These days, Spencer and his wife split time between homes in North Carolina and their native Pennsylvania. Wallace had a close rivalry with Dale Earnhardt Sr. which lasted until Earnhardts death, although both drivers had mutual respect for each other. We know it takes a while in our showrooms at times, but it's not for our techs lacking in skill, speed or. That came in the 1988 Transouth 500 at Darlington. Read his storyhere, This California native became one of the most popular drivers to come from the Golden State in the late 1980's. Morgan Shepherd started his racing career in 1967 and went on to compete in multiple series. May 23, 2016. NASCAR has named eight drivers to the 2023 Drive for Diversity driver group. Oh, hell, yeah.. Busch left Joe Gibbs Racing after 15 seasons to join RCR for 2023. We all know what former NASCAR drivers Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace are doing now that there retired, but what about other drivers that raced in the 1980s and 1990s? In addition to operating his Powersports dealership, Bodine has also provided commentary on televised NASCAR events. Of the top seven, six are still alive while the other died in a tragic accident. The medals will be presented after the Feb. 5 Busch Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. What ever happened to the "pretty good" drivers that we don't see every week anymore? After more than four decades of rushing from one track to another, Spencer and wife Pat still travel a fair amount but at their own pace. The race winner will receive a gold medal, the runner-up will receive a silver medal, and the third-place finisher will be given the bronze medal in the exhibition race. The retired racecar driver is more active than ever, even participating as a coach for the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series teams. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Oympics. When a driver frequently moves from team to team, he's often called a "journeyman.". Former NASCAR tracks: Where are they now Mike Hembree Special for USA TODAY Sports 0:00 1:05 NASCAR reduced the schedule of its top national series dramatically in 1972 from 48 races to. Nowadays Johnson has remained in the limelight and has expressed interest in racing the Indianapolis 500. These will be tremendous prizes for our drivers who are competing inside a venue thats hosted two Olympic Games and is preparing for a third, said Ben Kennedy, NASCARs senior vice president for racing development and strategy. There have been a few instances where Martin will pop up on NASCAR TV, but for the most part, he is enjoying the quietness of retirement. His story of surviving not one, but two major injuries is an uplifting one. - November 10, 2020 11:37 pm EST. I really want to have a great car, a great team and great people to help me get there, Pastrana said. I really want to have a great car, a great team and great people to help me get there, Pastrana said. Lake Speed only won one race in his career. Hed have done some things differently. Competed in 478 Cup races; 2 wins, 80 top 10s. As for NASCAR racing today, Spencer is somewhat disillusioned. In 2002 he was diagnosed with Carbon Monoxide Posing and fell very ill and was force to retire. Before he retired after the 2016 season, the 56-year-old Milwaukie, Oregon, native developed a reputation that he would drive anything, anywhere and for anybody. Attracting a driver of Travis stature speaks volumes to the success 23XI Racing has had in our first two seasons and points to the positive direction in which we are headed.. Marlin is another driver that had a fair amount of success in a short period. The impact destroyed the front of the truck and ruptured its fuel cell, and then the incident continued when Lonnie Rush Jr. and Jimmy Kitchens each hit the truck. There arent a lot of names that resonate with racing as much as Gordons does. Upon entering retirement, Jarrett took on the role of being a NASCAR commentator for a few different networks, something he still does today. Nicknamed Rocketman, Newman has been at the forefront of winning and losing over his 20-year career. He collided with Ken Schrader after contacting Sterling Marlin and hit the wall head-on. Editors note: This is part one of our interview with former NASCAR driver Dave Marcis. His career spanned throughout the 1990s with a series of decent finishes and wins, and there were also some strong finishes in the 2006 season. The racing of yesteryear was an entirely different sport than it is today, with a lot more risk and less technology. He worked as a commentator for ESPN starting in 2006 and continued in 2007. The venture is an animal rescue foundation that focuses on rehoming companion animals in shelters. Now Wallace owns and operates eight car dealerships in East Tennessee. