|
 The 1960 NASCAR Grand
National Champion,
Rex White, is hardly a
household name today, but a look at his accomplishments reveals that he was
Chevrolet's best driver in the early 60's and one of its most consistent drivers
ever. If Richard Petty is the Babe Ruth of stock car racing, then Rex White is
Joe DiMaggio.
Even though he didn't get his first
victory until the ninth event in 1960, he won six of his 28 career
victories that year and finished in the top 10 in 35 of his 40 starts that year.
White was known for running up front even if he didn't finish. He was also
recognized as one of the first drivers to focus on the goal of the Grand
National title. Despite his
entire racing being done on a shoestring budget, he captured 36 poles and had 28
career victories in 233 starts and finished in the top-10 in the point standings
six of the nine years he competed on NASCAR's elite circuit. The following year,
he won seven times and finished second in points.
 Rex did not always have the
fastest car, but he could set up a car better than most. He had all sorts of
contorted positions and the cars looked different, but he won.
"I don't have any idea what it cost to run
a season, but it was more than I had," said White. "Remembering all those
figures 40-something years ago is kind of tough for me. I probably didn't keep
up with the costs even back then.
"I kept books in my left, rear pocket. When there wasn't any money there, I
wasn't taking in enough.
"We didn't write down anything. We had no bookkeeping system. But it got the job
done.
"I never dreamed I would see the sport where it is today. But I did see that
when television got into it, there would be no end to where it could go. With
television you could get into everybody's house. People that had never been to a
race could see it on television, and then after they went to a race, they're
hooked."
Born August 17, 1929, White overcame polio as a child to have a
racing career that included leading more than 50 races and more than 100
top-five finishes. From 1959 through 1963 Rex won more races than any other
driver, competing against Lee Petty, Ned Jarrett, Fireball Roberts, Junior
Johnson, Joe Weatherly, Curtis Turner, Buck Baker and others.
A look at his accomplishments reveals that he was Chevrolet's best driver in the
early 60's. White was a member of the original Chevrolet racing team, and both
he and his crew chief, Louie Clements (below, right picture), worked at the legendary Southern
Engineering Development Company (SEDCO), which built Chevrolet race cars for
many teams. With the exception of the last half of the 1963 season and the 1964
season, he always drove a Chevy. He amazingly finished in the top ten in just
under 70 percent of his races!
All-time Average
Finish (minimum 100 starts)
Top 10 Drivers
Starts Avg. Finish
1. Lee Petty
427 7.602
2. Dick Hutcherson 103
8.670
3. Herb Thomas 228
8.934
4.
Rex White
233 8.983
5. Ned Jarrett
353 9.176
6. Tim Flock
189 9.677
7. Joe Weatherly 229
10.031
8. Dick Rathmann 129
10.791
9. David Pearson 574
11.033
10. Dale Earnhardt 676
11.061
White's championship hopes in 1960 seemed
dashed until his chief rival, Richard Petty, and five other drivers were
disqualified for making improper entrances to pit road in the inaugural World
600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
Old-timer looks back fondly on sport's past
By LARRY WOODY
Saturday, 01/13/07
Legends Session is part of local event
 When
Rex White won the NASCAR championship in 1960, he picked up a check for
$13,000.
Jimmie Johnson, last year's champion,
banked $15.9 million.
"Guess I came along too soon," White,
76, said with good humor. "We had more fun back then, even if we didn't get
paid much for having it." White is among the drivers and other racing
personalities scheduled to participate in a Legends Session from 9 a.m. to 2
p.m. today at Ryman Auditorium. It's part of the Sprint Sound & Speed fan
festival. Joining White will be Richard Petty, Richard Childress, Cale
Yarborough, Junie Donlavey, Ernie Irvan and Bobby Allison, along with
some country music stars. Across the street at Gaylord Entertainment Center,
more racers and country stars will hold autograph sessions from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. Some vintage NASCAR cars will be on display and a concert held.
Proceeds from the second annual event go to the Victory Junction Gang Camp
and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
White, who lives in Fayetteville, Ga.,
recounts his racing roots in a celebrated biography, Gold Thunder. It
chronicles his boyhood during the Depression in the poverty-wracked
mountains of North Carolina, where about the only way to earn a dollar was
mill work or moonshine.White, with a third-grade education, found another
way. "I was always good with cars," he said. "I had a natural racing
ability. I started running on some local tracks, did pretty good, and before
long I had an offer to drive for Chevrolet."
