Re: Racing "Did You Know" Thread

[bsoyuz]

- As terrible as what looks like will be NASCAR's "new-and-improved" Chase system appears, the 1974 Winston Cup Grand National season also had a very confusing and unfair points system. Points were awarded in relation to money won each race, but, more significantly, were added and multiplied to whatever the driver's points tally was before the race (exactly how, I'm not entirely certain).

The exponential system nearly assured the winner of the high-purse Daytona 500 the championship, and Richard Petty locked up the title before March. As an example, he finished in 35th in the Southern 500 after crashing out, but he still scored more points than Darrell Waltrip, who had finished in 2nd.

Yeah, this system worked until '74, being final standings, something like 5256.6 points, for example. They changed in '75 to simplify the system, because there were calculation errors in previous seasons.

[Mother of Invention]

former Truck series driver Mike Cofer is the only NASCAR driver with a Super Bowl ring.

[RealRacer4]

former Truck series driver Mike Cofer is the only NASCAR driver with a Super Bowl ring.

Former Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville made numerous starts in the NNS, NCWTS, Busch East, and ARCA Series throughout the '90s and early 2000s. In the 2 years Glanville ran in what used to be known as the NASCAR Busch Series in '92 and '93, he finished no higher than 20th in the 6 starts he made. From 1995-1999, he made 27 starts in the NCWTS, with a best career finish of 14th. Glanville has made 10 starts in the K&N East Series (formerly known as the Busch East Series), where he had 4 top 10 finishes, as well as a top 5 finish. Out of the 27 starts Jerry Glanville made in ARCA, he had 9 top 10 finishes and 2 top 5 finishes.

Throughout his racing career, Glanville was sponsored by the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and even the NFL, along with other sponsors that weren't related to the NFL.

[Mother of Invention]

former Truck series driver Mike Cofer is the only NASCAR driver with a Super Bowl ring.

Former Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville made numerous starts in the NNS, NCWTS, Busch East, and ARCA Series throughout the '90s and early 2000s. In the 2 years Glanville ran in what used to be known as the NASCAR Busch Series in '92 and '93, he finished no higher than 20th in the 6 starts he made. From 1995-1999, he made 27 starts in the NCWTS, with a best career finish of 14th. Glanville has made 10 starts in the K&N East Series (formerly known as the Busch East Series), where he had 4 top 10 finishes, as well as a top 5 finish. Out of the 27 starts Jerry Glanville made in ARCA, he had 9 top 10 finishes and 2 top 5 finishes.

Throughout his racing career, Glanville was sponsored by the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and even the NFL, along with other sponsors that weren't related to the NFL.

Walter Payton, who some regard as one of the greatest NFL players ever, raced Trans-Am after his NFL Career.

[navycook75]

former Truck series driver Mike Cofer is the only NASCAR driver with a Super Bowl ring.

Former Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville made numerous starts in the NNS, NCWTS, Busch East, and ARCA Series throughout the '90s and early 2000s. In the 2 years Glanville ran in what used to be known as the NASCAR Busch Series in '92 and '93, he finished no higher than 20th in the 6 starts he made. From 1995-1999, he made 27 starts in the NCWTS, with a best career finish of 14th. Glanville has made 10 starts in the K&N East Series (formerly known as the Busch East Series), where he had 4 top 10 finishes, as well as a top 5 finish. Out of the 27 starts Jerry Glanville made in ARCA, he had 9 top 10 finishes and 2 top 5 finishes.

Throughout his racing career, Glanville was sponsored by the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and even the NFL, along with other sponsors that weren't related to the NFL.

I was about to post that.

Cup had an All-Star race at Daytona from 1961 to 1963 before our current All-Star format known as the American Challenge (or in 1963, the Race of Champions) and like the All-Star race, only winners from the previous season participated. The 10 lap event was held during Speedweeks.

[Alpineopossum]

- Carlos Reutemann embarked on a political career after retiring from racing. He's been mooted as a possible presidential candidate in Argentina.

[SpeedDemon37]

Cup had an All-Star race at Daytona from 1961 to 1963 before our current All-Star format known as the American Challenge (or in 1963, the Race of Champions) and like the All-Star race, only winners from the previous season participated. The 10 lap event was held during Speedweeks.

As many of us know, NASCAR's modern All-Star race (originally known as The Winston) has been held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway since 1985... except for 1986. Originally, NASCAR wanted the race to be held at a different venue every year, but the turnout for the 1986 All-Star race at the Atlanta International Raceway was barely half of what was expected. Bill Elliott holds the distinction of winning that only (Winston) All-Star race not held at Charlotte, where the event returned to in 1987, and has remained ever since.

