Everett "Cotton" Owens
Born: May 21, 1924       Died: June 7, 2026 (Age 88)  Home: Spartanburg, SC

NASCAR hall of famer 'Cotton' Owens dies By MIKE HEMBREE , SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL   June 8, 2012                                          SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Everett "Cotton" Owens, whose accomplishments were acknowledged with his recent election to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, died Thursday morning. Brandon Davis, Owens' grandson and the physician who diagnosed Owens' cancer seven years ago, said the racing pioneer died peacefully at his Spartanburg home. He had celebrated his 88th birthday May 21. "He had lung cancer and lived seven years with no treatment whatsoever. With that diagnosis, 95 percent of people even with the best treatment available don't live five years," Davis said. "That just shows he decided he was going to be tougher than the cancer. That's my best medical opinion." Owens, a native of Union, S.C., but a longtime Spartanburg resident, was elected to the NASCAR Hall on May 23. Because of his illness, he has not able to attend the announcement in Charlotte, N.C., but he watched the news conference on television at home. Despite his rapidly declining health, family members said he was aware of his election to the Hall. Owens will be inducted posthumously as part of the hall's fourth class in February. In last year's voting for the Hall of Fame, Owens missed election by a single vote. "We worked awful hard on it and got him inducted two or three weeks ago when we voted on it," fellow Hall of Famer Bud Moore said. "I felt really good over that. I wished he would have made it the round before ... He's in now and will be sworn in for sure in February. I'm just glad he lived long enough to get inducted." In a motorsports career that lasted most of a half-century, Owens won nine Sprint Cup (then Grand National) races as a driver and later built winning cars for other top racers. He and Hall of Fame driver David Pearson teamed to win the Cup championship in 1966. Owens became interested in fast cars while growing up in Spartanburg in the pre-World War II years. He and other teenagers, including Moore, burned rubber on the streets of the city and on the backroads of Spartanburg County before the war called. Owens served in the Navy and returned to South Carolina primed to jump in fast cars again. He started racing modifieds on the dirt tracks of the Carolinas and quickly built a strong reputation, winning dozens of races in the 1940s and 1950s and becoming known as the "King of the Modifieds." Even after moving up to the Cup series and its higher-profile races, he continued to run in modified events, in part because they typically paid well, and he typically was among the favorites wherever he ran. Pearson often has said Owens was a hero of his and one of the inspirations for starting his own driving career. "He was a good fella and a good friend, he really was," Pearson said. "He was one of the closest friends I had. He was a good man to work with, and we never really argued about nothing." Owens drove in the Cup series from 1950 to 1964, leaving high-level driving at the age of 40. He probably would have driven for several more seasons, but vision problems that had plagued him since crashes in the 1950s led him to climb out of the driver's seat -- at least at the Cup level -- for good. Owens had a team in the Cup series through the 1973 season, basing his operation, which became an anchor for Dodge's racing exploits, in Spartanburg. He scored 38 wins as an owner, enjoying the most success with Pearson, a fellow Spartanburg resident. Owens was at the forefront of safety innovations and in dealing with the rapidly increasing speeds of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1970, Buddy Baker drove an Owens-prepared winged Dodge Daytona to a speed of 200.447 miles per hour in a tire test at Talladega Superspeedway, marking the first official NASCAR lap over 200 mph. It was a key achievement Owens later said was as meaningful to him as his championship. NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France said in a statement that the sport "has lost one of its true pioneers." "This is a sad day for the NASCAR industry, but we are all consoled by the fact that Cotton was voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame before his death," France said. "(Friday) we have lost a portion of our past. But people like Cotton Owens are the reason our sport thrives today and can look forward to a promising future." After leaving the circuit on a full-time basis, Owens occasionally fielded Cup cars for close friend and country music singer Marty Robbins, who raced sporadically as a hobby. Owens closed out his racing career in the 1990s where it started -- on dirt. His three grandsons had an interest in driving, and he built cars for them to race at several South Carolina tracks. Even in his 70s, he was able to drive those dirt cars at speed while trying to perfect the setups. Owens was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers in 1998 as the organization celebrated its 50th anniversary. Owens was diagnosed with lung cancer at 81. He chose not to treat the cancer aggressively, saying he had led a full life. "It really wasn't even a decision for me," he said. "I have had a great life, been everywhere, done the things I wanted to do. I watched my father suffer through all those treatments before he died (also with cancer), and there was no way I was going to go through that."   Owens remained strong and reasonably active until recent weeks, when his health declined considerably. His wife, Dot, died in April, also of cancer. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Milestones Church, conducted by the Rev. Hub Blankenship. The family will receive friends immediately after the service in the church auditorium. A private burial will be held in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be made Mobile Meals, P.O. Box 461, Spartanburg, S.C., 29304; or Spartanburg Regional Hospice, 101 E Wood Street, Spartanburg, S.C., 29303. His family, in a statement released by NASCAR, expressed "gratitude for the thoughts and prayers of precious friends and fans." "While Cotton was a racing legend with an incredible racing 'family,' we mourn the irreplaceable great granddad, granddad, father, uncle, brother-in-law and friend we have all lost. The family respectfully requests privacy at this difficult time."

