This Day in Motorsport History

May 25, 1916 - Aug. 23, 2001

Eli Vukovich

(Photo; findagrave.com)

Born in Oakland, California, USA.

Eli, who was inducted into the BCRA Hall of Fame in 1966, was the older brother of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Bill Vukovich Sr. Eli was not as renowned as Bill, but his name still carried weight in California, where he and Bill tore up tracks together in the 1930s and 1940s.

In a 1984 "Fresno Bee" newspaper interview Vukovich asserted that "Racing was my life, and it paid well, too. Bill and I worked in the fields as kids picking grapes and everything. Then I got into racing and won some money. That was the end of field work. Dirt has always been my favorite place to race. Bill and I used to run everywhere we could. We'd drive five, six and even seven times a week."

The Vukovich brothers started in midgets and stepped up to modifieds. His brother's death during the 1955 Indianapolis 500 while he was attempting to win his third straight classic-eventually led Eli to quit racing in 1961. "After Bill got killed at Indy," he said, "I just didn't have the desire anymore."

Eli remained associated with the sport as a mechanic in a Fresno auto shop for several years before retiring. In 1996, Eli, his brother Bill, nephew Bill Jr., great nephew Billy III and brother Mike Vukovich were together inducted into the Bay Cities Racing Association Hall of Fame.

Eli died Aug. 23, 2001 in Fresno, California, USA.

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March 26, 1952 – August 23, 1987

Didier Pironi

(Photo; www.didierpironi.net)

Born in Villecresnes, Val-de-Marne, France.

During his career he competed in 72 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, driving for Tyrrell (1978–79), Ligier (1980) and Ferrari (1981–1982). He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 driving a Renault Alpine A442B. In his Formula One career Didier Pironi won 3 races, achieved 13 podiums, and scored a total of 101 championship points. He also secured 4 pole positions.

Two seasons with the underfinanced Tyrrell team demonstrated enough promise for Guy Ligier to sign Pironi to his eponymous French team in 1980, a season in which Pironi recorded his first victory, in the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, as well as several podium finishes. Pironi's performance piqued Enzo Ferrari's interest in the Frenchman's services, which he secured for 1981. Ferrari later recalled, "As soon as Pironi arrived at Maranello, he won everyone's admiration and affection, not only for his gifts as an athlete, but also for his way of doing things - he was reserved while at the same time outgoing."

Teamed and compared with Gilles Villeneuve, who welcomed the Frenchman and treated him as an equal, Pironi was slower in qualifying but steadier in races during his first season with Ferrari. Establishing a fine rapport with the senior members of the team, Pironi arguably exploited this good relationship in the aftermath of the controversial San Marino race, where he is widely thought to have duped Villeneuve into conceding victory by giving the impression that he would follow his Canadian team-mate through the final lap, only to unexpectedly power past him into the Tosa hairpin, despite the team has signaled both drivers to slow down. Villeneuve was furious with Pironi and vowed never to say another word to him. The Canadian was killed in qualifying at the following Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder trying to better Pironi's lap time, and Villeneuve's state of mind is often considered a contributory cause to his fatal accident.

With a fast, reliable car, Pironi appeared to be on course for being 1982 World Champion, but the Frenchman's own state of mind underwent severe stress due to several factors. Widespread antipathy by many in the F1 fraternity was directed toward him in the wake of the Zolder tragedy. There was also the rapid breakdown of his marriage to longtime girlfriend Catherine Beynie within weeks of the ceremony taking place. He observed first hand the death of Riccardo Paletti in the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix, the young Italian ploughing into Pironi's stalled Ferrari on the starting grid. These tragic events may have resulted in Pironi being in a dour, gloomy mood that was misinterpreted at the time as over-confidence and arrogance.

After winning pole position for the German Grand Prix, Pironi was also busy testing a new-composition Goodyear rain tyre in untimed practice. The weather conditions at Hockenheim that weekend were highly uncertain: quickly alternating back and forth between wet and dry. In the rain, one of the many problems caused by "ground effect" F1 cars was that the spray was forced out from under the side pods as a fine mist and virtually created a fog. To those behind, this made cars in front close to invisible. When Pironi tried passing Derek Daly's Williams, the Ferrari 126C2 smashed into the back of Alain Prost's unsighted Renault, triggering a violent accident which bore some similarity to that suffered by Villeneuve.

(Photo; www.didierpironi.net)
Pironi survived, but multiple fractures to both of his legs meant he never raced again in Formula 1. In the immediate aftermath of the accident, he said he felt no pain. "It was just like my accidents before, when I had no injuries. All I could think about was the car, that the spare one didn't work as well as this one, and that I would have to use it for the race. Then I saw my legs and I thought maybe I wouldn't be doing this race, after all. In the helicopter, they began to hurt very seriously. But if I was to have this accident, it was lucky for me that it was in Germany and not in a more primitive place." The extent of Pironi's leg fractures was so severe that medics had initially considered amputation to extricate him from the car, much to his protestation with Professor Sid Watkins. At this point, he was leading with 39 points in the championship, ahead of Watson (30) and Rosberg (27), but Pironi was relegated to runner-up as Rosberg passed him to become World Champion with 44 points.

In 1986, after he was able to walk with both legs unaided, it looked as if Pironi would make a comeback when he tested for the French AGS team at Circuit Paul Ricard and subsequently, the Ligier JS27 at Dijon-Prenois. He proved that he was still fast enough to be competitive, but coming back to F1 was not truly practical. His insurance policy had paid out a lot of money based on the fact that Pironi's legs were injured so badly that he could never return to F1. Had he returned, he would have been legally obliged to pay all the money back.