[gone-sovereign]

-Dale Earnhardt was a known prankster, and one of his favorite victims was Rusty Wallace. He once placed a partially opened can of sardines under Wallace's seat before a Darlington race in 100 degree weather, which Wallace proceeded to deal with the resulting stench for the rest of the race. He even placed a plastic pile of dog feces in his car as well. In retaliation, the weekend following the sardines incident, wherein Wallace qualified in front of Earnhardt on the starting grid, Wallace stole Earnhardt's racing wheel and did not return it until the cars were just about to roll off pit road!

-On that note, on one occasion, Joe Weatherly had stolen the car keys of every driver in a race he was in, so when the command to start engines was given, only Weatherly's car fired.

-The 1974 Talladega 500 was delayed because as many as 21 race cars were sabotaged on the eve of the race. Gas tanks were found to be filled with sand, and tires and brake lines were slashed. The culprit was never found.

[navycook75]

Nobody has led the Indy 500 flag to flag. The closest was in 1912 when Ralph DePalma led 196 laps until something broke and he and his riding mechanic tried pushing his car across the line. He would complete 198 laps.

[bsoyuz]

-The 1974 Talladega 500 was delayed because as many as 21 race cars were sabotaged on the eve of the race. Gas tanks were found to be filled with sand, and tires and brake lines were slashed. The culprit was never found.

THE TALLADEGA CURSE!  

About the curse, another famous incidents:

- In the 1973, Bobby Isaac, heard a voice telling him that, if he drived a racecar again, he would DIE.He retired from the race in the same moment, and didn't entered in a racecar until his death, four years later.

- Earlier at the same race, Larry Smith scraped the wall, and DIED. No one knows the cause, they say that's probably the helmet, that was already broken in its sides.

- Most people say that Bobby Allison's 1987 crash, the one where he destroyed the catchfence, is part of curse. Davey's death, at a helicpter crash on the track infield, is also a curse remainder

[navycook75]

-The 1974 Talladega 500 was delayed because as many as 21 race cars were sabotaged on the eve of the race. Gas tanks were found to be filled with sand, and tires and brake lines were slashed. The culprit was never found.

THE TALLADEGA CURSE!  

- Earlier at the same race, Larry Smith scraped the wall, and DIED. No one knows the cause, they say that's probably the helmet, that was already broken in its sides.

If I remember correctly, He took the padding out of his helmet because he didn't want to mess up his hair.

Despite his success at Daytona, Richard Petty only won Talladega twice. the infamous 1974 race and in 1983.

The last time someone lapped the field in a Nascar race was in the 1994 Tyson Holly Farms 400 at North Wikesboro. Geoff Bodine was the winner that day. He also gave the last win for a tire manufacturer that wasn't Goodyear (Hoosier was the supplier for a few teams that year).

[bsoyuz]

-The 1974 Talladega 500 was delayed because as many as 21 race cars were sabotaged on the eve of the race. Gas tanks were found to be filled with sand, and tires and brake lines were slashed. The culprit was never found.

THE TALLADEGA CURSE!  

- Earlier at the same race, Larry Smith scraped the wall, and DIED. No one knows the cause, they say that's probably the helmet, that was already broken in its sides.

If I remember correctly, He took the padding out of his helmet because he didn't want to mess up his hair.

Serious   . Never heard about this story.

[gone-sovereign]

-Lloyd Seay was shot and killed by his cousin over a dispute on sugar charged on his cousin's account. Seay's last words were, "Tell Raymond [Parks]..." He never finished the sentence.

[navycook75]

-Lloyd Seay was shot and killed by his cousin over a dispute on sugar charged on his cousin's account. Seay's last words were, "Tell Raymond [Parks]..." He never finished the sentence.

According to Bill France, Sr. Seay was "The best pure race driver I ever saw." It could also be disputed that he could be one of the greatest drivers to never make a NASCAR start (He was killed 7 years before the founding of NASCAR).

In 1941, he flipped twice at Daytona and still won. He also won 3 races in the span of two weeks (and one of those races he started last). After that third win, he was shot.

The last time there was more than one female driver in Cup competition was the 1977 Firecracker 400 when Janet Guthrie, Lella Lombardi and Christine Beckers all started. Out of all of them, Lombardi was the highest finishing female. She finished 31st with a rear end failure.

Lombardi is also the only female to score points in Formula 1 competition with a measly half a point. She scored that point in the 1975 Grand Prix of Spain after it was cut short because of a crash that killed 5 spectators. (For those that don't know, Formula 1 hands out half points for races that don't complete 3/4 distance, had the race finished past 3/4 distance, Lombardi would have one point). That race was also the only win for German Jochen Mass.

