NASCAR Retired Drivers

Updated: 2008

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Lake Speed to be inducted into Mississippi Sports HoF: The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame today announced its 2010 induction class. The six-member class, which will be honored at the 48th annual BancorpSouth Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Weekend July 30-31, 2010: Lake Speed: Jackson native and most prominent driver in state history; 18-years on the NASCAR circuit that produced one win (Darlington, SC 1988) and 75 top ten finishes; six-time U.S. Karting Association Champion and World Karting Champion prior to NASCAR competition. (Hattiesburg American) Other five: Henry Armstrong, Allen Brown, Bob Coleman,Frank Dowsing and Ken Toler, Sr.

June 20, 2006:

Elliott test MWR car at MI. and KY.: his week, Bill Elliott is testing the No. 00 Burger King NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series entry at the Milwaukee Mile and Kentucky Speedway in preparation for the five races he will compete in this season for Michael Waltrip Racing. "Today, we were just shaking down the Burger King car at the Milwaukee Mile so that we can be well prepared for the race at Loudon (New Hampshire International Speedway) in a few weeks," Elliott stated. "We'll be at Kentucky Speedway tomorrow to work on the car for our first race of the season at Chicagoland Speedway. We'll test at the track for two days. I think Chicagoland will be one of the most challenging tracks for us." As Elliott helps Michael Waltrip Racing continue to lay groundwork for 2007, Michael Waltrip prepares for his role as a team owner and driver of the No. 55 NAPA Toyota Camry. In addition to the relationship with NAPA, Michael Waltrip Racing announced a partnership with Domino's Pizza (DPZ) and Burger King Corporation (BKC) to be co-primary sponsors of their second 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team. "We announced our second NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team yesterday at Michigan International Speedway," Michael Waltrip said, who will be on site at Kentucky Speedway during the test session this Wednesday as team owner.  (MWR PR)

March 9, 2006:

Junior Johnson movie in the works: NASCAR legend Junior Johnson has signed a life story rights deal with Fred Griffith of Follow Your Dreams Productions Inc., a Beverly Hills, Calif., motion picture company, to create a movie about Johnson's life as a moonshine hauler and NASCAR race driver. Griffith, an actor and producer who hails from South Carolina, is currently adapting a screenplay based largely on the book, "Junior Johnson, Brave In Life," written by Tom Higgins and Steve Waid. Veteran actor and producer Chris Mulkey ("Radio") has signed on as a writing producer for the film. "We plan on utilizing not only the information from 'Junior Johnson, Brave In Life,' but also the years of knowledge that Junior, Tom and Steve have," Griffith said. "We want to make a film that tells the story of a NASCAR legend and do it as accurately as possible." (ThatsRacin.com)

Feb. 24, 2006:

Six NASCAR legends to serve as Grand Marshall at Atlanta Busch race: Six of the greatest drivers and legends of NASCAR - Richard Petty, David Pearson, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons, Buddy Baker, and Donnie Allison - will serve as Grand Marshals for the NicoretteÒ 300, the NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, March 18 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The six legends were selected by Nicorette® nicotine gum to serve as Grand Marshals as a tribute to their racing careers and for their personal support of smoking cessation.   The NicoretteÒ 300 marks the first NASCAR race to ever be sponsored by a smoking cessation product and is just one activity in a season-long sponsorship designed to eradicate smoking from the sport of NASCAR. “We are thrilled to be able to have these six NASCAR legends serve as Grand Marshals for the NicoretteÒ 300,” said Steve Kapur, Senior Brand Manager, Promotional Marketing at GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. “Through the support of Richard, David, Ned, Buddy, Benny and Donnie, we hope to inspire NASCAR fans to quit smoking and improve their health. We thank these NASCAR legends for their support in this important cause.” The six NASCAR legends will jointly give the command “Gentlemen, Start your Engines” to start the NicoretteÒ 300 while making appearances throughout the day. Fans will have the opportunity to meet the six legends the morning of March 18 (time to be announced) at a question-and-answer session held at GSK’s Winner’s Circle Exhibit in the fan walk area. Tickets to the NicoretteÒ 300 NASCAR Busch Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway are available. To order tickets, call (877) 9-AMS-TIX (877-926-7849) or order on-line at www.atlantamotorspeedway.com. (AMS PR)

Feb. 19, 2006:

Nadeau update: Jerry Nadeau, who's been largely absent since the crash at Richmond in May of 2003 that ended his driving career, has been hired as a consultant for the new Clay Andrews Racing team and driver David Gilliland in the Busch Series. (Mercury News)