NASCAR Winston Cup Career: 1950-64: Owens won more than 100 NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour races during the 1950s before making the transition to the NASCAR Grand National  competition. For six straight years (1957-62), Owens captured at least one series win -- Owens claimed three wins in 1960, all of which were in his home state of South Carolina. His most successful season was in 1959 when he won two races, notched 22 top-10 finishes (through 37 starts) and ranked second in the series season-long points chase to Lee Petty.
In 1970, Owens was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. See more info on this driving great at www.CottonOwens.com official site.
 

"King of the Modifieds" Owens Joins Stripe Zone Line Up Darlington, SC      -        Feb 19, 2026 Everett �Cotton� Owens has been added to the list of drivers scheduled to make appearances in the Darlington Stripe Zone on Saturday, May 12, 2007. Owens, known as the �King of the Modifieds, � began his NASCAR career in 1950, when he ran three races. He finished 13th in the point standings. Over the course of the next few seasons, he competed in several events, but remained winless. His first win came on February 17th, 1957, at the series� premier event � the road course at Daytona Beach, Owens drove a 1957 Pontiac to victory, beating runner-up Johnny Beauchamp by 55 seconds with the first-ever 100 mph (101.541) average race speed on the sand. The win was also Pontiac�s first NASCAR victory. In 1959, Owens finished second to Lee Petty in the championship standings. His most productive season as a driver came in 1961, with 11 top five finishes and four wins in only 17 starts. In 1964, Owens came out of retirement to prove that he could beat fellow Spartanburg, SC native David Pearson. He did beat Pearson at Richmond; it was his final career win. Two races later he finished second to Ned Jarrett in his final career race. In 1965, the Chrysler Hemi engine was not allowed in NASCAR. Car owner Owens and driver Pearson boycotted the series that year, and ran a Hemi in the back of a Dodge Dart drag racer. In 1966 they returned to NASCAR and won the Grand National Championship. The pair parted ways early in 1967. During their six seasons together Owens and Pearson combined for 27 wins in 170 races. As a car owner and driver, Owens� combined career statistics include 41 wins and 38 poles in 487 races. He is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association�s Hall of Fame, and was named one of NASCAR�s 50 Greatest Drivers during the 50th anniversary celebration in 1998. As an owner, Owens had some of the biggest names in the sport drive his cars over the years, including, in addition to Pearson, Buddy Baker; Pete Hamilton; Ralph Earnhardt; Bobby Isaac; Junior Johnson; Benny Parsons; Fireball Roberts; Mario Andretti; and Al Unser. Located in the Wachovia Hospitality Village outside Turn 3, the Darlington Stripe Zone gives fans an opportunity to eat, relax and interact with NASCAR personalities on race day. Stripe Zone admission is limited in number and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Darlington Stripe Zone admission includes food and beverages (including four beer tickets); live entertainment; a pre-race pit pass; a commemorative event souvenir; and question-and-answer sessions featuring current and former NASCAR superstars. In addition to Owens, Jeff Burton is scheduled to make an appearance. The 2007 Dodge Avenger 500 weekend will include practice and qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series on Friday, May 11, followed by the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 NASCAR Busch Series race under the lights that evening. Denny Hamlin is the defending champion. On Saturday, May 12, Darlington will host Cup Series racing for the 58th consecutive season as Greg Biffle attempts to join the short list of drivers to win three events in a row at NASCAR�s most historic venue. The 2007 Dodge Avenger 500 will be run under the lights in its entirety.

Driving Summary for Everett Cotton Owens

Year - Wins
1957 - 1
1958 - 1
1959 - 1
1960 - 1
1961 - 4
Total Wins = 9

1966 NASCAR Grand National Standings

Rank Driver Points
1. David Pearson (Cotton Owens prepared Dodge) 35638
 2. James Hylton 33688
3. Richard Petty 22952
4. Henley Gray 22468
5. Paul Goldsmith 22078
6. Wendell Scott 21702
7. John Sears 21432
8. J.T. Putney 21208
9. Neil Castles 20446
10. Bobby Allison 19910

Pontiac�s first win came on February 17th, 1957 on the beach of Daytona (see picture below). Cotton Owens drove a Ray Nichel�s prepared Pontiac back �57 Pontiac to the win beating Johnny Beauchamp by 55 seconds with the first-ever 100-mph
average lap on the sand.

