Faith, family and home-life stability ultimately won out over checkered flags and chasing wins and championships. NASCAR has named eight drivers to the 2023 Drive for Diversity driver group. Martin also opened up four car dealerships in his hometown of Batesville, Arkansas. He finished second overall in the standings five separate times, including his first in 1990, and developed a reputation as the "best driver to never win a championship." Thats impressive, to say the least. Youd think that Burton would have slowed down at the age of 59, but that isnt the case. There arent a lot of names that resonate with racing as much as Gordons does. It was time for me to say its time to start enjoying life, Spencer said. After he quietly retired from racing, Stewart carved out a reputation of knowledge and dependability. Martin took part in 882 races over his 31-year Cup career, winning 40 and securing 453 top-10 finishes. Stewart is also heavily involved in dirt track racing and still participates to this day. I still watch some races, Spencer said. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Travis Pastrana to attempt Daytona 500 with 23XI Racing, RCR, Kyle Busch add sponsorship from Netspend, Pastrana, who will drive car No. Between his 33 starts in the 500, Marcis became one of NASCARs most prolific drivers, making 883 career starts, behind only Petty (1,185), Ricky Rudd (906) and Terry Labonte (890). 11 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series - EuroNASCAR 2 Division drivers. That ship has sailed, he said. Because his team does not have a charter, Pastrana will have to earn one of the four non-charter spots to make the 500 field. France, I understand. From that day on, I realized not to mess with Bill France Jr.. You cant go back and watch the kids play soccer on the weekend youre racing, he said. In addition to operating his Powersports dealership, Bodine has also provided commentary on televised NASCAR events. * Even though he never won a Cup championship, he did record five runner-up finishes in the drivers'. In 1995, the series. Motorsport.com caught up with Bodine recently from his home in Melbourne, Florida for this week's edition of 'Where are they now?' Humble beginnings Bodine grew up the second eldest of four. The venture is an animal rescue foundation that focuses on rehoming companion animals in shelters. Martin was always a major proponent of driver health and fitness, which enabled him to drive well into his fifties. They all went on to enjoy successful seasons, and several became hall of famers after stockpiling wins with regularity. This is bigger than anything Ive done. Jerry Bonkowski NASCAR.com February 10, 2022 at 3:09 PM. Newman and his wife Krissie operate Rescue Ranch. I liked the track, its a nice track. Part two, which deals with Marcis friendship with Dale Earnhardt, will appear Tuesday. Even with the lengthy NASCAR career he enjoyed, Marcis has never forgotten his short track roots. Former Cup champion Kyle Larson is a graduate of the program. No, but its going to be an amazing week.. Earnhardt Jr. has also done voice acting in the Disney/Pixar movie Cars as Number 8. Currently, he is also a spokesperson for Nationwide Insurance, which he had as a sponsorship deal for his racing team. After finishing his last race of the 2019 season, Sadler has been heavily involved with the Autism Speaks Foundation. The famed driver was also inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2015, a prestigious honor that was bestowed on him at a young age (still in his sixties). Craven retired from commentary in 2020 to open a new venture, Ricky Craven Motorsports. Gordon was always a people person, and his outgoing personality made him an instant star. That was big, but the most important thing was my mom and dad were sitting in those bleachers when I started sixth in my first Daytona 500 in the Heinz 57 car (in 1990, finished 15th), behind Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott. In that timeframe, Johnson recorded 83 career race wins, not a bad feat considering the fierce competition of the era. Stewart will undoubtedly go down as one of the most popular drivers. His driving style was unique and netted him the moniker Million Dollar Bill, which is a name Elliott carries to this day. Bill France (Jr.) was special. Scott Riggs, who raced for 15 years in NASCAR's top three national series, now is guiding the racing career of his 20-year-old son, Layne. Today Jarrett has also dabbled in other types of competitions, he is a championship shooter and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2014. NASCAR Pioneers: Where Are They Now? The famed driver was also inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2015, a prestigious honor that was bestowed on him at a young age (still in his sixties). Although Newmans career is nearing its end, there are outside activities Newman is involved in as well. Another popular name in NASCAR for two decades was Mark Martin, who had the most wins in the Xfinity Series with an impressive 49. This season also drew attention due to a controversial illegal carburetor spacer penalty that dropped Mark Martin down in the standings and prevented him from winning his first Cup Series championship. When 26-year-old Dave Marcis went south to pursue