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Travis Pastrana to attempt Daytona 500 with 23XI Racing, RCR, Kyle Busch add sponsorship from Netspend, Pastrana, who will drive car No. Earnhardt Jr. has also done voice acting in the Disney/Pixar movie Cars as Number 8. Elliott had a storied run in NASCAR over the last 30 years, doing everything from winning the Budweiser 500 to competing in various cups. Were looking forward to seeing the No. Ricky Rudd has also been a television personality hosting SPEED Center and a series of other sportscast. Martin was always a major proponent of driver health and fitness, which enabled him to drive well into his fifties. According to Indianapolis Motor Speedways website Gant lives in the same house he did when he was 24 and is a farmer with 300 acres and 250 Angus Beef Cattle. Winning numerous championships throughout the 1980s and 1990s, his career was long and varied. Jeff Gordon is a prime example of just how popular the sport has gotten over the last 30 years. Because the CRWA season lasted just three months. After Burton retired in 2012 he focused on his second love of wildlife conservation. I was winning in the Busch Series and made some comments to the media about some officiating. Pastrana, who will drive car No. Rudd continued racing for several seasons, ultimately retiring from full-time racing at the end of the 2007 season. Stewart will undoubtedly go down as one of the most popular drivers. Wallace has managed racing teams as well as kept his name in the sport by commentating and mentoring. The medal ceremony will take place on a podium in Victory Lane, which will be located beneath the Olympic cauldron at the Coliseum. Another interesting fact about Bill Elliott is the fact that he was one of the first mainstream NASCAR drivers to be the face of a video game. More recently, Martin and his wife left Arkansas and moved to Montana, where he enjoys spending the summers. Marlin is another driver that had a fair amount of success in a short period. In 2022, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver made a salary of $10.9 million, making him the third highest-paid driver behind Denny Hamlin ($13.1 million) and Kyle Busch ($16.9 million).Sadly, 2023 will be the last year that Harvick will make a salary as a full-time NASCAR driver, as the 2014 Cup Series . Craven retired from commentary in 2020 to open a new venture, Ricky Craven Motorsports. It is interesting to see how drivers have evolved over the past couple of decades. Sep 5, 2017, 1:00 PM. Nowadays Labonte shares his expertise with various racing teams, most notably Petty Racing. Her death touched my wife and me so much. Fans still come up to me today and say, You were a damn good racer, and I enjoyed you when you were racing, and stuff like that, he said. Here's where the drivers are today. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville won the Daytona 500 twice, the Brickyard 400 once and the Southern 500 three times. Ricky Rudd has also been a television personality hosting SPEED Center and a series of other sportscast. Few drivers have managed to cultivate as welcoming of a personality as Earnhardt Jr. has over the past 20 years. Youll usually find him tinkering with old cars, attending car shows or playing poker with friends. Bill France (Jr.) was special. I have a great life, the Lords blessed me, I have a grandbaby now to keep me busy. Throughout the 90s, Craven managed to score highly and drive with the precision youd expect out of a more seasoned driver. I want to add some value to this. 8.1 Full-time drivers. I still have a good time with them.. Benson Jr. is one of only three drivers who have managed to win a championship in two different racing categories, the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. Newman and his wife Krissie operate Rescue Ranch. We sold most everything we had and I retired. Cook was the first driver featured in the series in late 2016. Bodine now owns a Honda Power Sports dealership in Florida and he builds bobsleds for the United States national team. Ingram was a pioneer in many ways and helped bring what was then known as the Busch Series to life. Nowadays Labonte shares his expertise with various racing teams, most notably Petty Racing. Craven famously had a crash with Kurt Busch at the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. These days Marlin is seldom seen in the limelight and has faded into a quiet retirement. Marlin followed the same path as a lot of drivers do and owned both a Chevrolet dealership and a Dodge dealership. He entered the 2001 season seeking a record-breaking eighth championship. He has won seven championships across supercross, motocross and rally racing and has amassed 11 gold medals in moto and rally car events at the X Games. In addition to being one of the most fiery and colorful drivers in all forms of stock car racing, Spencer is one of the sports best storytellers. In addition to that accolade, Sadler is also an advocate for college basketball, having played himself and earned a scholarship before a debilitating knee injury. Shepherd continued racing in the Cup Series on a full-time basis until 1998. Following the 1990 NASCAR Cup Series season, the top seven drivers remained in stock car racing. This second-place finish would be the best of his career. Entering the racing world in 1975, Rudd managed to carve quite the reputation for himself early on as a steady hand at the wheel. Busch was a veteran force on the track and boasts a stellar record of wins as opposed to losses. 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