Thomas Blackwell

Thomas Lee "Tom" Blackwell, 81, passed away in Greenville on Wednesday, April 7, 2010. Born in Kings Mountain, NC on October 31, 1928, Tom was the son of the late William Ernest and Exie Lewis Smith Blackwell. He and his wife, Joanne Prince Blackwell, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on December 10, 2009.
Tom was a longtime co-owner and operator of the Greenville-Pickens Speedway - the second-oldest NASCAR racetrack still running weekly races. He and his late brother, Pete Blackwell, bought the half-mile oval dirt track in 1955 from the local Garrison family and NASCAR cofounder, Bill France, Sr. "Tom has been a close friend of the France family through the years, and all of us at NASCAR are deeply saddened by his passing," said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and chief executive officer. "You can't write the history of NASCAR without including the contributions Tom and his family have made to this sport."
Tom and Pete, along with their late brother Lewis, expanded the racetrack property over the years. Tom and Pete promoted Nascar Grand National Racing at Greenville-Pickens through 1971. All of the legendary drivers in stock car racing of that era competed in those races. Among the GPS track champions who eventually moved on to the national stage were David Pearson, Ralph Earnhardt, Butch Lindley, and Robert Pressley. Under the leadership of Tom and Pete, the Greenville-Pickens Speedway was the host of the first ever live start-to-finish televised NASCAR race, broadcast on ABC's Wild World of Sports on April 10, 1971. The Speedway also hosted an annual Shrine race that over the years raised over $1 million for the Shriners Hospital for Children, and was named for Pete after his passing. This past Fall, Tom was honored by NASCAR by being chosen to serve on the nominating committee to select the first inductees into the Nascar Hall of Fame.
"Tom embodied what this sport is all about," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president of corporate communications. "Tom was one of a kind and will be dearly missed."
In 1964, Tom, Pete, and Lewis created the Upper South Carolina State Fair, which eventually became the second largest fair in South Carolina. The track and fairgrounds were sold to Kevin Whitaker in 2003, but Tom continued to be deeply involved in their management. He was also an unforgettable presence in the pit area for more than 50 years.
For many years, Tom also owned the Blackwell Music Company, which distributed jukeboxes, pinball machines and eventually video games around South and North Carolina. Together with his brother Pete, Tom promoted concerts and other events throughout the upstate in the 1950's, 60's, and 70's including performances by Jackie Wilson, Little Richard, and Louis Armstrong, and closed circuit boxing that included Foreman vs. Ali and Frazier vs. Foreman.
Tom was predeceased by his four brothers, Arthur H. "Pete" Blackwell, William Lewis Blackwell, Charles E. "Charlie" Blackwell, Wilfred F. "Worm" Blackwell and his sister Peggy Blackwell Tannery, who died less than 24 hours earlier. He is survived by his wife Joanne, sons Mark Blackwell of Los Angeles, CA, and Dr. Keith Blackwell of Waban, MA, Keith's wife Dr. Sandra Burchett Blackwell and their children Kim Burchett of Brooklyn, NY, and Ellen Pope, currently living in Baghdad, Iraq.
He was a member of Overbrook Baptist Church and the Hejaz Shrine temple.
The Funeral Service will be held Sunday at 4:30 pm in the Chapel of Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown, with visitation following until 7:30 pm. A private burial will be held on Monday.
Memorials may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children, 950 West Faris Rd., Greenville, SC 29605; Overbrook Baptist Church, 1705 East North Street, Greenville, SC 29615; or The American Cancer Society, 154 Milestone Way, Greenville, SC 29615.
The family is deeply appreciative of Tom's friends and family for their love, generosity, and support during this time of loss.