[Alpineopossum]

- In 1992, Aryton Senna tested a IndyCar for Team Penske at the Firebird International Raceway in Arizona. This came just after Nigel Mansell signed a deal with Newman/Haas Racing to run in the CART series in 1993. Senna supposedly seriously considered making the switch but decided to say in Formula 1.
- On that note, Ferrari built an IndyCar in 1987 and supposedly planned on partnering with TrueSports to race it. In the end, Ferrari stuck to F1 and the car never competed in an IndyCar event.
- In 1967, a driver from Zimbabwe (which still had it's old name of Rhodesia at that time) came very close to winning the South African Grand Prix in an old Cooper. A late race fuel stop relegated him to second. Had the 2 hour limit rule been in place, Love would have won. Amazingly, Love wasn't the only Zimbabwean F1 driver: Clive Purley for example also ran the South African Grand Prix on several occasions. Since his racing career Purley has become a prominent figure in the resistance movement against dictator Robert Mugabe. Mugabe targeted him for assassination but Purley fled to Australia where he still lives.
- Darrell Wallace is not the first African American driver to win a NASCAR race. Wendell Scott won a race in Virginia in 1964. Race organizers refused to give him the trophy, although his family received it in 2009.

[bsoyuz]

- In 1992, Aryton Senna tested a IndyCar for Team Penske at the Firebird International Raceway in Arizona. This came just after Nigel Mansell signed a deal with Newman/Haas Racing to run in the CART series in 1993. Senna supposedly seriously considered making the switch but decided to say in Formula 1.
- Darrell Wallace is not the first African American driver to win a NASCAR race. Wendell Scott won a race in Virginia in 1964. Race organizers refused to give him the trophy, although his family received it in 2009.

- There's even a video that aired on the brazilian TV, showing Senna and Fittipaldi testing together. I'll put it here some day.

- I think that Wendell Scott won at Jacksonville, Florida. The race directors chose to not give him the trophy, because they were afraid of an public massive rage.

[gone-sovereign]

-In 1976, Tyrrell Racing unveiled the Tyrrell P34, a six-wheeled racecar designed by Derek Gardner. Its sole victory came in the 1977 Swedish Grand Prix, where Jody Scheckter and his teammate and Patrick Depailler finished 1-2, with Scheckter being the victor. It remains the only victory for a six-wheeled racecar in Formula One, as six-wheeled racecars were later prohibited from running Formula One races by a re-amended rule made in F1's regulations in 1983. Scheckter later insisted that the car was "a piece of junk!"



-Another notable six-wheeled racecar was the Pat Clancy Special, driven by Billy DeVore in the 1948 Indianapolis 500. Despite poor handling, it was flagged ten laps down in 12th position at the race's end.

[Metro 6r4]

-In 1976, Tyrrell Racing unveiled the Tyrrell P34, a six-wheeled racecar designed by Derek Gardner. Its sole victory came in the 1977 Swedish Grand Prix, where Jody Scheckter and his teammate and Patrick Depailler finished 1-2, with Scheckter being the victor. It remains the only victory for a six-wheeled racecar in Formula One, as six-wheeled racecars were later prohibited from running Formula One races by a re-amended rule made in F1's regulations in 1983. Scheckter later insisted that the car was "a piece of junk!"



-Another notable six-wheeled racecar was the Pat Clancy Special, driven by Billy DeVore in the 1948 Indianapolis 500. Despite poor handling, it was flagged ten laps down in 12th position at the race's end.

It wasn't the only 6 wheeled F1 car though. March developed the 2-4-0 in 1976:

Sadly it was never raced in F1 despite early testing producing some positive results.
Also worth noting is the Williams FW08B:

[flyingturns89]

The first ever rear view mirror for a car was used at the first Indy 500. In 1911, when the first Indy 500 was run, the rules both in a street car and a race car were that there must be at least people in the car so that you could told where other cars were at. However, in 1911, Ray Harroun, an engineer for the Marmon Motor Car Company, designed a mirror that mounted onto the front of the car, eliminating the need for a second person. Harroun and Marmon debuted it at the Indy 500, with Harroun driving a Marmon Wasp, named because it only came in yellow or black paint. They rest is history, as Harroun won the Indy 500. Indianapolis officials would ban the use of the mirror the following year, though.