It was during those glory "factory
days'' of the 1950s that White blossomed. From
1959-63 he won more races (28) than any
driver, competing against Lee and Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett,
Fireball Roberts, Junior Johnson, Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly and Buck
Baker.
It has been
said that if Richard Petty is stock car racing's Babe Ruth, then Rex White
is the sport's Joe DiMaggio. "I had a good run," said White, who
beat Petty for the 1960 championship.White ran his last race in 1964.
"Chevy dumped us," he said. "I went to
Mercury but it was a dud. I took a job with a car dealership and never went
back to racing. I regret it. I wish I'd stayed longer." The big money is not
the
 only
dramatic change White sees in NASCAR. "The press coverage is unbelievable
nowadays," he said. "Back when I raced, the press didn't pay much attention
to us. "The cars are also completely different. And back then we drivers
worked on our cars and hauled them to the track. Now all a driver does is
drive."
How would the titans of his era compare
to today's racers? "Guys like Tiny Lund and Cale Yarborough
would wring the steering wheel off," he said. "Most drivers aren't strong
and stocky like that now but I'm sure Tony Stewart would have done good back
then." White has fond memories of Nashville. "I raced at the Fairgrounds
five or six times and sat on the pole every time," he said. "I won two or
three races. I remember it was a hard track to drive, but back then they
were all hard. There weren't any easy paychecks in those days."
====================================================================================
 Rex White showed stellar consistency throughout the season
and ran away from a young Richard Petty in the season long point standings. A
number of star drivers jockeyed for top five positions in the standings
throughout the year, however.
FIVE RACES TO GO: Martinsville, VA - Points leader
Rex White held a commanding lead over young upstart Richard Petty with five
races remaining in the 1960 season. Petty, in turn, was far ahead of the third
place battle, which was heating up. Bobby Johns, two-time champion Buck Baker,
Ned Jarrett, and defending champion Lee Petty were engaged in a serious
competition for third place in the standings, all separated by less than 500
points. At Martinsville, White built on his lead with his fifth win of the
season Richard Petty saw his championship hopes dashed when he was caught in a
crash with his father, Lee, on lap 290. Bobby Johns was also involved. Richard
Petty finished 32nd, Lee finished 23rd and Johns 24th. Ned Jarrett had engine
trouble and came in 28th. Buck Baker was the only contender of the group with
his fifth place finish.
FOUR RACES TO GO: North Wilkesboro, NC - Rex White
extended his lead over Richard Petty with his second straight win, this coming
at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Petty looked stuck in the runner-up position in
the standings, finishing 6th in the race. Among his closest competitors, Buck
Baker and Ned Jarrett had respectable finishes with their 5th and 7th place
finishes. Lee Petty crashed for the 3rd time in his last 6 races, finishing
20th. Bobby Johns was not entered in the race.
1960 Grand National Top Ten Points
1.
Rex White (21,164)
2. Richard Petty (17,228)
3. Bobby Johns (14,964)
4. Buck Baker (14,674)
5. Ned Jarrett (14,660)
6. Lee Petty (14,510)
7. Junior Johnson (9,932)
8. Emanuel Zervakis (9,720)
9. Jim Paschal (8,968)
10. Banjo Matthews (8,458)
When asked to compare past champions
against Winston Cup's 2002's winner, Tony Stewart, Rex replied: "Tony Stewart
finished dead last in 2002's Daytona 500 and took in $218,000
for last spot. The only catch to that is he did win the 125-lap Qualifying Race.
"I never took in anywhere near that much money in my entire racing career. When
I won the championship, I got almost $13,000. You can see what a big difference
there is between then and now.
 "I don't think racing itself is so much different. There was things back then
that irritated you just like they have today. There's a lot more rush and lot
more coverage because it's so much bigger, but I don't think it's any
different."
White's career was not as long as many drivers, since he only raced nine
seasons. "I may have quit too soon," said White. "I might could have
won some more races, but I had a couple bad deals with Chevrolet.
"They walked into the garage in East
Point, Georgia one morning and said, 'the racing team is dissolved.' One week
before Daytona, they said 'Chevrolet is out of racing.'
