Joe Weatherly (May 29, 1922 - January 19, 1964) was a two-time NASCAR championship driver. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... NASCAR Nextel Cup logo NEXTEL Cup trophy, adopted in 2004 4-time champion Jeff Gordon poses with the Winston Cup trophy (used prior to 2004) The NASCAR Championship is the championship held in NASCARs top stock car racing series. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Mountain Dew Southern 500 is a 500 mile (805 km) NASCAR Nextel Cup race. ... Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... Riverside International Raceway (Sometimes known as RIR or Riverside Raceway) was a racing track or road course in Riverside, California. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Music City Motorplex is a NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series racetrack located at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds near downtown Nashville, Tennessee. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ...

Personality

Weatherly was wounded while serving for the United States armed forces in North Africa during World War II. A German sniper's bullet struck him in the face in two teeth. He would use the scars to become known as the "Clown Prince of Automobile Racing". A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II...

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 good time buddy Curtis Turner [1]. Curtis Turner was an early figure in NASCAR racing. ...

Motorcycle career

He won three American Motorcycle Association (AMA) championships between 1946 and 1950, before he started racing stockcars. The American Motorcyclist Association is a U.S. organization of over 250,000 motorcyclists which organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists legal rights. ...

NASCAR career

Weatherly began racing stockcars in 1950. "Little Joe" won the first modified event that he entered. He won 49 of the 83 stockcar races that he entered that season. In 1952 he won the NASCAR Modified National crown, and he again won 49 of 83 stockcar races that he entered. Weatherly won 52 more races, and won the Modified National crown again. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ...

Weatherly had partial interested in what would later be called Richmond International Raceway from 1955 to 1956. Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is a A 3/4 mile, D shaped, asphalt race track located outside Richmond, Virginia. ...

In 1956 he moved up to the NASCAR Grand National (later NEXTEL Cup) series. He drove a Ford car for Pete DePaolo Engineering. NASCAR Nextel Cup logo The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is NASCARs top racing series. ... Pete DePaolo (born April 15, 1898 in Roseland, New Jersey - died November 26, 1980) was an American race car driver. ...

In 1957 he drove for Holman-Moody.

Weatherly won NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award in 1961. NASCARs Most Popular Driver Award is awarded to the fans favorite NASCAR driver. ...

He won two consecutive championships in 1962 and 1963 for Bud Moore Engineering. Moore didn't have enough resources to run the full season, so Weatherly frequently "bummed a ride". 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Bud Moore Engineering was a championship-winning NASCAR team. ...

Death

He 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. January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... Riverside International Raceway (Sometimes known as RIR or Riverside Raceway) was a racing track or road course in Riverside, California. ...

Weatherly's death would light the fire under NASCAR to mandate the window net, which was mandated in 1971. Window nets are used in most stockcar racing series to this day.

External links

• joeweatherly.com
• Driver's statistics at racing-reference.com
• 1964: Tragic year for NASCAR