Bobby Allison (1937–2024), NASCAR Hall of Fame driver

Bobby Allison was a NASCAR Hall of Fame racecar driver whose triumphs include 85 Winston Cup victories and three Daytona 500 wins over the course of his decades-long career.

Paul Goldsmith (1925–2024), nine-time NASCAR Cup winner

Paul Goldsmith was an auto racing pioneer who was a nine-time NASCAR Cup winner and the oldest living Indianapolis 500 veteran.

Parnelli Jones (1933–2024), 1963 Indy 500 winner

Parnelli Jones was a racing driver who won the 1963 Indianapolis 500 and was a two-time champion at the Baja 1000 desert race.

Eddie Gossage (1958–2024), president of Texas Motor Speedway

Eddie Gossage was a race promoter and president of Texas Motor Speedway, credited with helping bring NASCAR back to Texas after its long absence. 

Cale Yarborough (1939–2023), three-time NASCAR champion 

Cale Yarborough was a consecutive three-time NASCAR champion and one of the winningest racers in series history with 83 career victories.

Ken Squier (1935–2023), Hall of Fame NASCAR broadcaster

Ken Squier was a longtime NASCAR broadcaster and the first to do play-by-play for the Daytona 500 on national television, as well as the originator of the event’s moniker as “The Great American Race.”

Coy Gibbs (1972–2022), NASCAR owner and driver

Coy Gibbs was the co-owner of NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing as well as a NASCAR driver.

Bobby East (1984–2022), former NASCAR driver

Bobby East was a former NASCAR driver as well as a record-setter with the United States Auto Club (USAC).

Bruton Smith (1927–2022), NASCAR track owner and Hall of Famer

Bruton Smith was the founder and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, who owned NASCAR tracks including the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Ron Rice (1940–2022), Hawaiian Tropic founder

Ron Rice was the founder of the iconic sunscreen brand Hawaiian Tropic.

Martha Earnhardt (1930–2021), racing family matriarch

Martha Earnhardt was the matriarch of the Earnhardt racing family that includes NASCAR legends Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Al Unser Sr. (1939–2021), four-time Indy 500 winner

Al Unser Sr. was a racing driver who became one of only four people to win the Indianapolis 500 four times.

Bob Jenkins (1947–2021), longtime Indianapolis 500 announcer

Bob Jenkins was a TV and radio sports announcer, best known for decades of Indianapolis 500 coverage.

Jack Ingram (1936–2021), NASCAR’s “Iron Man”

Jack Ingram was a NASCAR Hall of Famer known as “The Iron Man,” who won Xfinity Series championships in 1982 and 1985.

Bobby Unser (1934–2021), three-time Indy 500 winner

Bobby Unser was a racing driver who was one of only 10 drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 three times.

Charlie Glotzbach (1938–2021), record-setting NASCAR driver

Charlie Glotzbach was a NASCAR driver known as Chargin’ Charlie, who was active in the 1960s and ‘70s.

Maurice Petty (1939–2020), legendary race car engine builder

Maurice Petty was a NASCAR Hall of Fame engine builder and the brother of racing legend Richard Petty.

Vicki Wood (1919–2020), record-setting woman NASCAR driver

Vicki Wood was a NASCAR driver who broke gender barriers in the sport during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1960 she set a speed record of 150.375 mph on a one-way drive down the sand at Daytona Beach. She also set speed records for women at the Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta International Speedway. During her career she claimed to have collected 48 racing trophies. She competed with male drivers until 1963 when some men made it clear they would rather strike than face teasing when they lost to a woman. She retired rather than return to racing exclusively against other women drivers.

John Andretti (1963–2020), NASCAR and IndyCar racer

John Andretti  was a professional racer who was a member of the famous Andretti racing family. Andretti’s uncle is former Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti, and he is the cousin of former racers Michael and Jeff Andretti. He won two NASCAR races and finished fifth at the 1991 Indianapolis 500 before retiring in 2010. He was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2017 and had clean scans a year later after treatment, but the cancer returned earlier this year. After his original diagnosis, he used the hashtag #CheckIt4Andretti to urge people to get regular colonoscopies, something he had not done.

Junior Johnson (1931–2019), NASCAR legend

Junior Johnson  was a NASCAR legend who won 50 races during his Hall of Fame career including the 1960 Daytona 500. Growing up in the hills of Western North Carolina, Johnson was a bootlegger, outrunning authorities while transporting moonshine in his car. He became a NASCAR driver with his first major race coming in 1953 at the Southern 500. Johnson is credited with inventing the drafting technique during his Daytona 500 victory when he used the slipstream of faster cars in front of him to slingshot to first place on the last lap. He was in the first class to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Johnson later became a team owner with his drivers winning over 100 races.

Mike Stefanik (1958–2019), nine-time NASCAR champion

Mike Stefanikwas a champion of NASCAR whose nine total championship wins made him one of the two drivers with the most championships in NASCAR history.

Race Car Drivers Who Have Died

Fast, competitive, and determined, these race car drivers loved the thrill of the track. Whether you're a Formula One fan or can't get enough NASCAR, join us in paying tribute to some of auto racing's greatest drivers.

Glen Wood (1925–2019), NASCAR legend

Glen Wood (1925e280932019) was aNASCAR Hall of Fame driver who co-founded the legendary Wood Brothers Racing Team with hisbrother Leonard. The Wood Brothers Racing Team is the longest running team in NASCAR, picking up 99 victories, the last one by driver Ryan Blaney at Pocono in 2017. Wood had 4 wins as a driver.

David Pearson (1934–2018), NASCAR’s “Silver Fox”

Hall of Fame driver, second in all-time wins.

Dan Gurney (1931–2018), legendary race car driver

First driver with wins in each of the Formula One, IndyCar and NASCAR Cup series…

Bud Moore (1925–2017), NASCAR Hall of Famer

The World War II veteran was awarded five Purple Hearts.

Robert Yates (1943 – 2017), pioneering NASCAR owner

Won the 1999 Cup title with driver Dale Jarrett...

Ted Christopher (1958 - 2017), NASCAR short track champ

Champion racer was known for his hard driving style…

Pete Hamilton (1942 - 2017), Daytona 500 winner

Pete Hamilton, the former NASCAR driver who won the Daytona 500 race in 1970, died Wednesday, March 22, 2017. He was 74. NASCAR announced Hamilton's death on its website, issuing a statement: "NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to the friends and family of Pete Hamilton. Hamilton’s career may seem relatively brief at first glance, but a careful study of the gentleman racer makes it abundantly clear that Hamilton achieved excellence during his extraordinary tenure in NASCAR."

Betty Jane France

Betty Jane France, the founder of the NASCAR Foundation and wife of the late NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., died Monday, according to her family.

Barney Hall (1932 - 2016)

Barney Hall, the legendary NASCAR broadcaster, died Tuesday from complications following a recent medical procedure at the age of 83.

Davey Allison, NASCAR Legend

NASCAR driver Davey Allison was the proud new owner of a Hughes helicopter when, just a foot from landing at his beloved "home track" of Talladega Speedway, the craft nosed up and crashed. Allison, rising star of the legendary Alabama racing family, was skilled at controlling cars capable of going more than 200 miles an hour, but he lost control of the copter at a crucial moment and he died the next day of his injuries.

Bobby Hamilton, NASCAR Hero

NASCAR driver Bobby Hamilton Sr. died young but it wasn't racing that took his life.

Remembering Racing Greats

We remember three race car drivers who lost their lives to the sport they loved.