Since then, the manufacturer has earned a total of 154 Winston Cup victories.

May 19th, 1957
An incident that took place on  at Martinsville had long term implications for Pontiac and General Motors involvement in NASCAR racing. Billy Meyer�s tangled with Tom Pistone and lost control. His car crashed through the guardrail, hurdled a fence and struck several spectators including an eight-year boy who was gravely injured. All of those hurt in the wreck were standing in an area clearly marked that it was off limits to spectators, but the wire services picked up on the tragic story and soon there were calls to outlaw automobile racing. In June of that year the big three US automakers announced the AMA (Automobile Manufacturing Association) would no longer participate in any form of racing.

 

1960 Pontiac

Mitch Coker (r)

May 6, 2026
Driving for Cotton Owens in the Rebel 300 at Darlington, South Carolina, USA, Ralph Earnhardt, father of Dale Earnhardt Sr., makes his NASCAR Grand National debut.

Pete Hamilton: A highly regarded driver who piloted Cotton Owens cars, made 64 Grand National starts with impressive results. He scored 33 top ten finishes, 26 top fives, and 4 wins along with 3 poles. Unquestionably, Hamilton's greatest victory came into 1970 when he won the Daytona 500 in the Petty Enterprises #40 Superbird. He won his fourth and final superspeedway win at the July 1971 Daytona Firecracker driving a Cotton Owens car. He also won a Daytona 125 qualifier in '71 for Owens.

Born to Race, South Carolina-Style

Since ancient times, people have raced: Greek Olympic runners, Roman chariot drivers, American steamships, English thoroughbreds. Before there were superspeedways, before multi-billion-dollar television contracts and before hi-tech companies and foreign investment arrived in South Carolina�s Piedmont region, folks were racing stock cars on the roads of places like Spartanburg. �We�d run up Pine Street,� says racing legend Jack Smith, �down past Cola company � under the overpass at the end of it. Then up to Boiling Springs and turn right at U.S. Highway 9.� The times and places, vehicles and stakes have varied, but racing is an innate part of the human experience.

Racing is as much a part of South Carolina as anywhere else in the South. But the Palmetto state, and Spartanburg in particular, have something that sets the region apart: a fascination with stock car racing. And that fascination has always meant doing. At every step of the way��when cars started racing on dirt tracks, when drivers decided to build a national circuit, when technological changes opened the door for better safety standards��South Carolina�s racing community was active in moving the sport forward. Pioneers like Joe Littlejohn, Louise Smith, Bud Moore, Cotton Owens, and David Pearson helped create the sport of stock car racing. And now, as time threatens to erase memories or destroy souvenirs and artifacts from their struggle, South Carolina�s racing community is rallying again. South Carolina Racing Museum will preserve the contributions of the South Carolina and the Southern racing community��not only to save the past, but also to educate and excite future generations of drivers, fans, mechanics, and owners.

Motor Building Legacy

Jeremy Clements is the son of Tony Clements, one of the owners of Clements Racing Engines. Jeremy's grandfather, Crawford Clements, who used to build motors for Cotton Owens, founded the company in 1963. They build racing engines for Late Models, ARCA, Busch and Winston Cup. You can see more at http://www.houseofpower.com.

McCormick Field, Asheville, N.C. The home of the Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League (current Class A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies) hosted a Grand National  race on July 12, 2026.  A quarter-mile asphalt track was constructed around the baseball diamond that had been played on by
Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Jackie Robinson.

Fifteen cars survived the preliminary heats to move on to the points-paying feature, including Lee Petty... barely. Petty went over the slight banking after a nudge from Cotton Owens, crashing into the third-base dugout. Petty recovered to finish fourth.

The Drivers

Buddy Baker, Pete Hamilton, David Pearson and country singing star Marty Robbins, Don White, Charlie Glotzbach, Fireball Roberts, Bobby Johns, Junior Johnson, Ralph Earnhardt, G. C. Spencer, Billy Wade, Marvin Panch, Earl Balmer, Mario Andretti, Bobby Isaac, Jim Paschal, Larry Thomas, Al Unser, Sam McQuagg, Sam Posey, Peter Gregg, Dick Brooks, James Hylton, Ray Hendrick and Bobby Allison all drove Cotton Owens prepared cars. Their Grand National careers and statistics can be directly traced to their racing association with Owens. The nine drivers in red made the Top 50 of NASCAR.

The Mopars
 

 

 

 

The Record

 

 

 

 

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