Six Word Memoirs on Life Stories

Backstory

Born August 29, 1921
Danville, Virginia, United States
Died December 23, 1990 (aged 69)
Danville, Virginia, USA
Cause of death Spinal cancer
Achievements First African-American driver in NASCAR
First African-American winner in NASCAR
Awards 1999 International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career
495 race(s) run over 13 year(s)
Best finish 6th - 1966
First race 1961 Spartanburg 200 (Spartanburg)
Last race 1973 National 500 (Charlotte)
First win 1964 Jacksonville 200 (Jacksonville)
Wins Top tens Poles
1 147 1
NASCAR Grand National East Series career
17 race(s) run over 2 year(s)
Best finish 7th - 1972
First race 1972 Bold City 200 (Jacksonville)
Last race 1973 Buddy Shuman 100 (Hickory)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 5 0
Wendell Oliver Scott (August 29, 1921 – December 23, 1990) was an American stock car racing driver from Danville, Virginia. He is the only black driver to win a race in what is now the Sprint Cup Series. According to a 2008 biography of Scott, he broke the color barrier in Southern stock car racing on May 23, 1952, at the Danville Fairgrounds Speedway. The book, "Hard Driving: The American Odyssey of NASCAR's First Black Driver," by Brian Donovan (Steerforth Press), says that after gaining experience and winning some local races at various Virginia tracks, Scott became the first African-American to obtain a NASCAR racing license, apparently in 1953, although NASCAR does not have the exact date. The book says that Scott's career was repeatedly affected by racial prejudice and problems with top-level NASCAR officials. However, his determined struggle as an underdog won him thousands of white fans and many friends and admirers among his fellow racers.