Pironi decided to turn to offshore powerboat racing instead. On 23 August 1987, Pironi was killed in an accident in the Needles Trophy Race near the Isle of Wight, that also took the life of his two crew members, journalist Bernard Giroux and his old friend Jean-Claude Guenard. Their boat, "Colibri 4," rode over a rough wave caused by an oil tanker, causing the boat to flip over.

After Pironi's death, his girlfriend Catherine Goux gave birth to twins. She named them Didier and Gilles, in honour of Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve, who died at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix five years earlier.

(Photo; www.didierpironi.net)

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August 12, 1919 - August 24, 1962

Clark "Shorty" Templeman

(Photo;onedirt.com)
Born in Pueblo, Colorado, USA.

He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1954-1962 seasons with 42 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1955, 1958, and 1960-1962. He finished in the top ten 16 times, with his best finish in 2nd position, in 1961 at both DuQuoin and Syracuse. His best Indy finish was 4th in 1961.

He won five Washington State and three Oregon midget state championships. Templeman won all three Night Before the 500 midget car features at the 16th Street Speedway in Indianapolis in 1956. Templeman won the first three USAC National Midget Series champions when he won titles in 1956, 1957, and 1958.

Templeman died as a result of injuries sustained in a midget car crash at the Marion County, Ohio Fairgrounds track.

He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1984 and the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1984.

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July 31, 1978 - August 24, 2015

Justin Wilson

(Photo: f1.wikia.com)

Born in Sheffield, England.

Just before his death, he was competing part-time in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 25 Honda for Andretti Autosport. Earlier, he competed in the Champ Car series from 2004–07, scoring four wins. He also competed in Formula One in the 2003 season with Minardi and Jaguar and was the winner of the 2001 International Formula 3000 championship. He was also a winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona. To date, he is the tallest person to have raced in Formula One.

Wilson was fatally injured in an accident during the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway on August 23, 2015. Race leader Sage Karam crashed late in the race, sending debris airborne. The nose cone from Karam's crashed car hit Wilson's helmet as he drove through the accident scene, and Wilson's car immediately veered left into the inside wall. Wilson was extricated from his car and airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown. He was subsequently reported to be in a coma, and died the following day.

Wilson married girlfriend Julia in Sheffield, England on December 29, 2006. The couple resided in Northampton, England and in Longmont, Colorado. They had two daughters, named Jane Louise and Jessica Lynne. Wilson's younger brother, Stefan, is also a racing driver. Stefan made his first IndyCar start in the 2013 Grand Prix of Baltimore driving alongside Justin for Dale Coyne Racing. It was the first time brothers had raced in IndyCar as teammates since Gary Bettenhausen and Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. in 1983.

For more see; Tribute to Justin Wilson

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August 24, 1962

Don Thomson Jr

(photo credit: CaféFroid via photopin cc)

Born in Ayr, Ontario, Canada.

Don is a former driver in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. He drove the #4 Home Hardware Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS for Fitzpatrick Motorsports for more than two decades before moving over in 2011 to the drive the #8 Dodge becoming teammates with Jason Hathaway. He retired after the 2011 season after winning multiple championships.

Among his many achievements he was 5-time CASCAR Super Series Champion from 2001-2005, the premiere stock-car series in Canada. He moved to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series when CASCAR was purchased by NASCAR in 2007. He won the first race in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series history at Cayuga International Speedway on May 26, 2007. He also finished second in points in 2008 finishing 24 points behind Scott Steckly.

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August 25, 1918 - March 7, 1980

Sara Christian

(Photo;racetimecollectibles.com)
Born in Dahlonega, Georgia, USA.

Christian competed in NASCAR's first race on June 19, 1949 at Charlotte Speedway. She qualified 13th in the #71 Ford owned by her husband Frank Christian. During the race, Bob Flock took over her car after his engine expired on the 38th lap. He drove the car until it overheated, and finished 14th.

Christian competed in the second race at the Daytona Beach Road Course on July 10, 1949, and finished 18th. The 28 car field also included Flock's sister Ethel Mobley and Louise Smith, which made it the first race to include three woman drivers. Frank also competed in the race and finished sixth in his only career start. They became the only married couple to compete in a NASCAR race until 1986 when Patty Moise and Elton Sawyer competed for the first time together in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series. Patty and Elton were married in 1990 and continued to compete against one another for years.

Christian finished sixth at the fourth race at Langhorne Speedway, and became the first woman to earn a Top 10 finish. Race winner Curtis Turner invited Christian to join him in victory lane. Mobley and Smith again competed against Christian in the race, and it was the last NASCAR race to have three woman drivers until July 4, 1977 when Janet Guthrie, Christine Beckers and Lella Lombardi all competed in the Firecracker 400.

Christian finished fifth at the ninth race at Heidelberg Raceway in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The finish was the best-ever and only Top 5 finish by a woman in NASCAR series history, until her record was broken by Danica Patrick in 2011. Patrick finished fourth in the Nationwide Series Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, ending Christian's 62-year record.

Christian raced in six of the eight events in the 1949 season, and finished 13th in the final points standings. Christian competed in one event in 1950, finishing 14th at the 12th race at the Hamburg Speedway before she retired.

She received the 1949 United States Drivers Association Woman Driver of the Year award.

Sara Christian passed away on March 7, 1980. She was inducted into the Georgia Automobile Racing Hall of Fame in 2004.

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November 25, 1908 - August 26, 1984

Jimmy Wilburn

Home:Los Angeles, California, USA.

