Bill Blair (racing driver)
William Ivey "Bill" Blair (July 14, 1911 in High Point, North Carolina, US – 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.
| Bill Blair | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | July 14, 1911 High Point, North Carolina | ||||||
| Died | November 2, 1995 (aged 84) | ||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 123 races run over 10 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 4th (1949) | ||||||
| First race | 1949 Race No. 1 (Charlotte) | ||||||
| Last race | 1958 Lakewood Speedway (Atlanta) | ||||||
| First win | 1950 Vernon Fairgrounds (Vernon, NY) | ||||||
| Last win | 1953 Daytona Beach | ||||||
| |||||||
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 Mercury owned by Sam Rice to victory in a race at Vernon Faigrounds in Vernon, NY.
- April 20, 1952 – Blair drove a 1952 Oldsmobile owned by George Hutchens to his second win at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta, GA.
- February 15, 1953 – In his final series victory, Blair drove his 1953 Oldsmobile to victory lane at the Beach & Road Course in 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
- Movie tells stories of race drivers and the community they live in; Jamie Kennedy Jones, July 15, 2007, Greensboro News & Record; Retrieved December 24, 2007
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