Feb. 9, 2006:

Junior Johnson car finally on displayed at N.C. Museum of history: The 1963 Chevrolet that Junior Johnson drove to seven victories and 10 poles in 33 NASCAR Winston Cup starts, was put on display Wednesday in the N.C. Museum of History, where the Sports Hall of Fame is located. Gov. Mike Easley accepted the loan of the white No. 3 car from Johnson and expressed the hope that "it will still be on display here in the museum's lobby 25 years from now." The governor added that Johnson deserved the honor "because he has brought the state fame well beyond our borders. Junior is a good citizen and a credit to North Carolina." It's been an uphill battle for Johnson, however. During the 1970s and '80s, an executive director of the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame refused to count votes toward Johnson's induction. The one-man ban was based on Johnson's conviction on a moonshine charge in 1956. Even after he received a full pardon from President Ronald Reagan in 1985, ballots for him were blocked from being counted. (Charlotte Observer)

Jan. 4, 2006:

B. Elliott to attempt Daytona 500: MB2 Motorsports announced that its #36 entry for the Daytona 500 (Feb. 19) will be driven by Bill Elliott, a two-time winner of NASCAR's biggest race. Elliott will also drive the MB2-built #36 Chevrolet in the Feb. 11th Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, an invitational race for 2005 pole winners and former Shootout champions. Elliott earned his automatic berth as a result of winning the Shootout in 1987. Frank Stoddard will serve as Elliott's crew chief for both races and also oversee Elliott's Daytona test session next week (Jan. 9-11). "MB2 has a top-notch superspeedway program and I am looking forward to being part of it," said Elliott, who will team with MB2's full-time drivers #14-Sterling Marlin and #01-Joe Nemechek at Daytona. "Both Sterling and Joe are good on the big tracks and having them as teammates gives us added potential." Elliott, the 1988 NASCAR Cup champion, has run a limited schedule the past two years. His last Daytona 500 appearance was in 2003. "We're thrilled that Bill will be joining us, he brings a wealth of superspeedway experience to our MB2 Daytona 500 lineup," said Jay Frye, MB2's CEO and general manager. Frye also said that a sponsor for the #36 Chevy during Daytona Speedweeks will be announced at a later date. (MB2 Motorsports PR)

Dec. 29, 2005:

Geoff Bodine's Bobsled Challenge next week: Before NASCAR's 2006 season starts next month with testing in Florida, a dozen or so drivers will participate in Geoff Bodine's Bobsled Challenge in Lake Placid.  Bodine's Chevrolet-sponsored event will feature 10 to 12 NASCAR drivers competing head-to-head in specially made bobsleds at the Verizon Sports Complex Olympic bobsled venue from Jan. 5-7. The event, a fundraiser for the Chemung-native's Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, is open to the public and will be televised on a delayed basis. Among drivers confirmed for the event are Bodine's younger brother, Todd, Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace, Dick Trickle, Steve Park, Randy LaJoie, Kevin Lepage, Boris Said, Joel Kauffman and Stanton Barrett. 2005 Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are planning to participate if their schedules allow. (Star Gazette)

Dec. 12, 2005:

Shepherd recipient of NMPA/Pocono Spirit Award: NASCAR Nextel Cup veteran Morgan Shepherd has been named the fourth quarter recipient of the National Motorsports Press Association/Pocono Spirit Award. Shepherd, who made his first Cup start in 1970, has four career victories in 511 Cup starts, and has competed for the past several seasons with much less financial backing than most Cup teams. But it is his efforts off the race track that have earned the 64-year-old Shepherd recognition among the membership of the NMPA. The Morgan Shepherd Charitable Fund, now in its 19th season, began as a program to assist the needy and handicapped living in the Virginia mountains. Each year Shepherd headlines a trip throughout that region that includes stops to assist more than 300 people. That trip often includes several prominent NASCAR figures taking part along with Shepherd. "We're carrying friends, presents and hope for these people," Shepherd said. "Besides a donation, hopefully a large donation, to the PARC Workshop (a non-profit organization that teaches job skills to the handicapped), we are delighted to have a chance to meet with old and new friends, and to show the love of Christ to these folks." Other fourth-quarter nominees for the award included the Women's Auxiliary of Motorsports and Nextel Cup driver Kasey Kahne. The NMPA/Pocono Spirit Award recognizes character and achievement in the face of adversity as well as sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. Each quarter during the year the NMPA names a winner of the Spirit Award. And in January, the NMPA and Pocono International Raceway honor the four winners and select a national winner at the annual NMPA convention. Michael and Buffy Waltrip won the 2005 first-quarter award, Jeff Gordon was named the second-quarter winner and the NASCAR community as a whole was named the third-quarter recipient. (NMPA PR)