[navycook75]

The first ever rear view mirror for a car was used at the first Indy 500. In 1911, when the first Indy 500 was run, the rules both in a street car and a race car were that there must be at least people in the car so that you could told where other cars were at. However, in 1911, Ray Harroun, an engineer for the Marmon Motor Car Company, designed a mirror that mounted onto the front of the car, eliminating the need for a second person. Harroun and Marmon debuted it at the Indy 500, with Harroun driving a Marmon Wasp, named because it only came in yellow or black paint. They rest is history, as Harroun won the Indy 500. Indianapolis officials would ban the use of the mirror the following year, though.

Harroun also came out of retirement to run this race. I think it was the right call.

There has only been two drivers to use the number "0" in Formula 1. Jody Scheckter drove the "0" for two races in 1973 and Damon Hill in 1993 and 1994. 1992 champ Nigel Mansell went to CART in 1993 and Alain Prost retired after the 1993 season.

[pennst24]

In addition to being a co-owner of Dale Coyne Racing, legendary NFL running back Walter Payton was also a race car driver. He competed in several SCCA classes, including Trans-Am, where he was most notable for a fiery crash at Road America in which his car turned over.

[navycook75]

More facts from me I guess. 

The only foreign driver to win a non NASCAR Road Course race is Canadian Earl Ross when he won the 1974 Old Dominion 400 at Martinsville. Now if you count naturalized citizens, he would be joined by the great Mario Andretti.

The 1961 Dutch Grand Prix was something completely unusual. Nobody made a pitstop and until a certain 2005 race, and all of the starters finished the race.

There is somebody who runs in the Superstars Series who uses a psudeonym. The driver known as "Diabolik" is in a way, like The Stig, his face is enclosed with a helmet or a baklava. His real name however, is Gian Maria Gabbiani, an Italian racing driver who is apparently a 2 time powerboat champion.

[RACECAR]

- In 1992, Aryton Senna tested a IndyCar for Team Penske at the Firebird International Raceway in Arizona. This came just after Nigel Mansell signed a deal with Newman/Haas Racing to run in the CART series in 1993. Senna supposedly seriously considered making the switch but decided to say in Formula 1.
- On that note, Ferrari built an IndyCar in 1987 and supposedly planned on partnering with TrueSports to race it. In the end, Ferrari stuck to F1 and the car never competed in an IndyCar event.
- In 1967, a driver from Zimbabwe (which still had it's old name of Rhodesia at that time) came very close to winning the South African Grand Prix in an old Cooper. A late race fuel stop relegated him to second. Had the 2 hour limit rule been in place, Love would have won. Amazingly, Love wasn't the only Zimbabwean F1 driver: Clive Purley for example also ran the South African Grand Prix on several occasions. Since his racing career Purley has become a prominent figure in the resistance movement against dictator Robert Mugabe. Mugabe targeted him for assassination but Purley fled to Australia where he still lives.
- Darrell Wallace is not the first African American driver to win a NASCAR race. Wendell Scott won a race in Virginia in 1964. Race organizers refused to give him the trophy, although his family received it in 2009.

Kinda feel like this was already made very clear last year given all the national coverage it got (was even talked about on Dish Nation) as there was even a phone call from Wendell Scott's son congratulating him on the win.

[navycook75]

- As terrible as what looks like will be NASCAR's "new-and-improved" Chase system appears, the 1974 Winston Cup Grand National season also had a very confusing and unfair points system. Points were awarded in relation to money won each race, but, more significantly, were added and multiplied to whatever the driver's points tally was before the race (exactly how, I'm not entirely certain).

The exponential system nearly assured the winner of the high-purse Daytona 500 the championship, and Richard Petty locked up the title before March. As an example, he finished in 35th in the Southern 500 after crashing out, but he still scored more points than Darrell Waltrip, who had finished in 2nd.

If I remember correctly, NASCAR experimented with many types of points systems. One such system awarded more points for winning a major race than a random short track race. So even if you ran 4 races but won the Southern 500, you could possibly finish in the top 5 if you played your cards right in the other 3.

The largest starting field in NASCAR History is 82 cars in the 1951 Southern 500. Polesitter Frank Mundy would be the first retirement, and would give him the distinction of the record for the biggest diferential between starting position and finishing position in a race. 

Now for the largest field to attempt a NASCAR race, that record will go to the 1994 Brickyard 400. 86 cars attempted to get in the inaugural event. Notable drivers include: Geoff Brabham, Danny Sullivan, A.J. Foyt (who I think came out of retirement to run this race), and Gary Bettenhausen. Apparently it was the last attempt for an Oldsmobile which was being driven by Norm Benning.