fame and fortune in NASCAR, he received a true royal welcome when he pulled into the Daytona International Speedway garage for the first time in February 1968. Read his storyhere, This California native became one of the most popular drivers to come from the Golden State in the late 1980's. His NASCAR career is unparalleled and the dream of many is to achieve the same level of popularity. I still have a good time with them.. After more than four decades of rushing from one track to another, Spencer and wife Pat still travel a fair amount but at their own pace. Shepherd continued racing in the Cup Series on a full-time basis until 1998. There arent a lot of names that resonate with racing as much as Gordons does. NASCAR racing has changed a lot over the years and Terry Labonte will remain a part of it. Burton is one of the unsung heroes of the racing world and has helped shape the sport tremendously. France continued to draw on the paper, adding grandstands, a pit area and a clubhouse. This solidified his status as a member of the 2013 Hall of Fame class. Following a fourth-place finish in 1990, Elliott continued racing on a full-time basis until 2003 and then took part in part-time schedules until 2012. Martin was always a major proponent of driver health and fitness, which enabled him to drive well into his fifties. Earnhardt Jr. was just coming into his own when his father passed away in a tragic racing crash. Did I think I might have Jimmie and Helio trying to qualify for four spots? After his retirement, he was a NASCAR analyst for ESPN where he worked for 12 years, eventually moving onto FOX Sports. France wants to see you., Bill always used to tell me there were two heroes he had. The two drivers provide unique in-depth perspectives of the next generation of drivers. Few racers have as short and sweet of a run as Burton did. Entering NASCAR at the ripe old age of 18 is a dream for many aspiring fans, but Rudd pulled it off. Where are they now? He finished 10th in an Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway in 2013. Bodine was one of the longest-tenured drivers in the sport, actively driving for a team well into his 60s. While reading these stories, readers and NASCAR fans also have an opportunity to submit ideas for future stories they would like to see on Motorsport.com in the future. I still have friends from my modified days in Connecticut. Competed in 478 Cup races; 2 wins, 80 top 10s. I was winning in the Busch Series and made some comments to the media about some officiating. But when it comes to racing the thing that was his life for more than half of it is just not as important as it once was. When a driver frequently moves from team to team, he's often called a "journeyman.". In those days, everybody had to qualify and sometimes you had 62 cars trying to qualify for 40 or so places.. Of course, my wife doesnt want me to, but yeah, I still would like to.. Marcis replacement for the 1979 season was Dale Earnhardt. In addition to that accolade, Sadler is also an advocate for college basketball, having played himself and earned a scholarship before a debilitating knee injury. Labonte won this award alongside other greats from his generation such as Dale Earnhardt and Harry Gant. * NASCAR Cup Series career: 882 starts, 40 wins, 271 top-five and 453 top-10 finishes. Bodine finished his NASCAR career with over 200 wins in modifieds, 18 wins in Cup and six Xfinity Series wins. Some drivers didnt need a long career to establish dominance, and Benson Jr. is one of them. In addition to that accolade, Sadler is also an advocate for college basketball, having played himself and earned a scholarship before a debilitating knee injury. Martin also opened up four car dealerships in his hometown of Batesville, Arkansas. Marlin followed the same path as a lot of drivers do and owned both a Chevrolet dealership and a Dodge dealership. 67, will be a teammate to, NASCAR to award medals to top three finishers of Busch Clash, MORE: Kyle Larson, Rick Hendrick and the road to the Indianapolis 500, in his first season driving for the Welcome, N.C.-based team. We went bear hunting in Canada last year and were going to go moose hunting next year, I think, he said. He went from relative obscurity to becoming one of the most popular drivers of all time. Tickets remain available in the infield Fanzone and in hospitality areas. He was always my idol when I first started racing. We sold most everything we had and I retired. He added three more championships to his already impressive resume, bringing his total to seven. Bill Elliotts NASCAR Challenge for MS-DOS being the first officially licensed game by NASCAR, influencing the popularity of these games fans have to this day. After racing, Bodine did the next most common thing for retired drivers and opened a Honda Power Sports dealership in West Melbourne, Florida. Wilson made over 200 starts in NASCAR's . Nicknamed "Rocketman," Newman has been at the forefront of winning and losing over his 20-year career. Initially racing for his father, Labonte won the coveted NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year. Made 31 Truck starts and earned one win and 11 top 10s. I can remember Earnhardt telling me he borrowed $300 so he could get to the next race so he could buy a set of