Joe Weatherly

Joseph Herbert Weatherly (May 29, 1922 – January 19, 1964) was an American stock car racing driver. Weatherly was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009 after winning NASCAR's Grand National Series championships in 1962 and 1963, three AMA Grand National Championships, and two NASCAR Modified championships.

For the similarly named cricketer, see Joe Weatherley.
Joe Weatherly
BornJoseph Herbert Weatherly
(1922-05-29)May 29, 1922
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
DiedJanuary 19, 1964(1964-01-19) (aged 41)
Riverside, California, U.S.
Cause of deathRacing crash at Riverside International Raceway
Achievements
Awards
NASCAR Cup Series career
230 races run over 12 years
Best finish1st (1962, 1963)
First race1952 Southern 500 (Darlington)
Last race1964 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside)
First win1958 Nashville 200 (Nashville)
Last win1963 untitled race (Hillsboro)
Wins Top tens Poles
25 153 18
NASCAR Convertible Division career
96 races run over 4 years
Best finish2nd (1957)
First race1956 Race #1 (Daytona Beach & Road Course)
Last race1959 Race #15 (Charlotte Fairgrounds)
First win1956 Race #26 (Buffalo)
Last win1959 Race #7 (Occoneechee)
Wins Top tens Poles
12 74 19
Statistics current as of April 15, 2013.

Personality

Weatherly enjoyed behaving outrageously. He once took practice laps wearing a Peter Pan suit. Moreover, he frequently stayed out partying until the early hours, usually with fellow driver and friend Curtis Turner. This behavior earned him the nickname the "Clown Prince of Racing". In 1956 at Raleigh, while racing in the convertible series, Weatherly's engine blew. With the help of Ralph Liguori pushing from behind, he displayed showmanship to the fullest extent by crossing the finish line while standing in a "chariot of fire".[2]

Motorcycle career

He won three American Motorcycle Association (AMA) nationals between 1946 and 1950, including the prestigious Laconia Classic 100 Mile road race in 1948. In 1998 he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

NASCAR career

Weatherly began racing cars in 1950. "Little Joe" won the first modified event that he entered. He won 49 of the 83 car races that he entered that season. In 1952 he won the NASCAR Modified National crown, and he again won 49 of 83 car races that he entered. Weatherly won 52 more races in 1953, and won the Modified National crown again.

Weatherly had partial interest in what would later be called Richmond International Raceway from 1955 to 1956.

In 1956 he moved into the NASCAR Grand National series. He drove a factory-sponsored Ford car[2] for Pete DePaolo Engineering. For the next two seasons, Weatherly drove for Holman Moody.[2]

In 1959, Weatherly recorded six top-5 finishes and ten top-10s. He narrowly lost the 1959 Hickory 250 to Junior Johnson; being outlapped twice before the race was concluded.

Weatherly won NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award in 1961.

He won two consecutive championships, in 1962 and 1963, for Bud Moore Engineering. Moore did not have enough resources to run the full season, so Weatherly frequently "bummed a ride".

Death

Weatherly died on January 19, 1964, from head injuries sustained in a racing accident at the fifth race of the 1964 season, at Riverside International Raceway. His head went outside the car and struck a retaining wall, killing him instantly. Weatherly was not wearing a shoulder harness, and did not have a window net installed on his vehicle, because he was afraid of being trapped in a burning car.[2]

He is one of two reigning champions of the NASCAR Cup Series to die during a season as the defending champion (1992 Winston Cup champion Alan Kulwicki, who died in a plane crash during the 1993 season, is the other) and the only one to die during a race.

Weatherly's fatal crash, combined with Richard Petty's crash at Darlington in 1970, eventually led NASCAR to mandate the window net seven years later, in 1971.

Weatherly's grave marker is a sculpture of Riverside Raceway, with a checkered flag marking the spot of his fatal crash.[3]

Awards

He was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America[4] in 2009.

Weatherly was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 30, 2015.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)