[Mother of Invention]

There is somebody who runs in the Superstars Series who uses a psudeonym. The driver known as "Diabolik" is in a way, like The Stig, his face is enclosed with a helmet or a baklava. His real name however, is Gian Maria Gabbiani, an Italian racing driver who is apparently a 2 time powerboat champion.

to add on to that Diabolik is also a huge comic book and movie franchise in Italy. The Character is a master thief and womanizer, but most Americans probably recognize the name from the fact it was the movie that was used int he last episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000"

Now for the largest field to attempt a NASCAR race, that record will go to the 1994 Brickyard 400. 86 cars attempted to get in the inaugural event. Notable drivers include: Geoff Brabham, Danny Sullivan, A.J. Foyt (who I think came out of retirement to run this race), and Gary Bettenhausen. Apparently it was the last attempt for an Oldsmobile which was being driven by Norm Benning.

Actually Dan, that's not true. The 1972 race at Ontario,CA had over 100 entries.

[flyingturns89]

Now for the largest field to attempt a NASCAR race, that record will go to the 1994 Brickyard 400. 86 cars attempted to get in the inaugural event. Notable drivers include: Geoff Brabham, Danny Sullivan, A.J. Foyt (who I think came out of retirement to run this race), and Gary Bettenhausen. Apparently it was the last attempt for an Oldsmobile which was being driven by Norm Benning.

The reason the Brickyard's entry list was so big was because NASCAR was concerned that they weren't going to have a big entry list, so they added the Brickyard 400 to the Winston West schedule and promised the highest driver in points that didn't get in on time would get a provisional. Unfortunately, the West Series drivers just weren't fast enough to get in, so only points leader Mike Chase made the field as the 43rd place starter. The rest of the field was very close though. AJ Foyt took the last spot on time over Joe Ruttman by .003 seconds. In fact, 44th through 53rd were all within half a second of Foyt's lap.

[gone-sovereign]

-The 1974 Firecracker 400 ended in a tie for third place. Especially since there was no electronic scoring back in those days, Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborough were so close coming to the line that NASCAR credited them both with third place. Therefore, they both received the same amount of prize money and points.

-Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s first drive for Hendrick Motorsports was during the 2007 Samsung 500, where he took over for Kyle Busch in the late stages of the race. Both Busch and Earnhardt were involved in a Lap 253 wreck that sent Busch behind the wall and Earnhardt out of the race. Busch had already left the racetrack, however, thinking the car had been withdrawn, so the #5 team brought in Earnhardt to drive. The car, with Earnhardt driving, returned to the track on Lap 325, and finished the race 72 laps down.

[navycook75]

There is somebody who runs in the Superstars Series who uses a psudeonym. The driver known as "Diabolik" is in a way, like The Stig, his face is enclosed with a helmet or a baklava. His real name however, is Gian Maria Gabbiani, an Italian racing driver who is apparently a 2 time powerboat champion.

to add on to that Diabolik is also a huge comic book and movie franchise in Italy. The Character is a master thief and womanizer, but most Americans probably recognize the name from the fact it was the movie that was used int he last episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000"

Now for the largest field to attempt a NASCAR race, that record will go to the 1994 Brickyard 400. 86 cars attempted to get in the inaugural event. Notable drivers include: Geoff Brabham, Danny Sullivan, A.J. Foyt (who I think came out of retirement to run this race), and Gary Bettenhausen. Apparently it was the last attempt for an Oldsmobile which was being driven by Norm Benning.

Actually Dan, that's not true. The 1972 race at Ontario,CA had over 100 entries.

Well I'm dumb then. 

[vbooy57]

I don't have a fact to contribute but this is a great thread guys! I think it deserves a sticky.

[Milan655]

The leader of the cult religion Raelism, Claude Vorilhon, competed in various GT series in North America. He once claimed a 3rd place in the 1997 IMSA GT meeting at Lime Rock, and later moved on to the Trans Am in 1999 and IMSA World Challenge in 2000 where he achieved a best finish of 18th. He later took up playing video games instead. His religious beliefs are some of the most bizarre and hilarious I've ever seen..

[bsoyuz]

Now for the largest field to attempt a NASCAR race, that record will go to the 1994 Brickyard 400. 86 cars attempted to get in the inaugural event. Notable drivers include: Geoff Brabham, Danny Sullivan, A.J. Foyt (who I think came out of retirement to run this race), and Gary Bettenhausen. Apparently it was the last attempt for an Oldsmobile which was being driven by Norm Benning.

Actually Dan, that's not true. The 1972 race at Ontario,CA had over 100 entries.

Well I'm dumb then. 