Jimmy won a non-points Championship Car race at Lakewood Speedway in March 1946 which is the first known Champ Car race to be held after the end of World War II. Later that year he drove in the 1946 Indianapolis 500 driving an Alfa Romeo and started 16th and retired after 52 laps with engine trouble, credited with the 19th finishing position. He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1994.

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August 26, 1939
The final motor sport event held at Donington Park, England, before the start of WWII was a motorcycle race. Motor racing would not return to Donington until 1977.

Donington Park motor racing circuit was the first permanent park circuit in England, which also ended the race circuit monopoly that Brooklands had held since 1907.

Fred Craner was a former motorcycle rider who had taken part in seven Isle of Man TT races, and was by 1931 a Derby garage owner and secretary of the Derby & District Motor Club. Craner approached the then owner of the Donington Hall estate, Alderman John Gillies Shields JP, to use the extensive roads on his land for racing.

(photo credit: BigTallGuy via photopin cc)
The circuit at Donington Park was closed in 1939 due to World War II, when it was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence and was converted into a military vehicle depot.

The motor racing circuit re-opened on 27 May 1977, the first postwar race meeting was organised by the Nottingham Sports Car Club, but that nearly didn't happen, as the local ramblers tried to assert their rights to retain access to footpaths at the eleventh hour. The meeting went ahead as a "Motor Trial", a legal loophole that curtailed the use of single seater racing cars for that opening meeting. The NSCC continued to run race meetings at Donington until the Donington Racing Club was formed and a licence to run race meetings obtained.

The Melbourne Loop was built in 1985 to increase the lap distance to 2.5 miles (4.02 km) and allow the track to host Grand Prix motorcycle races – at 1.957 miles (3.149 km) without the loop, the circuit was deemed too short. This shorter layout remains as the National circuit, which is used for most non-Grand Prix events.

In recent times Donington has held meetings of MotoGP, the British Touring Car Championship and British Superbike Championship, as well as the 1993 European Grand Prix.

(photo: BigTallGuy via photopin cc)
Plaque to commemorate Ayrton Senna's greatest win, The European Grand Prix 11th April 1993.

Other events taking place at the track include a 1000 km endurance race for the Le Mans Series in 2006, the World Series by Renault and the Great and British Motorsport Festival. On 26 August 26, 2007, the circuit hosted the British Motocross Grand Prix, with a purpose-built motocross circuit constructed on the infield of the road circuit.

Beside motorsports many other events are held at Donington including Music Festivals like the Download Festival, the Donington Park Sunday Market and the Donington Grand Prix Museum exhibition.

The Donington Grand Prix Exhibition first opened to the public in March 1973. Five halls, with over 130 exhibits, illustrate the history of motor sport from the turn of the 20th Century. Cars include examples driven by such famous names as Nuvolari, Mansell, Prost, Moss, Senna, Fangio, Clark and Stewart.

(photo credit: BigTallGuy via photopin cc)

Kieth Sutton's tribute to Ayrton Senna in the Mclaren Hall at the Donington Park Grand Prix Collection.

The Donington Grand Prix Exhibition houses a collection of McLaren and Vanwalls racing cars.

(photo credit: BigTallGuy via photopin cc)
Notable exhibits include the 1936 twin engined 500 bhp (373 kW) Alfa Romeo Bimotore which has a top speed of 200 mph (320 km/h), Jim Clark's World Championship winning Lotus 25, the 'howling' flat 12 Ferrari 312B, and Stirling Moss's Lotus, in which he defeated the Ferrari works team in the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix.

The Collection also features the World's largest collection of Driver's Helmets.

(photo credit: BigTallGuy via photopin cc)

There are several different type of simulators that allow users to experience the thrills of racing at speed.

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August 26, 1934 – April 28, 2018

(Photo; dodgecharger.com)

He was a two-time winner in NASCAR Winston Cup Series competition and was a long-time competitor in the ARCA Racing Series. Hylton finished second in points in NASCAR's top series three times.

He has 2 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series. Although he only had two wins, he collected 140 top 5s and 301 top 10s in 601 races. Hylton was in the championship hunt several times in the 1960s and 1970s, finishing second in points in 1966, 1967, and 1971. Hylton also holds the record as the oldest driver to start a race in NASCAR's top 3 series when he raced at Pocono in the Camping World Truck Series in 2011 at the age of 76.The oldest driver to race in each of NASCAR's three highest divisions, Hylton called it a career at Kansas Speedway after an ARCA race. The 1966 Grand National Series Rookie of the Year, Hylton spent the last several years of his career racing in the ARCA series.

Born on his family's farm in Virginia in 1934, Hylton's family had to work hard to make ends meet during the Depression. Hylton remembers toiling in the fields all day to help out.

He started driving in his father's Ford Model T, his brother taught him how to work the pedals. And from that humble beginning, Hylton embarked on a winding career in motor sports. He served as a mechanic for Rex White and then as crew chief for Ned Jarrett in the early days of NASCAR, then got back behind the wheel and placed second in the Cup standings in 1966.

Hylton also finished second in points to Richard Petty in 1967 and 1971, and won twice in more than 600 Cup starts, at Richmond in 1970 and Talladega in 1972. In all, the good-natured Hylton racked up 140 top-five finishes and 321 top-10s in the Cup series.