Grand National Series
NASCAR Grand National Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 NGNC Pts Ref
1951 Jack Tyler 29 Olds DAB CLT NMO GAR HBO ASF NWS MAR CAN CLS CLB DSP GAR GRS BAI HEI AWS MCF ALS MSF FMS MOR ABS DAR
Wth		 CLB CCS LAN CLT DSP WIL HBO TPN PGS MAR OAK NWS HMS JSP ATL GAR NMO NA - [5]
1952 Donlavey Racing 53 Hudson PBS DAB JSP NWS MAR CLB ATL CCS LAN DAR DSP CAN HAY FMS HBO CLT MSF NIF OSW MON MOR PPS MCF AWS DAR
16		 CCS LAN DSP WIL HBO MAR NWS ATL PBS 51st 500 [6]
1954 Buckshot Morris 12 Olds PBS DAB JSP ATL OSP OAK NWS HBO CCS LAN WIL
7		 MAR SHA RSP CLT GAR CLB LND HCY MCF WGS PIF AWS SFS GRS MOR OAK CLT SAN COR DAR CCS CLT LAN MAS MAR NWS 102nd 152 [7]
1955 Schwam Motors 9 Ford TCS PBS JSP DAB OSP CLB HBO NWS MGY LAN CLT HCY ASF TUS MAR RCH NCF FOR LIN MCF FON AIR CLT PIF CLB AWS MOR ALS NYF SAN CLT FOR MAS RSP DAR
33*		 MGY LAN RSP GPS CLB
8		 MAR
6		 LVP NWS
4		 HBO
6		 47th 724 [8]
DePaolo Engineering 86 Ford MAS
32
1956 Schwam Motors 9 Ford HCY
28		 CLT
4		 WSS PBS
22		 DAB
44		 PBS
4		 WIL ATL NWS LAN RCH CLB
3		 CON GPS
5		 HCY HBO
7		 MAR LIN CLT
6		 POR EUR NYF MER MAS CLT
15		 MCF POR AWS RSP PIF CSF CHI CCF MGY OKL ROA
20		 OBS SAN DAR
8		 CSH CLT LAN POR CLB HBO 16th 3084 [9]
11 ASF
7*
Fred Frazier 35 Ford NOR
9		 PIF MYB POR
John Whitford 31 Ford NWP
4		 CLT CCF
DePaolo Engineering 72 Ford MAR
6		 HCY
112 WIL
2
1957 J12 WSS CON
8		 TIC
15		 42nd 920 [10]
9 DAB
18
97 CON
17		 WIL HBO AWS NWS LAN CLT PIF GBF POR CCF RCH MAR POR EUR LIN LCS ASP NWP CLB CPS PIF JAC
Holman-Moody 12 Ford RSP
3		 CLT MAS
26		 POR HCY
3		 NOR
2		 LCS GLN KPC LIN OBS MYB LAN
7		 CLB MAR
5		 NBR CON NWS GBF
3
9 DAR
40		 NYF AWS CSF SCF
2 CCF
12
2X CLT
26
1958 12 FAY DAB
4		 CON FAY
17		 WIL HBO FAY CLB PIF ATL
2		 CLT
5		 MAR
31		 ODS OBS GPS GBF TRN
8		 RSD CLB NBS REF LIN HCY AWS DAR
29		 CLT BIR CSF GAF 28th 2032 [11]
Dick Beaty 34 Ford STR
12		 NWS BGS
Holman-Moody 198 Ford RSP
27		 MCC SLS TOR BUF MCF BEL BRR CLB
72 NSV
1		 RCH
19		 HBO SAS
Petty Enterprises 2 Olds AWS
8		 BGS
Julian Petty 44 Chevy MBS
21
Holman-Moody 1 Ford MAR
35		 NWS
Beau Morgan 45 Ford ATL
4
1959 E. C. Wilson 48 Chevy FAY DAY
4		 DAY
5		 HBO CON ATL 18th 3404 [12]
Julian Petty 40 Chevy WIL
9		 BGS CLB NWS REF
Doc White 41 Ford HCY
2		 MAR
8		 TRN CLT
16		 NSV ASP PIF GPS ATL
15		 CLB
5		 WIL
23		 RCH
16		 BGS AWS CLT
26		 MBS
5		 CLT NSV
7		 AWS
40
12 DAY
2		 HEI DAR
43		 HCY RCH CSF HBO MAR AWS NWS CON
Wood Brothers Racing 21 Ford BGS
7		 GPS CLB
1960 Holman-Moody 12 Ford CLT CLB DAY
4		 DAY DAY
41		 CLT HCY
1*		 WIL
1		 BGS GPS
15		 AWS DAR
1*		 PIF HBO
19		 CLT
43		 DAY
26		 HEI MAB MBS ATL
35*		 BIR NSV AWS PIF DAR
21		 HCY CSF GSP HBO MAR
2		 CLT
45		 ATL
8		 20th 6380 [13]
31 NWS
10		 PHO CLB
18		 MAR
16
Fred Wheat 12 Plymouth RCH
15		 BGS
6		 BGS
7
Vel Miletich 97 Ford HMS
2
Doc White 61 Ford CLB
25		 SBO
Wood Brothers Racing 16 Ford NWS
4		 RCH
16
1961 Doc White 16 Ford CLT
1		 JSP DAY 4th 17894 [14]
Bud Moore Engineering 8 Pontiac DAY
1		 DAY
2		 PIF AWS HMS ATL
22		 GPS HBO BGS MAR NWS CLB HCY RCH MAR DAR
15		 CLT CLT
1		 RSD ASP CLT
10		 PIF
14		 BIR GPS
4		 BGS NOR HAS STR DAY
6		 ATL
28		 CLB
5		 MBS
1*		 BRI
6		 NSV BGS AWS
2		 RCH SBO DAR
22		 RCH
1		 CSF ATL
16		 MAR
1		 NWS
8		 CLT
1		 BRI
1		 GPS
2		 HBO
1*
Elmo Henderson 7 Pontiac HCY
15
1962 Bud Moore Engineering 8 Pontiac CON
2		 AWS
3		 DAY DAY