I think that another race that had more than 100 entries, was at Daytona Beach Road Course in the 50s

[flyingturns89]

With the confirmation of Alex Bowman, Ryan Truex, and Justin Allgaier all officially moving into the Cup Series in 2014, there will be a total of eight drivers competing for Cup Rookie of the Year. Only seven other years in NASCAR Sprint Cup history have had at least eight drivers who have declared for the rookie award. The most was 11 in 1994, at least two of which will be running at least one NASCAR sanctioned race in 2014.

[Alpineopossum]

- In 1992, Aryton Senna tested a IndyCar for Team Penske at the Firebird International Raceway in Arizona. This came just after Nigel Mansell signed a deal with Newman/Haas Racing to run in the CART series in 1993. Senna supposedly seriously considered making the switch but decided to say in Formula 1.
- On that note, Ferrari built an IndyCar in 1987 and supposedly planned on partnering with TrueSports to race it. In the end, Ferrari stuck to F1 and the car never competed in an IndyCar event.
- In 1967, a driver from Zimbabwe (which still had it's old name of Rhodesia at that time) came very close to winning the South African Grand Prix in an old Cooper. A late race fuel stop relegated him to second. Had the 2 hour limit rule been in place, Love would have won. Amazingly, Love wasn't the only Zimbabwean F1 driver: Clive Purley for example also ran the South African Grand Prix on several occasions. Since his racing career Purley has become a prominent figure in the resistance movement against dictator Robert Mugabe. Mugabe targeted him for assassination but Purley fled to Australia where he still lives.
- Darrell Wallace is not the first African American driver to win a NASCAR race. Wendell Scott won a race in Virginia in 1964. Race organizers refused to give him the trophy, although his family received it in 2009.

Kinda feel like this was already made very clear last year given all the national coverage it got (was even talked about on Dish Nation) as there was even a phone call from Wendell Scott's son congratulating him on the win.

I heard several news sources get it wrong.

- Astronaut Gordon Cooper was supposed to run the Rolex 24 in the early 1970s, but plans fell through.
- Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner ran a pair of Porsche 944s in Trans Am in the `80s.
- The IMSA driver turned drug cartel kingpin John Paul Sr.'s whereabouts have been unknown for over a decade. In 1999 he disappeared when he was questioned about the whereabouts of his girlfriend, who vanished in a similar fashion a few months before. He was recognized by a racing fan in a pacific island nation (I believe it was Tonga) but an investigation there turned up nothing.

[Mother of Invention]

ARCA champion Bob Dotter ran his whole career without his left hand. He lost it in an accident BEFORE he evens tarted his racing career.

ARCA Champion Bob Brevak was a lumberjack by trade.

[navycook75]

ARCA champion Bob Dotter ran his whole career without his left hand. He lost it in an accident BEFORE he evens tarted his racing career.

His son, Bobby Dotter, got his only NASCAR Busch Series win in the 1992 Granger Select 200  (at what is now the Motor Mile Speedway) after Jeff Burton was disqualified after failing post race tech.

The race was also notable for debut driver Johnny Rumley won the pole. That is something you don't see every day.

[Cynon]

The leader of the cult religion Raelism, Claude Vorilhon, competed in various GT series in North America. He once claimed a 3rd place in the 1997 IMSA GT meeting at Lime Rock, and later moved on to the Trans Am in 1999 and IMSA World Challenge in 2000 where he achieved a best finish of 18th. He later took up playing video games instead. His religious beliefs are some of the most bizarre and hilarious I've ever seen..

There are several comedies that could be written based on this guy. Seriously.

[gone-sovereign]

I don't have a fact to contribute but this is a great thread guys! I think it deserves a sticky.

I agree. I love reading racing trivia.

-Herman Beam had the nickname "Turtle" for his slow and cautious driving style, and he can be quoted as saying, "I don't drive to win." When qualifying for the 1962 Richmond 250 at the Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds was cancelled, and Beam drew pole position by lot, he pulled into the pits on the pace lap to let the field go past him because he did not feel comfortable around faster cars. His cautious driving style made him famous for holding the longest streak of races without a DNF; 84 races in total between 1961 and 1963.

-Beam was also the first driver to be black flagged at the Daytona International Speedway, when he attempted to start a qualifying race in 1960 without his helmet on.

[navycook75]

Until this year, there has only been one driver who has ever driven with the number 13 in Formula 1 was in the 1963 Grand Prix of Mexico. Mexican Moises Solana had trouble late in the race and finished 11th. Divina Galica attempted to qualify for the 1976 British Grand Prix with the number 13, but she failed to qualify.

The reason behind this was merely superstition of how unlucky the number 13 was. Speaking of superstition, when Tyrrell employed Satoru Nakajima and later Ukyo Katayama both raced the number 3 because the Japanese believe that the number 4 is unlucky. 

