American racing driver (1911–1995)
NASCAR driver
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 Mercury owned by Sam Rice to victory in a race at Vernon Fairgrounds 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 "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 [permanent dead link Greensboro News & Record
External links