On April 28, 2018, James, his son James "Tweet" Hylton Jr., and the team's crew chief Terry Strange were driving home from the ARCA race at Talladega, and the team's hauler was in a traffic accident going northbound on Interstate 85 near Carnesville, Georgia. Both Hyltons died in the accident, while Strange survived with severe injuries. It is unclear how the accident occurred

May 22, 1962 - August 31, 1996

Blaine Johnson

(Photo; spokeo.com)
Born in Santa Maria, California, USA.
Blaine, along with his lifelong crew chief and brother, Alan, were competitors in the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster Series, a series which they entered in 1988. Johnson won four championships in that series from 1990–1993. At the time of his death, Johnson held a record 26 NHRA titles in the Alcohol Division, until he was later surpassed by Rick Santos.

He entered the Top Fuel class in 1994. However, on August 31, 1996 Johnson died from injuries sustained in a crash at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Johnson's engine exploded right as he reached the finish line. Debris from the engine cut down the rear tires; the thick rubber from the tires in turn sheared off the rear wing, causing a loss in aerodynamic downforce at the rear of the dragster, which caused Blaine to lose control. His out-of-control race car then slammed into a guardrail apex at around 300 m.p.h. Johnson's car was heavily damaged as a result of the incident. He was sent to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Johnson was the first Top Fuel driver to die on track since Pete Robinson at the 1971 Winternationals, and would remain as such until 2004, when Top Fuel driver Darrell Russell was killed during an event in Madison, Illinois.

Johnson's final pass was a track-record run of 4.61 seconds, which remained for two years before Gary Scelzi, who succeeded Blaine Johnson as the driver of Alan Johnson's dragster would beat it. Johnson was also the Top Fuel national record holder at the time of his death with a 4.59 second elapsed-time, a record that would stand until 1999 when Larry Dixon would beat it.

Though Blaine did not get to compete in the last quarter of the season, he had amassed enough points to finish fifth in the season ending points standings. At the awards ceremony after the end of the season, Top Fuel Champion Kenny Bernstein gave his championship trophy to Blaine's brother Alan. According to Alan, that particular trophy is in "a place of honor" at his home in Santa Maria.

The day after his death, on the first day of Eliminations, his opponent Tony Schumacher, performed drag racing's version of a "missing man" formation, idling down the track out of respect to Johnson. During the final round, event winner Cory McClenethan, who was in the lane opposite Johnson during his last ride down the track, stated very clearly, "And I'll tell you something else, when I get up there and get that trophy, it's going to Alan Johnson. Blaine, we love you, buddy."

(Photo; competitionplus.com)
Memoria plaque for Blaine Johnson at entrance of Midway at IRP.

Throughout the rest of the 1996 and deep into the 1997 seasons, the drivers in Top Fuel, and even some in Funny Car, sported stickers on their cars that read "In Memory of Blaine Johnson". Many drivers continued to have black tape across their car numbers in mourning, and 1996 Top Fuel points Champion Kenny Bernstein dedicated the remainder of the season to the memory of Blaine. After Alan Johnson picked Gary Scelzi to replace Blaine, he designed the new Winston No Bull dragster, which carried on the windscreen "In Memory of Blaine Johnson" for the remainder of the car's life. Blaine's brother, and crew chief, Alan Johnson, went on to be the crew chief for both of Gary Scelzi's championships in Top Fuel, and was the crew chief for seven time Top Fuel Champion Tony Schumacher for six of his seven championships, amassing 9 championships as a crew chief. He is currently part-owner of Awesome Al-Anabi Racing, and has designed the top fuel cars of both Khalid Al-Balooshi, and Shawn Langdon.

On the National Hot Rod Association Top 50 Drivers, 1951–2000, Blaine Johnson was ranked No. 36.

(Photo: twm1340 via photopin cc)
Blaine Johnson's last appearance at Denver.
In 1996, the NHRA established the Blaine Johnson Memorial Award, which is awarded annually to the person or group that best exemplifies the qualities of Blaine. The award is a small bronze bust of Blaine atop a wooden base, with a brass plaque etched with the winner's name and the words NHRA Blaine Johnson Memorial Trophy.

Since 1997, following the NHRA Finals in Pomona, the Johnson Family has hosted the Blaine Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament in which the race community and the public participate to earn funds for the Blaine Johnson Memorial Foundation. The Foundation was created by Blaine's family to provide funds for scholarships to students in the Automotive Technology Lab at Allan Hancock College that exemplify the drive and determination that Blaine exhibited on the track and in life. The foundation also provides material support to the department such as machines and tooling.

(Photo; dragstripdeaths.webs.com)

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September 1, 1976

Marcos Ambrose

(Photo: alchetron.com)
Born in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
He won the Australian V8 Supercar series' championship in 2003 and 2004.

In 2006, Ambrose relocated to the United States to pursue racing in NASCAR, starting with the Camping World Truck Series. He moved up to the Nationwide Series in 2007, and later the Sprint Cup Series in 2008. In 2011, he earned his first Cup Series win at Watkins Glen International, becoming the first Australian driver to win in the highest level of NASCAR, and repeated that win in the following year.

He is known in NASCAR for having won a total of 6 races at Watkins Glen. In the Sprint Cup Series he won at the Glen in 2011 and 2012. In the Nationwide Series he won 3 races at the Glen in 3 years 2008, 2009 and 2010. He won his last race During 2014 NASCAR Nationwide series at the Glen. It was the only race he ran during that season.

He has a total of 7 wins in NASCAR. 6 at Watkins Glenn and 1 at Montreal.

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March 14, 1943 - September 1st, 1996

Elmer Trett

(Photo; oocities.org)
The motorcycle drag racing legend and perhaps the greatest Top Fuel rider in the sport’s history, was killed on September 1st, 1996, when he came off his motorcycle at the top end of Indianapolis Raceway Park while making an exhibition run, one of his numerous endeavors to bring more attention to motorcycle drag racing. He was 53. Trett's crash came one day after the fatal crash of Blaine Johnson at the same track. A sad weekend for the motor sport community.