"We had a lot of hopes to go racing. We had built on to my shop and built
another racecar with good horsepower. We had made a lot of plans for that year,
but we just had to cancel them.
"Then I went with Mercury, but they weren't really competitive, and I had a hard
time adapting to leaf springs they had in Mercurys. It never was a real winning
race car. And all I got was a car and parts. At the end of the year, Mercury
said, they were going to cut that off, so that was another one that shut me out.
"Then I drove four races for Bud Moore in 1963 and they cut back on Bud, and he
had Darel Dieringer as his number one driver, so I lost out there, and decided
to go find a different pasture to play in.
"I got a job working for the Chrysler-Plymouth dealer in
Forrest Park, Georgia and never got back in it. I made more money selling cars
than I ever made racing them."
 There was a No. 4 Chevrolet was perhaps the best car White ever drove.
"I got the car from Harold Doharty," continued White. "He came to the 1962
Atlanta race, which I won, and it was his first race, ever. I never met him
until after he had built the car.
"I spent a lot of time in racing, and I could tell you a lot of funny stories.
When I got out of racing in 1965, I went to Mexico and built some Chevelles to
race there.
"I went off a cliff down there. On one side of the road they don't even come get
you. They just put a candle out where you went off. On the right side of the
road, it's about 90 feet down.
"I was riding with the owner of the Chevelles. He was trying
to play a little bit of race car driving and maybe trying to impress me a little
bit.
 "We came up on two cows in the middle of the road. In trying to miss the cows,
he lost control, and I knew it. So I got over and was trying to get control of
the steering wheel when we went off.
"I broke my back, was pinned in the car and it was about 24 hours before I got
to the hospital. It happened about one in the evening and at five o-clock the
next day I got to the hospital.
"But I healed up and won Sportsman Races after that. About 10 weeks later, I won
a race in Harris, North Carolina with the brace still on.
"My best finish was over Marvin Panch in the 4 car right here in Atlanta in the
1962 Dixie 400. The last fuel stop was out of sequence and my crew chief put on
the pit board that he questioned my gas.
"So I knew we weren't going to make it to the end without fueling. I hung on to
Marvin and just drafted. He ran out of gas with two
laps to go, and I went all the way to the bank."
White says one of his funniest and scariest moments happened on the old Daytona
Beach Course.
"We were testing the car and I kept telling the owner it was miss-firiing," said
White. "So he said, you go back around and come by me wide open. I didn't think
about it at the time where he was going to be sitting.
"So I came by him wide open, and just as I got by him, I realized I was hitting
the diamonds in the road where they tell you to shut off going into the south
turn.
Race Artist
Bill Rankin
"So, when I went into that sand in the corner, I was all out of shape, and
sliding sideways. There was a car parked right in the middle of the turn, with
two elderly people next to it.
"The lady was on the other side of the car going to the
bathroom. As I slid by them, I seen her pulling her britches up. I thought I was
going to run over them. It scared me as much as them, because I was afraid I was
going to hit them.
"That's a true story. We all laughed about it, and I even talked with the couple
afterwards."
In 1974, White was inducted into the National Motorsports
Press Association's Hall of Fame at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. White placed
White 31st in NASCAR's Top 50
drivers in1998. He also is inducted into the
Georgia Motorsports Hall of Fame at Thunder Road in Dawsonville, Georgia.
White currently resides just outside Atlanta, Georgia.
=============================================
The first mystery 427 Chevy (above right)
engine during test and development at the Desert Proving Grounds in Mesa,
Arizona. Although the car in the picture is a 1963 Chevy Impala SS, this
picture was made in November of 1962. This car ran in excess of 180 mph during
tests for the up-coming 1963 Daytona 500.
The man in the car is Rex White, the 1960 NASCAR
Grand National Champion. Standing beside the car is crew chief and engine
Louie Clements.
Here
we see the 61 Pontiac (right) of Bob Welborn and the 61 Chevy of Rex White
in a tight Draft during the running of the 1961 Daytona 500. The Pontiacs had
the
most HP, so the Chevy's did a lot of drafting that day. A restoration of this
original 1961 Chevrolet Grand National car was recently completed.