[Tanrar]

The Camping World Truck Series has had quite a diverse field of competitors over it's 18 year history, including 19 female drivers and 2 African-American drivers as well as an openly gay driver in Stephen Rhodes, and drivers from Mexico, Canada, Japan, Australia, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Scotland, Chile, India, Finland and even a driver from Monaco.

[Mother of Invention]

The reason behind this was merely superstition of how unlucky the number 13 was. Speaking of superstition, when Tyrrell employed Satoru Nakajima and later Ukyo Katayama both raced the number 3 because the Japanese believe that the number 4 is unlucky. 

Didn't Takuma Sato race with the #3 at BAR? I think that was oddly enough around the time he started turning crap.

[BWard]

The reason behind this was merely superstition of how unlucky the number 13 was. Speaking of superstition, when Tyrrell employed Satoru Nakajima and later Ukyo Katayama both raced the number 3 because the Japanese believe that the number 4 is unlucky. 

Didn't Takuma Sato race with the #3 at BAR? I think that was oddly enough around the time he started turning crap.

No it was Jenson Button. Sato raced with the No.4 in '05, but only scored one point that whole year compared to the podium he got in the US Grand Prix the previous year.

[flyingturns89]

Bob Varsha mentioned during the Rolex 24 broadcast the story of Markus Winkelhock and his only Formula One start. Winkelhock ran only one race, Nurburgring, as a fill in for Spyker's F1 team in 2007. Winkelhock started 22nd of 22 cars starting the race, but actually managed to lead laps very early. The reason was Spyker had Winkelhock start out on rain tires even though the track was dry. It started raining very early in the race, and everyone else had to pit. As a result, Winkelhock not only took the lead, but had a lead of over 33 seconds at one points. Unfortunately, the rain started coming down harder and harder, and F1 eventually red flagged the race. Winkelhock would get to restart the race from the lead, but his engine let go shortly after. To this day, though, Winkelhock is the only driver to start last and lead laps in his first race. He also is the only driver to start last and first in the same race.

[navycook75]

Bob Varsha mentioned during the Rolex 24 broadcast the story of Markus Winkelhock and his only Formula One start. Winkelhock ran only one race, Nurburgring, as a fill in for Spyker's F1 team in 2007. Winkelhock started 22nd of 22 cars starting the race, but actually managed to lead laps very early. The reason was Spyker had Winkelhock start out on rain tires even though the track was dry. It started raining very early in the race, and everyone else had to pit. As a result, Winkelhock not only took the lead, but had a lead of over 33 seconds at one points. Unfortunately, the rain started coming down harder and harder, and F1 eventually red flagged the race. Winkelhock would get to restart the race from the lead, but his engine let go shortly after. To this day, though, Winkelhock is the only driver to start last and lead laps in his first race. He also is the only driver to start last and first in the same race.

On the note of rain, the shortest Formula 1 race to date is the 1991 Australian Grand Prix. The race only managed to get 14 laps in before it started raining. The race was stopped on lap 16, but confusion led to the race finishing on lap 14.

[Rykia]

With the confirmation of Alex Bowman, Ryan Truex, and Justin Allgaier all officially moving into the Cup Series in 2014, there will be a total of eight drivers competing for Cup Rookie of the Year. Only seven other years in NASCAR Sprint Cup history have had at least eight drivers who have declared for the rookie award. The most was 11 in 1994, at least two of which will be running at least one NASCAR sanctioned race in 2014.

In addition to this, BK Racing, Swan Racing, and Phoenix Racing are all running solely with full time rookies. BK has Bowman and Ryan Truex, Swan has Whitt and Kligerman, and Phoenix has Allgaier.

Also, somewhat off-topic, but has Yeley been announced to return to the 36 yet?

[Spannerhead29 (Nelson)]

With the confirmation of Alex Bowman, Ryan Truex, and Justin Allgaier all officially moving into the Cup Series in 2014, there will be a total of eight drivers competing for Cup Rookie of the Year. Only seven other years in NASCAR Sprint Cup history have had at least eight drivers who have declared for the rookie award. The most was 11 in 1994, at least two of which will be running at least one NASCAR sanctioned race in 2014.

In addition to this, BK Racing, Swan Racing, and Phoenix Racing are all running solely with full time rookies. BK has Bowman and Ryan Truex, Swan has Whitt and Kligerman, and Phoenix has Allgaier.

Also, somewhat off-topic, but has Yeley been announced to return to the 36 yet?

I believe the 36 is now a FRM car.

[Mother of Invention]

The #19 Porsche in this years 24hrs of Daytona was sponsored by a brand of Moonshine.