Trett's death came when he was well on his way to a ninth title, and on the verge of becoming the first rider to break into the magical five-second bracket. “He had made several record runs in the low sixes and most people believe he would have broken into the fives by the end of that year.” said Keith Kizer, president of AMA Prostar.

In addition to his induction into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, Trett also became the first motorcycle racer to be inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

(Photo; motorcyclemuseum.org)
For his influence and impact on the sport the NHRA recognized Trett as number 50 on its list of the greatest 50 drivers of all time, highly impressive considering the NHRA is an organization showcasing primarily four-wheeled vehicles.

For more see our; Tribute To Elmer Trett

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October 4, 2013

(Photo; dodgecharger.com)

The oldest driver to race in each of NASCAR's three highest divisions, Hylton called it a career at Kansas Speedway after an ARCA race. The Cup rookie of the year in 1966, Hylton spent the last several years of his career racing in the ARCA series.

Hylton's friends put together a car they believed could compete at Kansas, and it even sported a gold paint scheme that honors the early years of his racing career. Hylton finished 18th.

"I'm retiring at the end of the day, but my heart is wanting to keep going," he said. "But it's a done deal. I won't be back as a driver."

Born on his family's farm in Virginia in 1934, Hylton's family had to work hard to make ends meet during the Depression. Hylton remembers toiling in the fields all day to help out.

December 14, 1927

Hershel McGriff

(Photo; racesonoma.com)

Born in Bridal Veil, Oregon, USA.

A long-time competitor in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, formerly known as the Winston West Series, he won the series' 1986 championship, and is also a four-time winner in Grand National competition. He has competed in the SCCA Trans-Am Series and finished 19th in the 1982 Endurance Le Mans race, but the majority of his seat time has been in a NASCAR stock car.

McGriff first raced on September 16, 1945, right after racing resumed in the United States after World War II. He was the winner of the first Carrera Panamericana in 1950, where he met NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. France convinced McGriff to come south and race in NASCAR races at Daytona Beach, the first Southern 500 race at Darlington Raceway, Detroit, and Raleigh.

France convinced McGriff to race full-time in NASCAR in 1954. He had his four wins that year in the Grand National series, the first coming at Bay Meadows Speedway. He had 17 top-10 finishes in 24 events, and finished sixth in the final points standings. McGriff's average finishing position was higher than points champion Lee Petty.

McGriff had two options to choose from for the 1955 season. He was offered a ride in NASCAR to race for millionaire Carl Kiekhaefer's newly formed team. McGriff decided to return home to the West Coast to be closer to his family, and to tend to his growing timber and mill business. Tim Flock drove Kiekhaefer's Chrysler 300 to 18 victories that season and the season championship.

McGriff returned to racing after not racing for around ten years. He started 41st at Riverside in 1967, and had moved up to second place by the sixth lap. He beat Ron Grable in a photo finish that day.

He became the oldest driver to win a NASCAR feature race when he won an AutoZone West Series race in 1989 at the age of 61. His 14 wins at the defunct Riverside International Raceway is the most at NASCAR-sanctioned events, and he was chosen as the grand marshal for the final race at the track in 1988.

In November 1996, McGriff made the trip with several NASCAR champions, current Winston Cup, Busch Grand National and Craftsman Truck Series drivers to Japan's Suzuka Raceway for an exhibition race. He started 26th and finished 25th in what was called the NASCAR Suzuka Thunder Special.

McGriff was named Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Winston West Series for 12 consecutive years from 1981-1992. In 1994, McGriff was presented with NASCAR’s prestigious Award of Excellence at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. In 2001, McGriff was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in Portland. He was inducted in the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in its first class in 2002.

He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2006. McGriff, who retired from driving at age 74 said, "This is fantastic, getting in the Hall of Fame, but, hey, I might not be through yet. When I turn 80, I just might go out to a short track and show the young guys that I can still do it." In 2009, McGriff broke his own record by racing at Portland International Raceway as oldest driver to win or race NASCAR.

His most recent start in the West Series came on May 5, 2018. At 90 years old, McGriff made history at the Tucson Speedway, becoming the oldest driver ever to race in a NASCAR sanctioned event.

On February 20, 2015 it was announced Hershel McGriff has been included in NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016.

March 12, 1882 – May 10, 1960

Erwin "Cannonball" Baker

Born in Dearborn County, Indiana, USA.

In January 1912 he left Indianapolis on a two-speed Indian and covered 14,000 miles in three months, traveling through Florida, down to Cuba and Jamaica, and then to Panama. He took a steamer up to San Diego where he based himself for a while and from there he competed in several endurance runs in both California and Arizona. It was during this time that Baker decided he would attempt to break the transcontinental record. After a record-setting transcontinental drive in 1914, he received his nickname "Cannon Ball" from a New York newspaper writer who compared him to the Cannonball train of the Illinois Central made famous by Casey Jones.

Baker set 143 driving records from the 1910s through the 1930s. His first was set in 1914, riding coast to coast on an Indian motorcycle in 11 days. He normally rode to sponsor manufacturers, guaranteeing them "no record, no money".

In 1915, Baker drove from Los Angeles to New York City in 11 days, 7 hours and fifteen minutes in a Stutz Bearcat, and the following year drove a Cadillac 8 roadster from Los Angeles to Times Square in seven days, eleven hours and fifty-two minutes while accompanied by an Indianapolis newspaper reporter. In 1924 he made his first midwinter transcontinental run in a stock Gardner sedan at a time of 4 days, 14 hours and 15 minutes. He was so impressed by the car, that he purchased one thereafter. In 1926 he drove a loaded two-ton truck from New York to San Francisco in a record five days, seventeen hours and thirty minutes, and in 1928, he beat the 20th Century Limited train from New York to Chicago. Also in 1928, he competed in the Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race, and set a record time of 14:49.6 seconds, driving a Franklin.