In 1960, driving a 348 powered Chevy Impala, Rex White and Louie Clements
won the NASCAR National Championship. In this picture we see them in victory
lane ceremonies at Ashville-Weaverville Raceway posing for an early advertising
photo for Perfect Circle Piston Rings.
Note: the McGurk shirt Louie is wearing and Rex is wearing a Pure Racing
Gas t-shirt. This was formal racing attire for this time period. No Pepsi or
Coke in hand either.
This is a picture (right) of the original
1957 Chevy Factory Team. These were
the famous "Black Widow" race cars assembled at Sedco in Atlanta. In the
picture, the race car 44 was driven by Rex White. From left to right is Louie
Clements, Bill Steele, Rex White, Crawford Clements, and unknown for the last
two.
These cars started life as the light-weight
Chevy 150 Business Coupe. They were then converted for racing use by the team
of factory race mechanics. Among these modifications were the addition of the
potent 283ci fuel injected Chevy small block that produced 283 hp. This was the
first American engine to produce one hp per cubic inch. The cars also received
the required NASCAR roll cage, half ton Chevy pickup real axels, six lugs per
wheel, Chevy pickup front spindles, steering linkages and brakes. These cars
clocked better than 140 mph on the sands at Daytona Beach.
Louis Clements and Crew - Rex
in the middle
REX WHITE'S
1959 CHEVY CONVERTIBLE
By Don Lalla
Yankee 500
NASCAR Grand National Race
Norwood Arena Speedway
June 17,1961
Rex White
(4), Emanuel Zervakis (85), Buck Baker (86), Ernie Gahan (55), Ned Jarrett (11)
and the rest of
the 18 car field prepare to line up for the start of the Yankee 500.
Photo
courtesy of James "Fitzy" Fitzgibbons Collection
The
NASCAR Grand National Division (known as the Winston Cup Division beginning in
1971) ran its only race at Norwood Arena in June 1961. This was the 29th race in
the 1961 52 race schedule that took the Grand National Division all over the US
as NASCAR toured the country trying to establish a fan base.
A new 1961
Karman Ghia Cabriolet from Herb Anderson Volkswagen was the pace car for the
event. The manufacturer rated this cars top speed at 87 mph. Qualifying Pole
Speed for the race was 55.87 mph. The average Race Speed was 53.827 mph.
The track opened at noon with qualifying from 2-5pm. Ticket prices were $3, $4
and $5. Minimum wage in June 1961 was $1 per hour, going to $1.15 per hour in
September of 1961. The race started at 8:00pm and ended 2 hours, 19 minutes
later. Only 1 caution flag was brought out for an engine failure.
A total of 18 cars (all 1959-1961 models) started the race with 11 cars running
at the end. It was first thought that Rex White had won the race.
Analysis of the scoring information placed Emanuel Zervakis 1/4 lap ahead
of White at the finish line.
Well known local drivers Ed Flemke and Ernie Gahan ran the race. Flemke broke an
axel on lap 231 to finish 12th. Gahan logged 335 laps to finish 11th.
Yankee 500 Race Results
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Car #
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Money Won
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Laps Lead |
|
Driver |
Home Town |
Age
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Start
|
Finish
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Owner/Sponsor/Car
|
Laps
|
Status
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Monroe Shock Chevrolet -1960
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Emanual
Zervakis |
Richmond, VA
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31
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3
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1
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85
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500/500
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$2,250
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running
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361
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White-Clements Chevrolet - 1960
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Rex White
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Spartanburg, SC
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31
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1
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2
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4
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500/500
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$1,000
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running
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125
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B.G.
Holloway Chevrolet - 1961
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Ned
Jarrett |
Newton, NC
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28
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9
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3
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11
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$800
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running
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14
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491/500
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Buck Baker Chrysler - 1961
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Buck
Baker |
Charlotte, NC
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41
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5
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4
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86
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476/500
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$700
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running
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0
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Jim
Reed Chevrolet - 1961
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Jim
Reed |
Peekskill, NY
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35
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4
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5
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7
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473/500
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$600
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running
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0
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Julian Petty Pontiac - 1961
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Jim
Paschal |
High
Point, NC |
35
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2
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6
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14
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467/500
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$500
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running
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0
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Buzz Woodward Ford - 1959
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Buzz
Woodward |
Coatesville, PA
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?