1*		 DAY
3		 CON
1**		 AWS
1		 SVH
3		 HBO
11*		 RCH
4		 CLB
2		 NWS
8		 GPS
3		 MBS
13		 MAR
2		 BGS
3		 BRI
11		 HCY
3		 CON
1		 DAR
18		 PIF
5		 CLT
2		 ATL
18		 BGS
5		 AUG
1		 RCH
7		 SBO
7		 DAY
23		 CLB
2		 ASH
2		 GPS
19		 AUG
1		 SVH
1		 MBS
2		 BRI
6		 CHT
1		 NSV
4		 HUN
7		 AWS
2		 STR
2		 BGS
3		 PIF
2		 VAL
3		 DAR
10		 HCY
5		 RCH
1		 DTS
2		 AUG
3		 MAR
5		 NWS
3		 CLT
5		 ATL
2		 1st 30836 [15]
Fred Harb 17 Ford RCH
4
1963 Bud Moore Engineering 8 Pontiac BIR
8		 GGS
3		 THS
2		 RSD
24		 DAY DAY
13		 DAY
8		 HBO
15		 ATL
4		 BRI
10		 RCH
1		 MAR
6		 NWS
23		 DAR
1		 CLT
4		 ATL
5		 DAY
18		 OBS
7*		 BRR
13		 BRI
6		 NSV
3		 CLB
11		 PIF
17		 ONA
2		 SBO
3		 HBO
1*		 1st 33398 [16]
Floyd Powell 17 Pontiac PIF
4		 AWS
4
Pete Stewart 57 Pontiac HCY
57
Major Melton 88 Chrysler AUG
11
Cliff Stewart Racing 2 Pontiac GPS
24		 BGS
10		 CLB
19		 THS
2		 ODS
9		 RCH BIR
15		 MBS
3		 SVH
14		 DTS
13		 BGS
7
Worth McMillion 83 Pontiac SBO
16
Petty Enterprises 41 Plymouth ASH
4
Possum Jones 05 Pontiac GPS
8
Wade Younts 36 Dodge AWS
8
361 BGS
9
Bud Moore Engineering 8 Mercury DAR
7		 HCY
21		 RCH
21*		 MAR
3		 DTS
2		 NWS
6		 THS
2		 CLT
5		 RSD
7
1964 Pontiac CON
2		 48th 2928 [17]
Bill Stroppe 15 Mercury AUG
4
Sherman Utsman 61 Ford JSP
14
Ray Osborne 92 Ford SVH
10
Bud Moore Engineering 8 Mercury RSD
29		 DAY DAY DAY RCH BRI GPS BGS ATL AWS HBO PIF CLB NWS MAR SVH DAR LGY HCY SBO CLT GPS ASH ATL CON NSV CHT BIR VAL PIF DAY ODS OBS BRR ISP GLN LIN BRI NSV MBS AWS DTS ONA CLB BGS STR DAR HCY RCH ODS HBO MAR SVH NWS CLT HAR AUG JAC
Daytona 500
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
1959 E. C. Wilson Chevy 7 5
1960 Holman-Moody Ford 7 41
1961 Bud Moore Engineering Pontiac 2 2
1962 4 3
1963 26 8

References
  1. "The Class of 2009". AutoWeek. Detroit, Michigan: Crain Communications. 59 (17): 62. August 24, 2009. ISSN 0192-9674.
  2. Edelstein, Robert (2011). NASCAR Legends. New York City: The Overlook Press. pp. 308. ISBN 978-1-59020-184-8.
  3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21690/joseph-weatherly
  4. Joe Weatherly at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
  5. "Joe Weatherly – 1951 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  6. "Joe Weatherly – 1952 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  7. "Joe Weatherly – 1954 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  8. "Joe Weatherly – 1955 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  9. "Joe Weatherly – 1956 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  10. "Joe Weatherly – 1957 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  11. "Joe Weatherly – 1958 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  12. "Joe Weatherly – 1959 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  13. "Joe Weatherly – 1960 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  14. "Joe Weatherly – 1961 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  15. "Joe Weatherly – 1962 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  16. "Joe Weatherly – 1963 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  17. "Joe Weatherly – 1964 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
Achievements
Preceded by
Ned Jarrett
1961		 NASCAR Grand National Champion
1962–1963		 Succeeded by
Richard Petty
1964
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