His best-remembered drive was a 1933 New York City to Los Angeles trek in a Graham-Paige model 57 Blue Streak 8, setting a 53.5 hour record that stood for nearly 40 years. This drive inspired the later Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, better known as the "Cannonball Run", which itself inspired at least five movies and a television series. In 1941, he drove a new Crosley Covered Wagon across the nation in a troublefree 6,517-mile (10,488 km) run to prove the economy and reliability characteristics of Crosley automobiles. Other record and near-record transcontinental trips were made in Model T Fords, Chrysler Imperials, Marmons, Falcon-Knights and Columbia Tigers, among others.

Erwin G. "Cannon Ball" Baker died of a heart attack at Community Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 10, 1960 at age 78. He is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.

May 10, 1975

Helio Castroneves

(Photo: Manningmbd - Own work)

Born in São Paulo, Brazil.

He is currently competing in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Prior to IMSA, Castroneves competed in the IndyCar Series, gaining 23 wins and 38 poles, and placed second in the season standings four times, third three times, and fourth five times. Castroneves also competed in the CART championship, with a highest championship points finish of fourth; he recorded six wins and seven pole positions in the series.

Castroneves won the Indianapolis 500 in 2001, 2002 and 2009, making him one of only nine total drivers, and the only active driver, to have won at least three. He finished second to teammate and countryman Gil de Ferran in 2003. Castroneves has won four pole positions for the Indy 500, including back-to-back poles in 2009 and 2010 for the first time since Scott Brayton. He is also one of only five drivers – along with Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, Bill Vukovich, and Al Unser being the other four – and the only active driver to win the Indy 500 in back-to-back races.

He currently lives in Ft. Lauderdale. Aside from success in racing, Castroneves won the fifth season of the American reality TV show Dancing with the Stars with partner Julianne Hough. Castroneves returned to Dancing with the Stars for its 15th season for a chance to win another mirrorball trophy. This time he was be partnered with Chelsie Hightower. They were voted off in the third week of the competition during a double elimination.

(Photo: Chevy 022 via photopin (license))

January 11, 1923 – May 10, 2012

Carroll Shelby

(Photo: OnInnovation via photopin cc)
Born in Leesburg, Texas, USA.
Automotive designer, racing driver and entrepreneur, he was best known for his involvement with the AC Cobra and later the Mustang-based performance cars for Ford Motor Company known as Shelby Mustangs which he had done since 1965. His company, Shelby American Inc., founded in 1962, currently sells modified Ford vehicles, as well as performance parts.

He drove in the Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race in a specially prepared Ferrari 375 GP roadster, to a record run of 10:21.8 seconds on his way to victory in 1956. He was Sports Illustrated's driver of the year in 1956 and 1957. He competed in Formula One from 1958 to 1959, participating in a total of eight World Championship races and several non-championship races.

The highlight of his race driving career came in 1959. Teamed with Roy Salvadori, and driving for Aston Martin, he won the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans.

He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991, and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1992. He was inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame on March 2, 2013.

Shelby dealt with health issues throughout his life. He took nitroglycerine pills when he was racing because of his heart. He had a heart transplant in 1990 and a kidney transplant in 1996. Shelby died on May 10, 2012, at the age of 89. He had been suffering from a serious heart ailment for decades.

For more see; Tribute to Carol Shelby

July 10, 1980 – May 12, 2000

Adam Petty

(Photo; foundagrave.com)

Born in Trenton, New Jersey, USA.
Petty was raised in High Point, North Carolina into stock car racing "royalty". The son of Kyle Petty, he was widely expected to become the next great Petty, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather Richard, and great-grandfather Lee. He was the first known fourth-generation athlete in all of modern American motor sports to participate in the chosen profession of his generations.

Petty began his career in 1998, shortly after he turned 18, in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Like his father Kyle, he won his first ARCA race, driving the #45 Sprint/Spree sponsored Pontiac at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Petty moved to NASCAR Busch Series full-time in 1999, driving the #45 Sprint-sponsored Chevrolet. Petty finished sixth in his first Busch Series race at Daytona and had a best finish of fourth place, though he also failed to qualify for three of the Busch races. Petty finished the 1999 season 20th overall in points.

Petty Enterprises planned to have Petty run a second Busch season in 2000, while giving him seven starts in the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup series, in preparation for a full Winston Cup campaign in 2001. He struggled early in the Busch season, but managed to qualify in his first attempt at Winston Cup during the DirecTV 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 2. He qualified 33rd and ran in the middle of the pack most of the day before his engine expired, forcing him to finish 40th. Adam never got to race alongside his father. Kyle failed to qualify and eventually relieved an ill Elliott Sadler, but Adam was already out of the race. Lee Petty, Adam's great-grandfather, and 3-time NASCAR Champion, lived to see his Winston debut, but died just three days later.

In a practice session for the Busch series Busch 200 race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Petty's throttle stuck wide open at turn three, causing the car to hit the outside wall virtually head on. Petty was killed instantly due to a basilar skull fracture. He was 19 years old.

Kyle Petty, Adam's father, who drove the #44 car at the time of the crash, drove Adam's #45 car in the Busch Series for the remainder of 2000. He then used the #45 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series throughout the rest of his driving career.