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11
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7
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90
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456/500
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$400
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running
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0
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Dominic Persicketti
|
Trenton, NJ
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?
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14
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8
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27
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Ford - 1959
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450/500
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$300
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running
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0
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Matt DeMatthews Ford - 1961
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Sammy
Packard |
Barrington, RI
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?
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13
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9
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38
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444/500
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$275
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running
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0
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Wendell Scott Chevrolet - 1960
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Wendell Scott
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Danville, VA
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39
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8
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10
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34
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426/500
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$250
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running
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0
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John Koszeln Chevrolet - 1959
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Ernie Gahan |
Dover, NH
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34
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7
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11
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55
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335/500
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$225
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running
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0
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Ed
Flemke |
New
Britain, CT |
30
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17
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12
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60
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Dodge - 1961
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231/500
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$175
|
axel
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0
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Budd Olsen Chevrolet - 1960
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Budd
Olsen |
Paulsboro, NJ
|
36
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12
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13
|
56
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168/500
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$175
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DQ
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0
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wheel bearing
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Harold Wilcox |
Bangor, ME
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?
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15
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14
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64
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Oldsmobile - 1959
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112/500
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$150
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0
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rocker arm
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Bob
Devine |
New
Fairfield, CT |
?
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10
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15
|
24
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Chevrolet - 1961
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92/500
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$150
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0
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Jimmy Pardue Chevrolet - 1961
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Jimmy
Pardue |
North
Wilkesboro, NC |
30
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16
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16
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54
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2/500
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$150
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piston
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0
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Cafe Burgundy Ford - 1960
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Hoss
Kagle |
Mt.
Ranier, MD |
?
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6
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17
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66
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2/500
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$125
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engine
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0
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Jimmy
Mairs |
Wheaton, MD
|
?
