Tommy Ellis

Tommy Ellis (born August 8, 1947) is an American former stock car racing driver who competed in the 1970s and 1980s. Often referred to as "Terrible" Tommy Ellis for his rough tactics, he won the last national late model sportsman championship in 1981, the final year before the format changed from "points chasing" late model sportsman racing at various short tracks across the country (now known as the Whelen All-American Series) to the current touring format, currently known as the Xfinity Series, the next year. He won the successor series in 1988.

Tommy Ellis
Ellis' 1984 car at Pocono Raceway
Born (1947-08-08) August 8, 1947
Richmond, Virginia
Achievements1981 NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series Champion 1988 NASCAR Busch Series champion
NASCAR Cup Series career
78 races run over 12 years
Best finish23rd (1986)
First race1976 Delaware 500 (Dover)
Last race1991 Budweiser 500 (Dover)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 6 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
235 races run over 14 years
Best finish1st (1988)
First race1982 Goody's 300 (Daytona)
Last race1995 Detroit Gasket 200 (Michigan)
First win1982 Gene Lovelace 200 (Langley Field)
Last win1990 Budweiser 300 (Loudon)
Wins Top tens Poles
22 108 28
Statistics current as of March 4, 2012.

Racing career

Ellis's success (12 poles and 8 wins) in the first two seasons of the Busch Series earned him a shot at a Winston Cup ride. Driving for most of three seasons in the Chevrolet camp, his best finish was an eighth at Dover in 1986. He was also considered an excellent sub-driver in the Cup Series, filling in for Neil Bonnett in 1989 and replacing a suspended Geoff Bodine at Junior Johnson Motorsports two years later.

After his release from Freedlander Racing in 1986, Ellis returned to the Busch Series with J&J Racing. Between 1988 and 1990 Ellis won nine poles and seven races. He was the Busch Series champion in 1988 in an unsponsored Buick. In 1991, he competed in the Winston at Charlotte Motor Speedway, replacing Bodine.

His Busch Series career totals are 28 poles (second all-time behind Mark Martin) and 22 wins (tied for thirteenth all-time with Sam Ard).

Ellis's last Busch Series start was in 1995.

Ellis was a stunt driver for the film Days of Thunder along with Bobby Hamilton and drove race cars numbered 51 and 18 in selected races.

In 2010, Ellis and his wife Brenda were sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to federal tax-evasion charges. They had underreported the income generated by their car-wash business by over $300,000 between 2003 and 2007.[1]

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.)

Winston Cup Series

NASCAR Winston Cup 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 NWCC Pts
1976 Champion Racing 10 Ford RSD DAY CAR RCH BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV
21
MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 92nd 100
1981 Ellis Racing 55 Chevy RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH
26
DOV MAR
30
NWS CLT
4
CAR ATL
33
RSD 62nd 392
1982 Gordon Racing 24 Buick DAY
DNQ
75th 260
Ellis Racing 55 Chevy RCH
11
BRI ATL CAR DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT POC RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH
11
DOV NWS CLT MAR CAR ATL RSD
1983 Terry Motorsports 32 Buick DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV BRI CLT
15
RSD POC MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD NA -
1984 Morgan–McClure Motorsports 4 Chevy DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI
28
NWS
29
DAR
23
MAR
29
TAL
13
NSV
14
DOV CLT
14
RSD POC MCH
38
DAY
14
NSV
11
POC
34
TAL
9
MCH
36
BRI
28
DAR
19
RCH
15
DOV
34
MAR
17
CLT
33
NWS
14
CAR ATL RSD 31st 1738
1985 Freedlander Motorsports 18 Chevy DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL DOV CLT
20
RSD POC MCH
21
DAY
17
POC
36
TAL
30
MCH BRI
30
DAR
33
RCH
10
DOV
26
MAR
30
NWS
11
CLT
40
CAR
30
ATL
36
RSD 34th 1100
1986 DAY
19
RCH
24
CAR
14
ATL
13
BRI
11
DAR
29
NWS MAR
24
TAL
32
DOV
9
CLT
35
RSD POC
15
MCH
14
DAY
38
POC
9
TAL
34
GLN MCH
39
BRI
12
DAR RCH
21
DOV
8
MAR
26
NWS
13
CLT
31
CAR
35
ATL
12
RSD 23rd 2393
1987 DAY
DNQ
CAR
38
RCH
27
ATL
17
DAR
40
NWS BRI MAR TAL CLT DOV POC RSD MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR RSD ATL 58th 286
1988 Donlavey Racing 90 Ford DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI
DNQ
DAR RCH DOV MAR 91st 37
Winkle Motorsports 97 Buick CLT
30
NWS CAR PHO ATL
42
1989 Wood Brothers Racing 1 Ford DAY CAR ATL RCH DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI
DNQ
DAR RCH DOV 66th 115
21 MAR
29
CLT
18
NWS
16
CAR
Hendrick Motorsports 18 Chevy PHO
DNQ
ATL
1990 Speed Racing 83 Olds DAY RCH
DNQ
CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV
31
MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 106th -
1991 Junior Johnson & Associates 97 Ford DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT
16
DOV
21
SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 70th 100
Daytona 500
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
1982 Gordon Racing Buick DNQ
1986 Freelander Motorsports Chevy 21 19
1987 DNQ