In October 2000 five months after Petty's death, his family partnered with Paul Newman and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp to begin the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, North Carolina, as a memorial to Petty. The camp has received support from many NASCAR drivers, teams, and sponsors, including Cup Series sponsor Sprint, which has placed a replica of Petty's 1998 car in the camp. The Victory Junction Gang camp began operation in 2004, and is an official charity of NASCAR. Petty also appears as a special guest driver in the video games NASCAR 2000, NASCAR Rumble, NASCAR 2001 and NASCAR Arcade.

In December 2013, his brother Austin named his newborn son after Adam in tribute.

(Photo"George W. Bush at Victory Junction Gang Camp - Randleman, N.C. with NASCAR drivers" by Paul Morse)

President George W. Bush is joined at Adam's Race Shop on the grounds of Victory Junction Gang Camp, Inc., in Randleman, N.C., by NASCAR drivers Kyle Petty, Richard Petty, Michael Waltrip and Jimmie Johnson.

May 11, 1924 – March 31, 1998
Tim Flock

(Photo; georgiaracinghistory.com)
Born in Fort Payne, Alabama, USA.
He was one of NASCAR's early pioneers, and a two-time series champion. He was a brother to NASCAR's second female driver Ethel Mobley and NASCAR pioneers Bob Flock and Fonty Flock.

Tim Flock finished 5th in NASCAR’s inaugural Strictly Stock race at Charlotte, North Carolina in 1949. NASCAR's first official season ended with Tim in eighth, Tim's brother Fonty Flock in fifth, and Tim's other brother Bob Flock in third in the overall points standing. Tim sat out the 1950 NASCAR season recovering from a four car pile up at Charlotte.

Returning to racing in 1951, Flock won seven races. 1952 brought eight wins and four poles. At the end of the 1952 NASCAR season, Tim Flock had 106 more points than Herb Thomas, earning Flock his first Grand National Championship title, despite flipping in the final race at West Palm Beach. Flock later joked, "I was the only driver to ever win a championship upside-down."

Tim had a Rhesus monkey co-driver named "Jocko Flocko" with him in his May 16, 1953 Grand National win at Hickory Motor Speedway. Jocko Flocko became the only winning monkey ever. The monkey was retired two weeks later at Raleigh, where the monkey pulled the device to allow the driver to observe the right front tire and was hit by a pebble. Tim had to do a pit stop to remove the monkey, and he finished third.

In 1954, Flock was disqualified despite winning at the Daytona Beach Road Course for illegally screwed carburetor screws.

1955 was a record setting year for Flock as well as NASCAR. On the way to Flock's second Grand National Championship title, Flock had 19 poles and 18 victories in 45 races. The 18 victories stood as a record until broken by “The King”, Richard Petty, in 1967. The 19 poles is still the highest number in a NASCAR season.

Flock won the only NASCAR Sprint Cup event ever held at Road America in 1956. No other stock car events of any type were held at the track until the 1990s, and in 2010 the Nationwide Series began racing there. The 1956 season, however, was filled with off-track frustration for Flock, particularly with team owner Carl Kiekhaefer. Despite their combined on-track success, Flock left Kiekhaefer's team immediately after his victory in the April 8th race at North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, citing stomach ulcers. Upon departing from the Kiekhaefer camp, he had compiled 21 triumphs out of his 46 starts with Kiekhaefer.

In his final race before "retiring" Tim Flock was disqualified and banned from NASCAR as a result of "having too much solder on his carburetor screw" which was illegal. This was widely known by the public to be retaliation by NASCAR management for Flock's support of a NASCAR driver's union. Like Curtis Turner, he faced a life ban from NASCAR.

Flock continued to race under other sanctioning bodies, including the Midwest Association for Race Cars, competing in the 100-mile event on the dirt at Lakewood Speedway, Georgia, in October 1961, where he finished second. He also raced at a USAC event in Concord, North Carolina, in 1963.

Flock was also employed by the Ford Motor Company to entertain customers at track events.
Flock was reinstated to NASCAR competition in 1966.

He died of liver and throat cancer on March 31, 1998 at the age of 73 which was during NASCAR's 50th Anniversary. Darrell Waltrip honored him in a special paint scheme named "Tim Flock Special" after his death as a tribute to Flock.

A month before his death, Flock was honored as one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers. He has been inducted in numerous halls of fame, including the: International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991, Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1999, National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1972, State of Georgia Hall of Fame in 1972, and Charlotte Motor Speedway Court of Legends in 1994. He was inducted in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in May 2006. On May 22, 2013, Flock was named a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame for 2014. Tim's 39 wins out of 187 races gives him the 2nd highest winning percentage in NASCAR history, at 20.9%.

Tim's very last race was the Battle of the NASCAR Legends race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1991. The race featured such drivers as Cale Yarborough, Junior Johnson, Pete Hamilton, and Donnie Allison. The winner was Elmo Langley, beating Yarborough to the line by about 3 feet (0.91 m) on the last lap. Tim finished 10th out of 22 drivers.

(Photo; www.timflock.com)
9 NASCAR Nextel Cup Championships between them. Tim and Dale Earnhardt at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega in 1991.

February 18, 1962 - June 21, 2008

Scott Kalitta

(Photo;pinterest.com)

Born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, USA.

He was the son of veteran NHRA driver and crew chief Connie Kalitta, and cousin of teammate Doug Kalitta. Scott competed in the Funny Car and Top Fuel classes in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. He had 17 career Top Fuel wins and 1 career Funny Car win, and at his death he was one of fourteen drivers to win in both divisions.