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18
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18
|
57
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Chevrolet - 1961
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2/500
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$125
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con rod
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Crawford Brothers working on Rex's '60 Chevy
#4 Rex White 1963 World 600 - Chasing Curtis
Turner in the Smokey Yunick #13
Still chasing . . . . .
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Rex White Win Summary |
Race
Win# |
Date |
Race Name |
Track |
| 1 |
11/3/1957 |
Champion Speedway (1958 season) |
Champion Speedway-Fayetteville |
| 2 |
6/29/1958 |
Asheville-Weaverville |
Asheville-Weaverville |
| 3 |
5/24/1959 |
Fairgrounds Speedway |
Fairgrounds Speedway-Nashville |
| 4 |
6/27/1959 |
Bowman Gray Stadium |
Bowman Gray Stadium |
| 5 |
6/28/1959 |
Asheville-Weaverville |
Asheville-Weaverville |
| 6 |
8/21/1959 |
Bowman Gray Stadium |
Bowman Gray Stadium |
| 7 |
9/27/1959 |
Martinsville |
Martinsville |
| 8 |
4/5/1960 |
Columbia Speedway |
Columbia Speedway |
| 9 |
7/17/1960 |
Montgomery Air Base |
Montgomery Air Base |
| 10 |
8/14/1960 |
Asheville-Weaverville |
Asheville-Weaverville |
| 11 |
8/18/1960 |
Columbia Speedway |
Columbia Speedway |
| 12 |
9/25/1960 |
Martinsville |
Martinsville |
| 13 |
10/2/1960 |
North Wilkesboro |
North Wilkesboro |
| 14 |
3/5/1961 |
Asheville-Weaverville |
Asheville-Weaverville |
| 15 |
4/3/1961 |
Bowman Gray Stadium |
Bowman Gray Stadium |
| 16 |
4/16/1961 |
North Wilkesboro |
North Wilkesboro |
| 17 |
6/10/1961 |
Bowman Gray Stadium |
Bowman Gray Stadium |
| 18 |
8/9/1961 |
Bowman Gray Stadium |
Bowman Gray Stadium |
| 19 |
9/8/1961 |
Hickory Speedway |
Hickory Speedway |
| 20 |
10/1/1961 |
North Wilkesboro |
North Wilkesboro |
| 21 |
11/12/1961 |
Asheville-Weaverville |
Asheville-Weaverville |
| 22 |
3/18/1962 |
Orange Speeway |
Orange Speeway |
| 23 |
4/1/1962 |
Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds |
Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds |
| 24 |
4/23/1962 |
Bowman Gray Stadium |
Bowman Gray Stadium |
| 25 |
6/23/1962 |
South Boston Speedway |
South Boston Speedway |
| 26 |
7/7/1962 |
Columbia Speedway |
Columbia Speedway |
| 27 |
9/7/1962 |
Hickory |
Hickory |
| 28 |
10/28/1962 |
Atlanta |
Atlanta |
|
Track Summary |
| Track |
Wins |
Poles |
| Asheville-Weaverville |
5 |
|
| Atlanta |
1 |
|
| Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds-Richmond |
1 |
|
| Bowman Gray Stadium |
6 |
|
| Champion Speedway-Fayetteville |
1 |
|
| Columbia Speedway |
3 |
|
| Fairgrounds Speedway-Nashville |
1 |
|
| Hickory Speedway |
2 |
|
| Martinsville |
2 |
|
| Montgomery Air Base |
1 |
|
| North Wilkesboro |
3 |
|
| Orange Speedway |
1 |
|
| South Boston Speedway |
1 |
|
Rex White
winning a race at Sharder Field (Lynchburg Speedway) in
the early 1950's |
L-R Rex White, AMS Chaplin Bill Brannon, Jimmy
Mostella and Raymond Parks all had a few stories to tell about Rex. You can tell
by the look on Rex's face he loved everyone of them. |
Gold Thunder: NASCAR
Champion Rex White
story by Anne B. Jones, PhD
(Excerpted from her book, Gold Thunder)
|
 At eight years old,
working on his parents' Model T, Rex White had no idea the skills he was
learning would change his life. He was unaware the car on which he labored
represented hope to people around him, frustration to those trying to stop
illegal moonshine. Automobiles were seen as transportation. It would be a
half-century before they were symbols of a billion-dollar sport.
"I knew
drivers who adapted their skills for quick mountain turns could modify their
cars to run at high speed," he says today. "It was a source of pride to the
boys, racin' through the valley impressin' their girls."
At that
age, fish and deer held his interest longer than girls, but the screeching
of tires would interrupt his dreams. At night, he'd lie in bed listening as
liquor-laden cars raced by. Their sound would start as a hum in the distance
and grow to a roar, a throbbing rolling thunder, echoing through the hills
and piercing the night.
White was
born in Taylorsville, N.C., during the depression. Like others who lived on
a farm, his childhood was hard.
"Some
people believe we survived on luck, but if we did, we created our own. You
make yourself available for your luck to work for you. My Dad believed in
workin' from can to can't, 'from mornin' when you can, 'til dark when you
can't.' He said, 'Hard work ain't never killed nobody.'
"I was a
mischievous child, tryin' to get out of chores, always sneakin' away. My
biggest chore was plowing fields. Walking behind the mule, I learned
perseverance. They weren't as fast as tractors, and they were slow. One
walked in the furrow just plowed, and the other walked the new ground. I'd
find a groove, set my pace, and follow along. I found if I hung in there,
I'd get the job done. I learned that on the farm, before I ever raced, and
it was on that farm I fell in love with speed. I was always tryin' to make
somethin' go fast, the horse, the buggy, the washin' machine. I used to run
our horses chasin' Indians.
 "The
first thing I ever raced was an old wagon. I had a couple of 'em I'd run off
the bank behind our house and a hill near our church. My friend "Nom" and I
would attach wheels to a homemade wooden axial, add a seat, tie a rope to
the wheels for steerin' and be ready to roll.
"I
finally got a bicycle and went flyin' through the woods and the roads. When
we got cars on the farm I helped fix them, always having to improvise,
especially with tools. We used what we had and I served as a tool myself. My
hand was so small I could reach right in the transmission. I used to sit in
our old Model T and my mind would go wild with imaginin'. I'd play with the
wheels and press all the pedals."
When he
was ten, White was stricken with polio. The illness left a damaged right leg
and a limp. Although young and small for his age, he was determined to
overcome it.
 "At
fifteen, eager to get away, I stole a few of my mama's chickens to sell,
left home and headed for Washington. I found a bed on a park bench and a job
at the Toddle House. Lying about my age, I became a cook.