tires. The 41-year-old wrote his name into the fabric of the sport by competing for thirteen seasons in NASCAR's top series, twelve as a full-time driver. Rookie Austin Cindric won last years Daytona 500 by .036 of a second over Bubba Wallace. In a series first, NASCAR will award medals to the top three finishers in a Cup race. The competition for those positions will be intense, with seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, Zane Smith and perhaps IndyCar kingpin Helio Castroneves in the group. In addition to operating his Powersports dealership, Bodine has also provided commentary on televised NASCAR events. The race winners medal weighs 4.7 ounces and is covered in 24-karat plated gold. Few racers have as short and sweet of a run as Burton did. They put an ad in the newspaper and formed (the CWRA) at Eds Bowling Alley on 6th Street in Wausau in 1958, said Marcis, who still has a scrapbook of newspaper clippings from his nearly five-decade racing career. The Skoal Bandit Harry Gant had 18 wins in NASCARs top Series over 22 years of racing. Ricky Rudd has also been a television personality hosting SPEED Center and a series of other sportscast. Named the 1983 Rookie of the Year he was hired by Roger Hamby to drive the No. Ingram was a pioneer in many ways and helped bring what was then known as the Busch Series to life. This is bigger than anything Ive done. His racing style was calm and collected, which lead him to become a NASCAR advisor in his later years. Her death touched my wife and me so much. And Bristol was really, really tough on your neck and the heat was pretty bad there, too.. Lakes last Winston Cup (Now Sprint Cup) season came in 1998. I really want to have a great car, a great team and great people to help me get there, Pastrana said. One day, a Saturday, practice was over and an official came up to me and said, Mr. His part in making the 1979 Daytona 500 a historic moment will be a part of theGreat American Raceforever. The medal ceremony will take place on a podium in Victory Lane, which will be located beneath the Olympic cauldron at the Coliseum. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 and still races Go-Karts in the Charlotte area at the GoPro Motorplex. Burton is one of the unsung heroes of the racing world and has helped shape the sport tremendously. Few drivers have the personable appearance that Johnson has, and that has afforded him great popularity. Wallace has managed racing teams as well as kept his name in the sport by commentating and mentoring. Attracting a driver of Travis stature speaks volumes to the success 23XI Racing has had in our first two seasons and points to the positive direction in which we are headed.. After his Nascar career came to an end, Petty established the Richard Petty Museum in Level Cross, North Carolina. We as a society have lost a lot of the passion, he said. Earnhardt Jr. has also done voice acting in the Disney/Pixar movie Cars as Number 8. He might look different as he gets older but still seems to possess the drive he had in his youth as a NASCAR driver. Last July, Marcis returned to his hometown, along with Sauter and others to take in a CWRA Stars to Legends Tour race and share many memories in and around his old stomping grounds of State Park Speedway. Practice and qualifying will take place Feb. 4. I have no regrets.. And things are going . Following the 1990 NASCAR Cup Series season, the top seven drivers remained in stock car racing. The Busch last name has become synonymous with racing, and Kurt was the original superstar. Rudd has a whopping 374 top 10s under his belt, a feat many drivers can only aspire to. Biffle is one of the founders of the series, which holds races in remote and obviously very sandy places such as Sand Mountain, Utah; Glamis, California; Anthony Dunes, Idaho and Oregon Dunes. 9 NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series drivers. In 2002 he was diagnosed with Carbon Monoxide Posing and fell very ill and was force to retire. Editors note: This is part one of our interview with former NASCAR driver Dave Marcis. After racing, Bodine did the next most common thing for retired drivers and opened a Honda Power Sports dealership in West Melbourne, Florida. Morgan Shepherd started his racing career in 1967 and went on to compete in multiple series. I was going to go to Atlanta last week to watch Johnny Sauter, who I know pretty well, in the pick-up truck race, but obviously that race didnt take place (due to the coronavirus outbreak).. Instead of worrying about a race car setup or qualifying, Jimmy Spencer spends his days enjoying a different kind of excitement, like his first grandson Hudson, who turned 1-year-old Tuesday, working on antique cars or trucks, or just playing with his five dogs. Excitement has finally slowed down. Toward the end of his career, the driver was focused on mentoring the next generation of drivers. Allisons legendary Miller #12 Monte Carlo was a hallmark and one of the most popular cars on the track. Theres a lot of memories when you race the number of years I did, moving from the ranks of a short-track guy who really had nothing and no big sponsorships and running the 1/3- and 1/4-mile tracks, Marcis said. But would I change stuff? 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