Nov. 2, 2005:

W. Burton to server on Board: NASCAR driver Ward Burton was selected Tuesday to sit on the Virginia Board of Game and Inland Fisheries. Gov. Mark R. Warner, who announced the selection, called Burton "a strong addition" to the board that oversees the troubled Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. "He is known throughout Virginia for his commitment to the outdoors, both as a sportsman and as a conservationist," Warner said in a statement. The governor said Burton's experience and background will help the board "continue to make progress to restore the trust of the sports and conservation enthusiasts they serve." State police are conducting a criminal investigation of Game and Inland Fisheries after an audit accusing officials of waste, cronyism, misuse of state property and retaliation against employees. The spending issues surfaced after department officials went on an African safari last year. Subsequent newspaper reports revealed that officials regularly traveled to conventions, bought expensive sporting goods and exceeded limits on their state-issued credit cards. (USA Today)

July 16, 2005

Nadeau to retire: Doctors told Jerry Nadeau a few weeks ago to find something else to do besides driving a race car. But that cold reality doesn't preclude looking for work at a racetrack, and a new opportunity brought Nadeau back to New Hampshire International Speedway. "I'd say my career is pretty much over," Nadeau said yesterday, sitting inside the hauler of the No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet he drove until May 2, 2003 at Richmond International Raceway. "My whole life I've been racing, so all I know how to do is that. My goal now is to be in the business of racing." Nadeau might have discovered an industry niche this weekend. The Danbury, Conn., native returned to his home track to serve as a driver coach for Boston Reid, a 23-year-old prospect with Hendrick Motorsports in the Busch Series. (Times-Dispatch)

July 15, 2005

Former Driver Irvan gains support: One prominent NASCAR team's drivers will be doing more than running laps around the New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon July 17 as part of the New England 300; they'll be helping to promote the August 17 LAPS Walk, an inaugural event at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) that will help NASCAR legend Ernie Irvan and the Brain Injury Association of Michigan combat the silent national epidemic of traumatic brain injury. Team MB2 Motorsports (with affiliate teams MBV and MBSutton) has agreed to carry the LAPS Walk logo underneath the "B" Pillar of each of the cars (driver side panel) during NASCAR races leading up to and including the GFS Marketplace 400 at MIS on August 21, 2005. Teammates Joe Nemechek, who drives #01, a Chevrolet (sponsored by U.S. Army) and Scott Riggs, driving #10, also a Chevrolet (sponsored by Valvoline) will feature the logo on their cars beginning this weekend at Loudon. The third team member, Boris Said, driving #36, again a Chevrolet (sponsored by CENTRIX Financial), will join Nemechek and Riggs in featuring the LAPS Walk logo when he joins the field in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. All three will be drawing attention to the LAPS (Leadership and Promotion of Safety) event, to be held the Wednesday of GFS 400 race week at MIS. The LAPS Walk is a joint effort between Ernie Irvan's Race2Safety Foundation and the Brain Injury Association of Michigan that will become an annual event to raise awareness for traumatic brain injury. For a minimum $100 registration fee, participants can walk the racetrack with Ernie and other current and former NASCAR drivers by registering online at http://www.lapswalk.org or by calling 1-888-LAP-4-R2S (527-4727). (Brain Injury Association of Michigan PR)

June 25, 2005

Lake Speed and others Vintage Car racing: Gus Traeder hopes to build on the interest created in this year's Super Vintage Kart Olympics. The participation of former NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Lake Speed introduced the vintage event to more people than ever, and Traeder, the longtime Quincy promoter, hopes to soon have confirmation from some other former big-name talents to add to the 2006 kart lineup at TNT Kartways. "Not only has Lake Speed agreed to return next year, but we are talking with Scott Goodyear, Mark Dismore and Scott Pruett," Traeder said. Speed, Goodyear, Dismore and Pruett all raced in Quincy, West Quincy or both early in their careers. Goodyear and Dismore gained their fame in the Championship Auto Racing teams (CART), IndyCar and Indy Racing League series. Pruett is best known as a road racer and also has experience in CART, IndyCar and NASCAR. (WHIG)