[Alpineopossum]

- In the 1960s there were several non-championship races in Southern Africa, including several in South Africa at tracks like Killarney as well as a race dubbed the "Rhodesian Grand Prix," the African nation now known as Zimbabwe

- Many F1 drivers raced in the Australian Tasman Series and the aforementioned South African/Rhodesian races in the winter months to gain practice. The Tasman series was named after the island of Tasmania and drew huge amounts of F1 drivers, and included races in Australia and New Zealand.

[Spannerhead29 (Nelson)]

- Many F1 drivers raced in the Australian Tasman Series and the aforementioned South African/Rhodesian in the winter months to gain practice. The Tasman series was based on the island of Tasmania and drew huge amounts of F1 drivers.

Only one race was held in Tasmania, it was called the Tasman Series because it crossed the Tasman Sea for rounds in Australia and New Zealand.

[navycook75]

I haven't done any facts in a while, so I might as well.

NASCAR reject Delma Cowart was flagged at the start of the 1997 Winston Open. Reason being was because he didn't go through pre-race tech, as a result, he refused to pay his fine and left NASCAR forever. It is also noted that he was a party guy and was once quoted by saying: "I never won a race but I never lost a party". Cowart also failed to qualify for more races (26) than he started (21), and in those 21 races, he only finished 8 times.

Speaking of party and a NASCAR reject, Steve Seligman was arrested for cocaine possession in 1998. It was said he used the cocaine to fund his NASCAR team. All of Seligman's attempts were DNQ's (ranging from 1989 to 1996), though he did make it in to the 1996 Pepsi 400, but his only engine blew during Happy Hour and was forced to go home.

In 1990, Life Racing Engines made it's attempt on making the grid for 14 of the 16 races that season, and failed to make every single one of them. What's so bad about that you ask? the time gaps between them and the fastest Pre-Qualifier would usually be in the double digits, or in the case of San Marino and Mexico, Minutes. in San Marino, they were 5 minutes off the pace (their lap time was in the 7 minute range), and in Mexico, they were 2 (their lap time was in the 4 minute range). They finally gave up after their attempt in Spain and was never heard from again. What makes things even sadder was that they were trying to supply the engine for a well funded Formula 1 team a year earlier.

[Alpineopossum]

The Camping World Truck Series has had quite a diverse field of competitors over it's 18 year history, including 19 female drivers and 2 African-American drivers as well as an openly gay driver in Stephen Rhodes, and drivers from Mexico, Canada, Japan, Australia, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Scotland, Chile, India, Finland and even a driver from Monaco.

Who's the German and who's the Monaco driver? The only modern era driver from Monaco that I can think of is Olivier Beretta. I'd assume the Chilean is Salazar.

Which reminds me... this is a compiliation of foriegn born NASCAR drivers. I didn't include all the Canadians. I admit it is weird having Dexter Stacey's name being included next to Villeneuve and Fellows. I also left out some Mexican drivers because there were many local drivers in the Mexico City races that never ran at another track.

There are some people who I didn't know ever made a NASCAR start (Goossens, Dan Clarke and possibly Beretta) and some people I've never heard of (Wilson).

Australia - Marcos Ambrose, Owen Kelly, Kenny Habul, Adam Clarke, Scott Saunders
Belgium - Marc Goossens
Brazil - Nelson Piquet Jr, Miguel Paludo, Christian Fittapaldi
Canada - Jacques Villeneuve, Ron Fellows, Dexter Stacey, Patrick Carpentier
Chile - Eliseo Salazar
Columbia - Juan Pablo Montoya
Denmark - Jan Magnuson
England - Rob Wilson, Steve Hodgson, Andy Pilgrim, Dan Clarke, John Mickeal
Finland - Kimi Räikkonen
France - Anthony Gandon
Germany - Klaus Graf, Alex Müller
India - Narain Karthikayen
Ireland - Derek Hayes
Italy - Max Papis
Japan - Hideo Fukuyama, Toshio Suzuki, Kenji Momota, Shigeaki Hattori
Mexico - German Quigora, Juan Carlos Blum, Carlos Contreras, Adrian Férnandez
Monaco - Olivier Beretta?
Pakistan - Nur Ali
Puerto Rico - Victor Gonzalez
Scotland - John Jackson, Dario Franchitti
South Africa - _______
Sweden - Mathias Elkström, Nic Jonsson, Alx Danielsson
Venezuela - Alex Popow, Alex Garcia

Which brings me to a trivia question. Who was the only South African to race in NASCAR (and also the only NASCAR driver to be born on the African continent)?

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