Kalitta's career began in 1982 at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. His first career #1 qualifier happened at the Baton Rouge, Louisiana event in 1988. He got his first win in 1989 in Funny Car at the event in Houston, Texas. He moved to Top Fuel during the 1990s.

The next two years were big for Kalitta, as he would win the Top Fuel championship both years. In 1994, he became the first Top Fuel driver to have four straight event wins (Columbus, Topeka, Denver and Sonoma) and he won five events that season. He won six events and 45 rounds of competition in 1995 to win the championship. His 1996 season saw him win the $100,000 Budweiser Shootout at Sonoma en route to a second-place points finish. He had the top speed at a series best eight races that season. Kalitta won the Topeka event for a fourth straight year in 1997. He retired in October of that season.

Kalitta came back in 1999, making one final round in ten starts. Kalitta returned to Top Fuel in 2003 after a three-year layoff. He made two final rounds and set a speed record at 333.95 miles per hour (537.44 km/h), but didn't certify the speed with a fast enough backup run to claim the national record. In 2004 he recorded one win in two final round appearances. He was the top qualified at both Las Vegas event, and finished in the Top five in season points. His 2005 season saw him win two events.

For 2006, Kalitta returned to Funny Car in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, but did not have as much success as he had in Top Fuel the previous two years. In the season, Kalitta drove his Kalitta Air-sponsored Funny Car to a 13th-place points finish, well behind eventual champion John Force. Toward the end of the year, Kalitta switched from the Monte Carlo to the Toyota Solara, which he ran for the remainder of his career.

Kalitta's 2007 Funny Car season was rather uneventful, as he qualified for 16 of 23 events in his DHL-sponsored Solara and missed the inaugural NHRA Countdown to the Championship. His best finish of the season was a semi-finals appearance at Denver in July. In 2008, he made his 36th and last final round appearance at Chicago, two weeks before his death.

On June 21, 2008, Kalitta was fatally injured during the final round of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA Super Nationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Kalitta's Funny Car was traveling at about 300 mph when the engine exploded in flames near the finish line. The parachutes were damaged and failed to slow the vehicle.

(Photo;flickr.com)

According to the New Jersey State Police official news release evidence discovered in Kalitta’s lane revealed that he had applied mechanical braking and maintained steering control of the vehicle throughout the 2235-foot-long “shutdown” portion of the racetrack. Post-crash examination of the vehicle further revealed the clutch system to be locked, maintaining engine power to the rear wheels. Witnesses and audio recordings reveal the vehicle’s engine was firing throughout the shutdown portion of the racetrack, which further reinforced the fact that the vehicle’s engine was still providing power for some period of time. Kalitta's vehicle reached the end of the paved race track and went through a sand trap at around 125 mph. The vehicle went over the concrete retaining wall. The vehicle continued forward and impacted a piece of heavy equipment, which was positioned outside the “run-off” area by the ESPN television crew.

This impact caused catastrophic damage to the vehicle and additional separation of chassis components and the vehicle’s engine. The largest portion of the race vehicle came to rest in a grassy area 250' south of the shutdown area. Scott Kalitta was contained in this portion of the race vehicle and had sustained fatal blunt force injuries. A review of information provided by Delphi, which was recorded by accelerometers, mounted to the Kalitta vehicle revealed multiple impacts producing over 100G, with some approaching or exceeding 200G. He was transported to the Old Bridge Division of Raritan Bay Medical Center and was pronounced dead on arrival.

The NHRA said on Kalitta's death that "Scott shared the same passion for drag racing as his legendary father, Connie. He also shared the same desire to win, becoming a two-time series world champion. He left the sport for a very long period of time, to devote more time to his family, only to be driven to return to the drag strip to regain his championship form."

At the time of his accident, Kalitta was not qualified for the following day's national event in the Funny Car class. The run qualified him 13th. The next day, in what would have been his opening elimination round event, the entire Kalitta team stood on the starting line on his designated side of the dragstrip as Robert Hight, who would have been his opponent, idled his car down the quarter-mile track as a sign of respect.

He made his home in Snead Island, Florida, with wife, Kathy and two sons, Colin and Corey.

(Photo;dragracecanada)

Connie Kalitta celebrates with his grandsons Colin and Corey

Eli Vukovich Dies In Fresno, California - Aug. 23, 2001

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"National Sprint & Midget Hall Of Famer" Shorty Templeman Dies - August 24, 1962

Justin Wilson Dies Following Ponoco Crash - August 24, 2015

"5-time CASCAR Super Series Champ" Don Thomson Jr Born - August 24, 1962

"The First Woman Of NASCAR" Sara Christian Born - August 25, 1918

"National Sprint Car Hall Of Famer" Jimmy Wilburn Dies - August 26, 1984

Final Motorsport Event Held At Old Donington Park - August 26, 1939

"Oldest Driver In NASCAR History" James Hylton Born

Drag Racer Blaine Johnson Killed In Crash - August 31st, 1996

Marcos Ambrose Born In Launceston, Australia - September 1, 1976

"Legendary Top Fuel Rider" Elmer Trett Killed - September 1st, 1996

"Oldest NASCAR Driver" James Hylton Calls It Quits At 79 - October 4, 2013

'NASCAR Legend" Hershel McGriff Born - December 14, 1927

Erwin "Cannonball" Baker Dies Of Heart Attack - May 10, 1960

Helio Castroneves Born In São Paulo, Brazil - May 10, 1975

"Designer & Racing Driver" Carroll Shelby Dies - May 10, 2012

"Remembering" Adam Petty

"NASCAR Pioneer" Tim Flock Born - May 11, 1924

"Remembering" Scott Kalitta