Norm Nelson
Norm Nelson | |||||||
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AAA/USAC Stock Car career | |||||||
Years active | 1950–1974, 1976 | ||||||
Championships | 3 | ||||||
Best finish | 1st in 1960, 1965, 1966 | ||||||
Motor Trend 500 (Riverside) | |||||||
First win | 1955 Race 43 (Las Vegas) | ||||||
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Norman Huber "Norm" Nelson (January 30, 1923 – November 8, 1988) was an American racing driver. Known primarily for his stock car career, Nelson competed in AAA and USAC Stock Cars from the 1950s through 1970s. He won the season championship in 1960, 1965, and 1966 as a driver.
Nelson also won five owner's championships. He competed in five
Racing career
Early career
Nelson prepared for racing when, as a 14-year-old, he borrowed his sister's 1934 Chevrolet and he raced it on the back streets of Racine.
Nelso had been introduced to
AAA and USAC
In 1950, Nelson was racing the American Automobile Association (AAA) Stock Car division in its first season and was leading the national points going into the final race at the Springfield Mile. Second-place driver Jay Frank was the only driver who could catch him in the points and he had to win while Nelson had to not finish the race.[1] "That's exactly what happened", Nelson said. "The engine on my Oldsmobile blew and he won the race."[1]
During a condensed 1951 season, Nelson lost all of his points earned for winning a race at Milwaukee after the
Nelson joined up with Carl Kiekhaefer's Chrysler team in 1955.[3] He won a 1955 stock car race at the Milwaukee Mile and blew his right front tire right after winning the race causing the car to skid into the walls.[4] Nelson's crew had done their pit stop in 1 minute and second-place finisher Marshall Teague had a 1-minute and 40 seconds stop.[4] He raced at Wilmot Speedway in Kenosha in 1959 and won the track's modified stock class.[2] He returned to driving at the national level, and finished third in 1958 and 1959.[2] For the first time in his career, Nelson drove in someone else's car when Bill Trainor hired him to race.[2] He won a race at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack and had several second-place finishes during his 1960 championship season.[2]
Beginning in 1963, Nelson hired Gerald Kulwicki (
Nelson won the
When Nelson retired from driving in 1976 because of detached retina,[9] he was tied with A. J. Foyt for second on the all-time USAC victories list with 35 wins.[10]
NASCAR
Nelson made five starts in his Grand National career.
Owner
Even before Nelson's career began to wind down, he began having other racers drive in his USAC car.[1] He hired Roger McCluskey to drive for him in 1968, starting a two-car operation as Nelson began to wind down his career.[5] In 1975, McCluskey had to miss a race because he had a burned foot; Nelson drove the car for him.[1] Other drivers include A. J. Foyt.[14]
Nelson's cars started in 13 NASCAR; nine of these races ended in a Top 10 finish; five with a Top 5.
Personality
Nelson was known for saving his equipment until the latter stages of a race. Alan Kulwicki said, "I can remember guys like A. J. Foyt and Parnelli Jones drove against him, and Norm wasn't as much a charger as those guys, but he was always there at the end of a race. Because he owned his own cars, he didn't run them as hard as those other guys did."[14] Kulwicki added, "He was a good, smooth driver and very intelligent."[14]
Personal life
Nelson and his wife Caroline had eight children.[10] He also had 15+ grandchildren. During the racing off-season, he owned a snowmobile sales and repair shop in Racine called "Nelson Enterprises".[9] Caroline and several of their children worked at the shop.[9]
Death
Nelson died on November 8, 1988, while at the Zablocki Veterans Administration Center at age 65 and he was buried at the Graceland Cemetery in Racine.[14][10]
Awards and honors
Nelson has been inducted into the following halls of fame:
- Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame (2009)[16]
- Racine County Sports Hall of Fame (2011)[17]
- United States Auto Club (USAC) Hall of Fame (2014)[18]
References
- ^ Milwaukee Journal. pp. 1C, 10C. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ^ Milwaukee Sentinel. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Norm Nelson Racing Results". Ultimate Racing History.com. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-932542-39-4.
- ^ Milwaukee Journal. May 3, 1965. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ The Hartford Courant. May 2, 1966. pp. 23A. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- New York Times. April 17, 1966. p. 38. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ a b c Osman, Loren H. (January 23, 1979). "Race Cars in Summer, Snowmobiles Now". Milwaukee Journal. p. 1. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ Milwaukee Journal. pp. 2C. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Today in History: January 30". NASCAR. January 30, 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- ^ "1955 Memphis-Arkansas Speedway results". Race Database. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ^ Aumann, Mark (February 27, 2009). "From horses to motors, first Vegas track a disaster". NASCAR. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- ^ Milwaukee Journal. pp. 1C, 10C. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ^ a b "Nelson's NASCAR Owner's statistics". Racing Reference. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame". sewishorttrackhof.com. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
- ^ "Racine County Sports Hall of Fame". www.rcsportshall.org. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
- ^ "NORM NELSON - USAC HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2014 - USAC Racing". www.usacracing.com. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
External links
- Norm Nelson at Find a Grave
- Norm Nelson driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- Norm Nelson owner statistics at Racing-Reference