorsports history was their performance in the 1963 Daytona 500. Marvin Panch, Glen and Leonard's driver, was seriously injured in a sports car race when the Maserati he was driving overturned and caught fire. Several bystanders leaped into action to rescue Panch from the flames; one of the rescuers was a stock car driver from Iowa named DeWayne "Tiny" Lund. Since Panch was injured in the accident, and the Wood Brothers' red and white #21 Ford needed a replacement driver, Lund was given the chance to compete in the Daytona 500.
The 1963 Daytona 500 ended up becoming the greatest "Cinderella story" in all of professional sports history. Tiny Lund and the Wood Brothers ran a masterful race, using effective drafting techniques and smart pit strategy to conserve fuel and stay ahead of challengers like Ned Jarrett and Fred Lorenzen. As their competition pitted for closing lap splash-and-go fuel stops, Lund and the Wood Brothers ended their day by parking in victory lane, celebrating their Hollywood-like performance at the World Center of Racing. Adding to the excitement of their 1963 win: the Wood Brothers never changed the Firestone tires on Lund's car!
The Wood Brothers have visited victory lane at the Daytona 500 on four different occasions with the help of drivers like Lund (1963), Cale Yarborough (1968), A.J. Foyt (1972), and David Pearson (1976), whose win that year went down in the annals of sports history as the wildest finish ever seen in motor racing. Pearson's battle with Richard Petty near the end of the event resulted in a last-corner-of-the-last-lap accident that sent both drivers and their cars spinning into the infield grass just yards from the finish line. While Petty struggled in vain to refire the engine of his Dodge, David Pearson rolled the Wood Brothers' Purolator Mercury across the finish line at less than twenty miles per hour to win the race.
Cale
Yarborough
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1957, 1959-88
Champion '76, '77, '78
Born: March 27, 1939
Hometown: Timmonsville, South Carolina
There are three things Cale Yarborough never said: 1. I need a relief driver. 2. My car isn't comfortable. 3. I don't care who wins the pole position.
William Caleb "Cale" Yarborough was a throwback to the days of Barney Oldfield, Ted Horn, Curtis Turner, and other immortals who drove by the seat of their pants. He was a daredevil, but one with brains and talent.
"I never had a relief driver during my 30 years of racing and that's one record I'm most proud of," says Yarborough, who retired as a driver following the 1988 season. No other driver with at least 500 starts on the Winston Cup tour can make that claim.
One of Yarborough's pet peeves is hearing a driver say the "car isn't comfortable." He has driven more than one ill-handling car to victory. "My problem was I didn't know if it was (handling right) or not. So it didn't make any difference," he said with a laugh. "I know it has to be just right for most of the (drivers). I was hired to drive a race car and I drove it to the best of my ability. I didn't care how it felt. It didn't make any difference. The car had to get the job done whether it was right or wrong. So I just drove it."
There was no one who tried harder than Yarborough to win the pole position. That's the reason he still ranks third today although he retired following the 1988 season. "Running for the pole was like running for a win. I always tried to win. No one remembers who runs second," he says.
The only NASCAR Winston Cup driver to win three consecutive championships (1976, '77 and '78), Cale Yarborough earned 83 NASCAR Winston Cup victories and 70 pole positions in a career that spanned four decades. His win total places him fifth on the all-time list, and his pole position total is the third-most in NASCAR Winston Cup history. Yarborough is second on the list of most laps led (31,776), fifth in most races led (340) and 10th for most miles run (171,927) in NASCAR Winston Cup history. He is a four-time winner of the Daytona 500 and a five-time winner of the Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. In 1984, he became the first driver to qualify for the Daytona 500 at more than 200 mph. His 14 pole positions in 1980 and five consecutive victories in 1976 still stand as single-season records. Yarborough was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1993, the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Court of Legends at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1996.
Lee Roy Yarbrough
NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1960, 1962-72
Born: Sept. 17, 1938 Died:
Dec. 7, 1984
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Yarbrough is perhaps best known for the confusion his name caused -- although the spelling differed from that of the other Yarborough, Cale. The confusion was compounded in 1968 when both "Yarbs" drove dominant Fords on NASCAR's Winston Cup circuit, tallying a combined eight victories (two for Lee Roy, six for Cale). Yarbrough's most successful season was in 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 top-10 finishes and earned $193,211. Had the Winston Million program been in place that year, Yarbrough would have won it with victories at the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500. Yarbrough died after a lengthy illness in December 1984. In 1990, Yarbrough was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
Smokey Yunick
A sly
mechanical genius whose reputation as one of the premier mechanics in NASCAR
hasn't diminished over the years, Smokey Yunick was the "Best Damn Race Car
Mechanic" who worked out of the "Best Damn Garage In Town," in
Daytona Beach, Fla.
His expertise helped shape the careers of several drivers, among them champion Herb Thomas, who won the Winston Cup title in 1951 and again in 1953 and the great "Fireball Roberts."
Yunick was born on May 25, 1923, "somewhere around" Maryville, Tenn. When he was 16, he tried his hand at motorcycle racing. The affair was short-lived but he did earn his nickname from it by piloting a cycle that had a habit of pouring out engine smoke. A fellow competitor who had trouble remembering Yunick's given name of Henry simply called him "Smokey."
Yunick became a member of the Army Air Corps during World War II and once, while in the air, he admired the view of Daytona Beach and decided to live there. He moved to the city in 1946.
He opened his garage in 1947, the same year he began working on race cars. He worked with Marshall Teague, who assigned Yunick the responsibility of preparing a Hudson Hornet for Thomas for the second Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Thomas won the race and went on to enjoy several successful seasons with Yunick, who soon became the car owner.
Yunick raced Chevrolets for a couple of seasons (1955-56) and then hooked up with veteran Paul Goldsmith and Ford in 1957-58. Together, they switched to Pontiac and stayed with the car through 1962, taking on Roberts and Marvin Panch as drivers, among others. Yunick's cars won four of the first eight major stock car races at Daytona International Speedway, starting in 1959. Roberts won three of them. In 1963, Roberts won the pole in a Yunick Pontiac, but lost the race to teammate Panch when the engine blew with 13 laps to go.
Afterward, Yunick continued to field stock cars from 1963-68, with the likes of such greats as Banjo Matthews, Bobby Isaac, Darel Dieringer and others driving for him. From 1958 through 1975, Yunick made 10 trips to the Indianapolis 500, with Jerry Karl his driver in his last effort.
Yunick's ability as a mechanic not only produced winning cars and drivers, it helped bring innovation to technology. Stories about his "sleight of hand" in car preparation abound, but he maintains their telling over the years has embellished them significantly.
The fact remains, however, the man from "The Best Damn Garage In Town" knew racing. And he gave to it far more than he took.