 | ||
| Born: | December 22, 1934 | |
| Birthplace: | Spartanburg, South Carolina | |
| Achievements: | — | |
| Awards: | 1969 Grand National Champion 1960 Rookie of the Year Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) 1990 International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee 1993 Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inductee | |
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics | ||
| Best Cup Position: | 1st - 1966, 1968, 1969 (Grand National) | |
| First Race: | 1960 - 38th race (Sumter) | |
| Last Race: | 1986 Champion Spark Plug 400 (Michigan) | |
| First Win: | 1961 World 600 (Charlotte) | |
| Last Win: | 1980 CRC Chemicals Rebel 500 (Darlington) | |
| Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
| 105 | 366 | 113 |
David Gene Pearson (born December 22, 1934 in Spartanburg, South Carolina) is a former American NASCAR racecar champion. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Spartanburg is the largest city in and the County seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, motor racing or car racing) is a Motorsport involving Racing Cars It
Known as the "Silver Fox", he debuted on the Grand National racing circuit in 1960 and earned Rookie of the Year honors that same season. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. The NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the first-year driver that has the best season in a NASCAR season He went on to win the NASCAR Championship in 1966, 1968 and 1969 (the only three full-time seasons of his career). Pearson ranks as one of the greatest of all NASCAR drivers and his duels with Richard Petty are legendary. Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937) is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the Winston Cup Series Between August 8, 1963 and June 12, 1977, they finished one/two on sixty-three occasions, with Pearson coming out on top with thirty-three victories. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Their most famous encounter came at the 1976 Daytona 500 when the two were running bumper-to-bumper on the final lap. The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach Florida. They slammed hard against each other's front fender and both hit the wall. Petty's damaged car spun off the track just twenty-five yards from the finish line and the engine quit running and he could not get it to restart. All Petty could do was sit in his famous #43 and watch as Pearson's wrecked #21 limped across the finish line to claim victory. Pearson won the "Most Popular Driver" award in 1979 and 1980. After twenty-six seasons in racing, he retired in 1986. He finished his career in second place behind Richard Petty on NASCAR's all-time win list with 105, and second in all-time pole positions. The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole
Pearson is one of eight drivers in NASCAR history to win a Career Grand Slam, by winning the sport's four majors; Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Buddy Baker are the other seven to have accomplished the feat. Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937) is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the Winston Cup Series Robert Arthur Allison (born December 3, 1937 in Hialeah Florida) is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's Darrell Lee Waltrip (born February 5, 1947 in Owensboro Kentucky) is a three-time former NASCAR Winston Cup champion the 1989 Daytona Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr ( April 29, 1951 &ndash February 18, 2001) was an American race car driver best known for his career driving Jeffery Michael Gordon Jimmie Kenneth Johnson For the American composer see Buddy Baker (composer. For the DC Comics character see Animal Man.
On Wednesday, April 16, 2008; the 73 year old Pearson, in a replica of his 1971 Wood Brothers #21 Purolator Mercury beat out NASCAR's Carl Edwards on the newly repaved Darlington Speedway. Still the Greatest NASCAR Driver in South Carolina, having now won Darlington 11 times.
Career awards
- In 1990, Pearson was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to Auto racing either as a driver owner
- He was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers is a list of NASCAR drivers In 1998, as part of its 50th anniversary celebration NASCAR gathered a panel to select "The
- He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1993. The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is a Hall of Fame and museum in Novi Michigan for American motorsports legends
- He was named Sports Illustrated Driver of the Century.
Family
- David's son Larry Pearson won two NASCAR Busch Championships in 1986 and 1987 and had a go at the Winston Cup circuit before turning his focus back to Busch racing. Larry Pearson is a former NASCAR driver and the son of three-time Winston Cup champion David Pearson. David's other children were also involved in racing as mechanics.
External links
| Preceded by Ned Jarrett | NASCAR Grand National Champion 1966 | Succeeded by Richard Petty |
| Preceded by Richard Petty | NASCAR Grand National Champion 1968, 1969 | Succeeded by Bobby Isaac |
| Preceded by Benny Parsons | Daytona 500 Winner 1976 | Succeeded by Cale Yarborough |
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