Busch Series

NASCAR Busch 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 NBSC Pts
1982 Ellis Racing 12 Pontiac DAY
22
RCH
25
MAR
33
DAR
15
HCY
20
SBO
14
CRW
11
RCH
3
LGY
16
DOV
4
HCY
10
CLT
4
ASH
2
HCY
2
SBO
16
CAR
29
CRW
7
SBO
3
HCY
2
LGY
1
IRP
2
HCY
7
RCH
15
MAR
4
CLT
38
HCY
2
MAR
25
3rd 3873
36 BRI
3
BRI
4
1983 12 DAY
7
RCH
16
CAR
11
HCY
1*
MAR
9
NWS
13
SBO
1
GPS
24
LGY
19
DOV
8
BRI
3
CLT
34
SBO
1*
HCY
1*
ROU
2
SBO
1*
ROU
16
CRW
20
ROU
6*
SBO
1*
HCY
3
LGY
3
IRP
5
GPS
14
BRI
3
HCY
4*
DAR
7
RCH
2*
NWS
1
SBO
4
MAR
25
ROU
16*
CLT
12
HCY
19
MAR
31
4th 4929
1984 Olds DAY
35
24th 1440
Pontiac RCH
15
CAR
27
HCY
6
MAR
29
DAR
15
ROU
2*
NSV LGY MLW DOV CLT SBO
23
HCY ROU SBO
25
ROU
12*
HCY IRP LGY SBO
3
RCH
1*
NWS CLT
26
HCY CAR MAR
36 BRI
18
DAR
1985 12 Olds DAY
10
CAR
29
DAR
22
DOV
2
CLT
9
CLT
26
HCY CAR 16th 2065
Pontiac HCY
23
BRI
15
MAR
3
SBO
25
LGY
1*
SBO
1*
HCY ROU IRP SBO LGY
1*
HCY MLW BRI DAR RCH
1*
NWS ROU MAR
1*
1986 DAY
31
CAR HCY MAR BRI DAR SBO LGY JFC DOV CLT SBO HCY ROU IRP SBO RAL OXF SBO HCY LGY ROU BRI DAR RCH
26
DOV MAR ROU CLT CAR MAR 67th 155
1987 Falk Racing 04 Pontiac DAY HCY MAR
30
DAR BRI LGY SBO
1
CLT ROU
21
JFC OXF RCH
32
30th 1362
J&J Racing 58 Buick DOV
22
DAR
11
DOV
37
CLT
19
CAR
22
Chevy IRP
27
Pontiac SBO
6
HCY RAL LGY
26
ROU
20
BRI JFC MAR
28
MAR
32
1988 99 Buick DAY
18
HCY
4
CAR
6
MAR
22
DAR
14
BRI
2
LNG
1*
NZH
10
SBO
3
NSV
20
CLT
12
DOV
6
ROU
6
LAN
17
LVL
1
MYB
25*
OXF
7
SBO
2
HCY
3
LNG
1*
IRP
3
ROU
7
BRI
24
DAR
14
RCH
4
DOV
2
MAR
15*
CLT
6
CAR
9
MAR
3
1st 4281
1989 DAY
39
CAR
3
MAR
1
HCY
2
DAR
16
BRI
29
NZH
2
SBO
1*
LAN
6
NSV
7
CLT
34
DOV
5
ROU
16
LVL
21
VOL
2
MYB
9
SBO
2
HCY
1*
DUB
12
IRP
15
ROU
3
BRI
8
DAR
6
RCH
2
DOV
12
MAR
29
CLT
16
CAR
10
MAR
10
3rd 3945
1990 DAY
35
RCH
10
CAR
6
MAR
9*
HCY
2
DAR
18
BRI
21
LAN
3
SBO
15
NZH
20
HCY
14
CLT
5
DOV
33
ROU
15
VOL
14
MYB
7*
OXF
15
NHA
1*
SBO
7
DUB
18
IRP
16
ROU
9
BRI
9
DAR
11
RCH
15
DOV
27
MAR
27
CLT
28
NHA
5
CAR
8
MAR
12
6th 3829
1991 Speedway Motorsports 56 Buick DAY
13
RCH
30
CAR
16
MAR
23
VOL
29
HCY
DNQ
DAR
31
BRI LAN SBO NZH CLT DOV ROU HCY MYB GLN OXF 33rd 1253
Ellis Racing 12 Buick NHA
43
SBO DUB IRP ROU BRI DAR RCH
18
DOV
7
CLT
4
NHA
13
CAR
40
Chevy MAR
26
1992 14 DAY
DNQ
CAR RCH
20
ATL MAR
13
DAR BRI HCY LAN DUB NZH CLT NHA
33
TAL IRP ROU MCH 43rd 841
Buick DOV
22
ROU
23 Olds MYB
29
GLN VOL
12 Chevy NHA
30
BRI DAR RCH
35
MAR
30
CAR
Buick DOV
23
CLT
77 Chevy HCY
28
1993 Key Motorsports 05 Chevy DAY CAR RCH DAR BRI HCY ROU MAR NZH CLT DOV MYB GLN MLW TAL IRP MCH NHA BRI DAR RCH DOV ROU CLT MAR
DNQ
CAR
DNQ
HCY
5
ATL 76th 155
1994 DAY CAR RCH ATL MAR
10
DAR HCY
30
BRI ROU
6
NHA NZH CLT
16
DOV
41
MYB
34
GLN MLW SBO
28
TAL HCY IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH
38
DOV
37
CLT MAR CAR 46th 753
1995 Bobby Jones Racing 50 Ford DAY CAR RCH ATL NSV DAR BRI HCY NHA NZH CLT DOV MYB GLN MLW TAL SBO IRP
17
MCH
34
BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR HOM 77th 173

ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series

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

ARCA Permatex SuperCar 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 APSSC Pts
1988 Hendrick Motorsports 18 Chevy DAY ATL TAL FRS PCS ROC POC WIN KIL ACS SLM POC TAL DEL FRS ISF DSF SLM ATL
2
102nd -

References

Preceded by
Larry Pearson
NASCAR Busch Series Champion
1988
Succeeded by
Rob Moroso
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