Bobby Myers (racing driver)

Bobby Harris Myers (Born June 27, 1927 – September 2, 1957) was an American NASCAR driver from 1951-1957.

Career

Myers began competing in the NASCAR Grand National Division in 1951 at the age of 24. He made 2 starts in 1951, in his first outing in the 200-lap event at the ½-mile dirt Asheville-Weaverville Speedway at Weaverville, North Carolina, Myers finished 16th driving a 1949 Ford. Myers then drove the #2 Hudson in the Motor City 250 on the 1-mile dirt track at Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit where he started 34th and finished 25th. Myers returned to NASCAR Grand National Division competition in 1952 driving George Hutchens’ #6 Ford in the Southern 500 at Darlington. The Ford’s engine came apart on lap 145 and relegated him to a 52nd finishing position in a field of 66 cars. Bobby won the 1952 Bowman Gray Stadium Modified Championship.[1][2][3]

In 1953, Myers drove the #18 Oldsmobile in two NASCAR Grand National events. In the Southern 500, he started 50th and worked his way to a 20th finishing position. At the 1-mile circle Langhorne Speedway in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Myers finished 10th.[1][3]

Myers did not compete in the Grand National Division again until 1956. He drove Ansel Rakestraw’s #1 Chevrolet at the ½-mile asphalt Palm Beach Speedway at West Palm Beach, Florida. He started the event in 10th and finished it in 10th. At the Daytona Beach and Road Course, Myers started 63rd of 76 cars and finished 46th failing to collect a single cent of the purse money. At the ½-mile dirt Wilson Speedway at Wilson, North Carolina, Myers started 24th and finished 7th. At Langhorne, Myers drove the #15W Ford owned by Bill Stroppe. Myers started the race in 8th position, but an engine failure dropped him to 38th. Myers started 12th in the #1 Chevrolet in the Virginia 500 at Martinsville but a right front hub failure left him in 15th position after completing 436 of the 500 laps. Myers was back behind the wheel of Bill Stroppe’s #4 Mercury at the 4.1-mile Road America road course at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. He started the race in 14th but a crash took him out on lap 39 and he finished 21st. The Stroppe Mercury carried the #76 for the Southern 500 and Myers put it in the 34th starting position. Problems with the gas tank on lap 91 put him out of the event and left him with a 61st finishing spot. Myers was optimistic for the Buddy Shuman 250 at the 4/10-mile dirt Hickory Speedway at Hickory, North Carolina after qualifying 6th, but a radiator problem on lap 105 put him out of the event and left him finishing in 19th position.[1][3]

In 1957, Myers started 6th at the ½-mile dirt Southern States Fairgrounds track at Charlotte, North Carolina driving Whitey Norman’s #1A Ford, but a blown engine on lap 26 dropped him to a 19th finishing spot.

Death

At the Southern 500 on September 2, 1957, Myers qualified the #4 Petty Enterprises Oldsmobile in the second spot. Myers led his first lap in NASCAR Grand National Division competition during the race. Myers was involved in a violent crash on lap 27. Fonty Flock was driving Herb Thomas’ #92 Pontiac and spun on the backstretch, stopping sideways in turn 3. Paul Goldsmith and Myers both struck the stopped car at full speed.[1][3]

Flock and Goldsmith both received serious injuries in the crash. Myers died from his injuries due to an end-over-end flip, making the roof slam hard onto the racetrack.

Legacy

Bobby Myers son, Danny "Chocolate" Myers would later become involved in NASCAR serving as the gasman on the famous "Flying Aces" pit crew of Richard Childress Racing and seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion Dale Earnhardt.[1][3]

In 7 years of NASCAR Grand National competition, Bobby Myers made 15 starts and recorded 3 top-10s.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 John Clayton (2003). "Family Tradition (Myers Clan Still Racing Strong After Nearly 60 Years". Legends of Nascar.
  2. ↑ Paul Schaefer (February 16, 2013). "Myers Brothers Take Aim At Daytona Battle". Nascar.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Don Hamilton (January 1, 2008). "The Myers Family - The First Family of Southern Modified Racing". Stock Car Racing.

External links