"I was
married and working in a gas station in Maryland when a man came by with a
racing sign. He asked if he could put it in the window. I looked at that
sign for weeks, savin' my pennies. When the time came for the race, my wife
and I were there. Seeing the first race-car, I knew. I turned to my wife and
told her that was what I wanted to do."
It was
hard to talk to drivers or get near the pits. Seeing a few loose boards on a
fence, he let himself in. Volunteering help, he worked himself into a job,
eventually becoming a driver. Only 5'4" and having to adjust the car to his
foot, he was an unlikely candidate. He just hung around the tracks until
taken seriously.
In the
early days, he raced without a sponsor. He'd sometimes pool his money with
his crew, sleep in his car, and bathe in streams. Clever and resourceful, he
learned to draft and cut corners. He adapted parts for each track and added
inventions. When a sponsor came, it was Chevrolet. Drawing on his
modification and driving skills, he raised the car's performance to its
highest level.
W_H_O_O_M came Rex White, shocking Chevrolet fans and taking on big
muscle cars. One of the winningest drivers in history, he currently ranks
21st on the Nascar all-time circuit, but hasn't raced in nearly forty years.
One of NASCAR's "Top Fifty Driving Legends", his honors include:
-
1960
Nascar Champion and Driver of the Year,
-
Winner of the Atlanta Motor Speedway
Race in 1962,
-
and placement in the top ten Nascar Grand National drivers for
six consecutive years.
Rex
White Career Stats:
1
Championship(1960- finishing nearly 4000 points ahead of 2nd place winner
Richard Petty).
He scored 6 wins and 35 top tens in racing that year.
* 28 Wins
* 36 Poles
* 110 Top Five
* 163 Top Ten
* 233 Races Entered
* 4583 Laps Led
* 66 Races Led
* 48,367 Laps Completed
* 36,674 Miles Completed
Anne Jones, PhD is a freelance writer living in Jonesboro,
Georgia. A feature writer and columnist for The Kudzu Life and Bearing Good
News, she is a die-hard NASCAR fan. You can reach Anne at
annebjones@email.msn.com.
Special thanks to Harlow Reynolds of Lynchburg, VA for submitting photos
from his collection.*
|
 |
Above:
Rex White-1960 Grand National
Champion
Left: Jimmy Mostella, Raymond Parks and Rex White pose
in front of the famous Richard Petty statue at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
|
 Fewest career wins when championship won:
This list shows the year of the first time a driver won the championship, his career
wins up to and including the year he won the title, and his overall
career wins.
Career Wins
After Winning Total Career
Year Driver Championship Wins
-------------------------------------------------------
1. 1950 - Bill Rexford 1 1
2. 1949 - Red Byron 2 2
1973 - Benny Parsons 2 21
4. 1984 - Terry Labonte 4 22
5. 1992 - Alan Kulwicki 5 5
6. 1980 - Dale Earnhardt 6 76
7. 2003 - Matt Kenseth 7 7
8. 1951 - Herb Thomas 8 48
1961 - Ned Jarrett 8 50
10. 1995 - Jeff Gordon 9 62
11. 1960 - Rex White 13 28
12. 2002 - Tony Stewart 15 15
13. 1952 - Tim Flock 16 39
1989 - Rusty Wallace 16 54
2000 - Bobby Labonte 16 20
16. 1954 - Lee Petty 18 54
17. 1962 - Joe Weatherly 22 25
1999 - Dale Jarrett 22 31
19. 1956 - Buck Baker 26 46
20. 1966 - David Pearson 28 105
21. 1988 - Bill Elliott 29 43
22. 1970 - Bobby Isaac 32 37
23. 1964 - Richard Petty 36 200
24. 1981 - Darrell Waltrip 39 84
25. 1976 - Cale Yarborough 59 83
26. 1983 - Bobby Allison 79 84 (as of 12/03)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsurprisingly, the first two years of NASCAR produced the champions
with the fewest career wins.
Half of the top 10 are from the modern era, which did surprise me a
little.
What really shocked me was how late into his career Bobby Allison won
his title.
