Cotton Owens Passes away at 88.

Sad News - Cotton Owens: Former driver and car owner Cotton Owens passed away age 88 only weeks after being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Owens will officially enter the NASCAR Hall of Fame when the enshrinement ceremonies happen on Friday, February 8, 2013. Owens will be joined by Rusty Wallace, Leonard Wood, Buck Baker and Herb Thomas in this 4th class. Owens was more than successful behind the wheel, winning nine times in NASCAR's premier series competition, including the 1957 Daytona Beach road course which marked Pontiac's first NASCAR victory. He nearly won the 1959 championship, finishing second to NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Lee Petty. Concurrently Owens raced NASCAR modified stock cars and won the 1953-54 championships. ut as an owner, Owens stood out as one of the greats of NASCAR's early eras. His eye for talent was unmatched. He hired Johnson in 1962, the same season in which he began a future championship relationship with another NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, David Pearson.(CBS Sports)(6-7-2012)

The only silver lining in this, even if it is very thin, is that he and his wife were separated that long. His wife Dot died just less than two months ago.