Bill Blair (racing driver)
| Bill Blair | |||||||
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| Born | July 14, 1911 Daytona Beach | ||||||
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William Ivey Blair (July 14, 1911 – November 2, 1995) was an American stock car racing driver in the 1940s and the 1950s, and he was one of the pioneers of NASCAR.
Racing career
Blair started his racing career as a bootlegger in the 1930s. In 1939, he began racing at the newly-constructed High Point Speedway, and he opened his own track Tri-City Speedway after World War II.[1][2]
Blair won three NASCAR Strictly Stock/Grand National races:
- June 18, 1950 – Blair piloted a 1950 Vernon, NY.
- April 20, 1952 – Blair drove a 1952 Atlanta, GA.
- February 15, 1953 – In his final series victory, Blair drove his 1953 Oldsmobile to victory lane at the Daytona Beach, FL.[3]
Memorial
Blair, Jimmie Lewallen, and Fred Harb are the subject of the independent movie Red Dirt Rising" which is based on the book Red Dirt Tracks: The Forgotten Heroes of Early Stockcar Racing by Gail Cauble Gurley.[4]
References
- ^ Salchert, Ryan (February 29, 2016). "Hillsborough's racing past". The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- ^ Floyd, David (August 21, 2015). "Moonshine and stock car racing have a longstanding relationship". Johnson City Press. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- ^ Film of 1953 Daytona Beach event
- Greensboro News & Record; Retrieved December 24, 2007
External links
- Bill Blair driver statistics at Racing-Reference
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