Most seasons with multiple wins
Richard Petty 23
Cale Yarborough 17
Bobby Allison 17
Dale Earnhardt 16
David Pearson 15
Darrell Waltrip 15
Rusty Wallace 11
Lee Petty 9
---------------------------------------------------
Multiple wins in a single season
Seasons in a row with multiple wins in each season
* - denotes streak that is still active (as of '01)
1. Richard Petty 18 years
(1960-1977)
2. Cale Yarborough 13 years (1973-1985)
3. Bobby Allison 10 years (1966-1975)
Darrell Waltrip 10 years
(1977-1986)
5. Lee Petty
9 years (1952-1960)
Dale Earnhardt 9 years (1983-1991)
6. David Pearson 8 years
(1971-1978)
Jeff Gordon 8 years (1994-2001)*
8. Bobby Allison 7 years
(1978-1984)
9. Herb Thomas 6 years (1951-1956)
Buck Baker
6 years (1953-1958)
Jack Smith
6 years (1957-1962)
Fred Lorenzen 6 years (1961-1966)
David Pearson 6 years (1964-1969)
Benny Parsons 6 years (1976-1981)
Bill Elliott 6 years (1984-1989)*
Rusty Wallace 6 years (1986-1991)*
Davey Allison 6 years (1987-1992)
Dale Jarrett
6 years (1996-2001)*
17.
Rex White 5 years (1958-1962)
Jeff Burton 5 years (1997-2001)*
Winston Cup Career Wins (not current - as of '98)
1. Richard Petty, 200
2. David Pearson, 105
3. Darrell Waltrip, 84
Bobby
Allison, 84
5. Cale Yarborough, 83
6. Dale Earnhardt, 76
7. Lee Petty, 54
x-Rusty
Wallace, 54
9. x-Jeff Gordon, 53
10. Ned Jarrett, 50
Junior
Johnson, 50
12. Herb Thomas, 48
13. Buck Baker, 46
14. x-Bill Elliott, 42
15. Tim Flock, 40
16. Bobby Isaac, 37
17. Fireball Roberts, 34
18. x-Mark Martin, 32
19.
Rex White, 28
20. x-Dale Jarrett, 27
21. Fred Lorenzen, 26
22. Jim Paschal, 25
23. Joe Weatherly, 24
24. Terry Labonte, 22
25. Benny Parsons, 21
Jack Smith,
21
x- still active
Rex racing Tim Flock # 83 at
Charlotte 1961
Rex outside pole Martinsville 1960
In 1960, this is what most
competitors saw.....
Rex, Left, Tiger Tom Pistone, Right
Who's the man in the middle? Email Me
Jim Bray writes: I
think is Joe Lee Johnson maybe.
Atlanta Win 1962. Looks like
he's rather have the trophy girl!
Here is a list of the Most Popular Drivers 1956-1997
1956 Curtis Turner
1957 Fireball Roberts
1958 Glen Wood
1959 Junior Johnson
1960
Rex White
1961 Joe Weatherly
1962 Richard Petty
1963 Fred Lorenzen
1964 Richard Petty
1965 Fred Lorenzen
1966 Darel Dieringer
1967 Cale Yarborough
1968 Richard Petty
1969 Bobby Isaac
1970 Richard Petty
1971-73 Bobby Allison
1974-78 Richard Petty
1979 David Pearson
1980-83 Bobby Allison
1984-88 Bill Elliott
1989-90 Darrell Waltrip
1991-97 Bill Elliott
Nascar Legends at LLOAR Volusia
Mall autograph signing 2002: (Left to Right)
Sammy Packard: An original member
of the NASCAR founding board
Rex White: 1960 Grand National
Champion
Marvin Panch
Rex White at autograph session always enjoying
the attention of kids
Pictures and story found at
Living Legends of Auto Racing Website
White awarded: Rex White, the 1960 Winston Cup
(then Grand National) champion,
received the Smokey Yunick Award for pioneering achievement.
Charlotte 1961 - Who is Rex talking with? Email Here
Jim Bray writes: This is Bobby Johns
Thanks to the vast web resources and the
following for the material contained:
Gerald Hodges (The Racing Reporter), Stats:
James Wheeler, Motorsport America, Nascar.com and some photos: Doug Allan.
========================================================================================================
Nascar Nextel Cup Series Tickets
Copyright © 2003
LegendsofNascar.com
by Roland Via. All rights reserved. Revised:
03/12/08 16:26:15 -0500.
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|