June 15, 2005

Bill Elliott to Race in Michigan: Bill Elliott has had a special relationship with Michigan International Speedway ever since he competed in his first race at the two-mile oval in June of 1976. And after a year's absence from MIS, the redhead from Georgia returns to one of his favorite tracks for this weekend's Nextel Cup race. He will be driving the No. 91 McDonald's Dodge Charger in the Batman Begins 400. Speaking of Batman and McDonald's, when Elliott drove the McDonald's Batman Forever car in 1995, it was the first-themed car that competed in a NASCAR Cup race. McDonald's was Elliott's primary sponsor from 1995-2000. Sunday's race will be Elliott's fifth of the season as he continues to run a part-time schedule under the Evernham Motorsports umbrella. His previous races were at California, Atlanta, Texas and Charlotte.  "Anytime I can race at Michigan, I feel like I'm back home," said Elliott. "I've been fortunate over the years to have raced well there and come away with some victories."  Actually, Elliott has won seven times at MIS, making him the track's fourth all-time winningest driver. He also has claimed six poles -- only David Pearon with 10 has had more No. 1 starting spots at MIS. (Evernham Motorsports)

May 26 2005

Marcis, Lawn Mower Accident: Former NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Dave Marcis is recovering at his home in Arden, N.C., after suffering facial injuries in a lawn-mowing accident on Wednesday. Marcis was mowing grass at his property in Rib Lake, Wisconsin when a rock flew from underneath the mower, striking him in the cheek area. Marcis incurred a laceration that required five stitches. Also, several teeth were damaged by the impact, necessitating a trip to the dentist on Thursday afternoon. “Actually, I’m pretty lucky,” Marcis said. “”The rock could’ve hit me in eye, or in the temple.” Marcis, 64, retired from NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing after the 2002 season. He ended his 35-year NASCAR career with 883 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup starts. He was the runner-up in the 1975 championship standings. “I told my wife (Helen) that I need to go back racing,” Marcis said. “This lawn-mowing stuff is dangerous.” (NASCAR PR)

May 19, 2005

Irvan Promotes Safety: Ernie Irvan says his life, for better and worse, repeatedly has taken a twist at Michigan International Speedway. His last career NASCAR win came at Michigan in 1997. The victory sandwiched two devastating crashes on the two-mile oval that eventually forced him to retire in 1999.  It's no coincidence Irvan chose the Michigan track as the promotional launching pad for his new life's work, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about brain injury prevention. Irvan, 46, started the Race2Safety Foundation last year. One of the group's first major fund-raisers will be Aug. 17 at the Michigan track. Irvan hopes to have up to 10,000 people pay at least $100 per person to walk around the speedway with him and active NASCAR drivers. Similar events will be added at other NASCAR sites next year. (MILive)

May 13, 2005

E. Irvan to be inducted in West Coast HOF: The inductees for the 4th Annual West Coast Stock Car Hall Of Fame induction ceremony July 22, 2005 have been announced by Tim Meyer director of the West Coast Stock Car Hall Of Fame. Fifteen names make up the West Coast Stock Car Hall Of Fame 2005 induction class. Drivers: Allen Adkins, Len Sutton, Sam Hanks, Dick Meyer, and Ernie Irvan. Owners-Mechanics-Manufacturers-Sponsors: Bob Estes, Vel Miletich, Floyd Johnson, Tom Hamilton, Leon Ruther, Richard Elder and James Rush. Promoters-Officials-Media Members-Event/Series Sponsors: Ron Ail, Harry Schilling, and Marion Collins. (West Coast Stock Car Hall Of Fame)

April 28, 2005

Waltrip Inducted into HOF, calls it "great honor": Darrell Waltrip's impact on stock car racing can't be measured by columns of numbers in a record book or found in stacks of musty press clippings and faded photographs.  ''Darrell's influence goes much deeper than just what he did on the track — as impressive as that was,'' says Mike Joy, a longtime Waltrip friend, confidant and current Fox Sports broadcasting partner.  ''He always made racing fun and entertaining for the fans and for everybody around him. He was — and still is — a great spokesman and ambassador for a sport he dearly loves. In terms of what he's accomplished on and off the track, I'm not sure he has an equal. (Tennessean)

April 9, 2005

Waltrip to try another Race: Darrell Waltrip won't be closing out his competitive racing career today at Martinsville Speedway. The three-time Cup champion and current TV analyst failed to qualify for today's Kroger 250, missing by less than a hundredth of a second and leaving the door open for one more race in his Toyota Tundra. "It can't be your last race if you didn't race," he said. "That's the way I look at it." (TimesDispatch)