Jack Roush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Roush
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Roush in 2018
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| Born | April 19, 1942 Covington, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Occupation | NASCAR team owner |
| Employer | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (owner) |
Jack Roush was born on April 19, 1942. He is the person who started and now leads Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. This is a big NASCAR racing team located in Concord, North Carolina. He is also the chairman of Roush Enterprises.
Roush Enterprises is a large company that includes Roush Racing. It also has Roush Industries, which is an engineering company. Another part is Roush Performance, which makes special car parts. And there's ROUSH CleanTech, which builds fuel systems for vehicles that run on propane. All these companies are based in Livonia, Michigan. Together, his companies employ more than 2,000 people across North America and Europe.
You'll often see Jack Roush wearing his special Panama hat. Because of this, people in the NASCAR world sometimes call him "The Cat in the Hat".
Jack Roush has been honored many times for his work. He was added to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2008, he was chosen for the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. He also joined the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2018, he was inducted into the EAA Warbirds of America Hall of Fame for his love of old military planes. In 2022, he was added to the SEMA (Specialty Aftermarket Market Association) Hall of Fame.
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Jack Roush's Early Life and Career
Jack Roush was born in Covington, Kentucky. He grew up in Manchester, Ohio. He studied math and physics at Berea College. Later, he earned a master's degree in math from Eastern Michigan University.
After college, Roush worked at Ford starting in 1966. He left in 1970 to start his own business. He worked for a year at Chrysler before opening his own engineering company. Roush then teamed up with Wayne Gapp. They raced together in drag racing events like NHRA and IHRA.
For much of his career, Roush sold the special car parts he created for his own racing team. In 1982, he worked with a German company called Zakspeed. They built road racing cars for Ford. This led to many wins in the Trans-Am series and IMSA Camel GT races in the 1980s and early 90s. In 1988, Roush moved south. He started a NASCAR Winston Cup Series team with driver Mark Martin.
Jack Roush and NASCAR Racing
Today, RFK Racing has two cars in the top NASCAR Cup Series. These cars are driven by Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski. Roush has won eight championships as a car owner in NASCAR's main series. He won two Cup titles: in 2003 with Matt Kenseth and in 2004 with Kurt Busch. He also won five Xfinity Series titles and one Camping World Truck Series title.
Roush's team has also won the Daytona 500 race twice. Both wins were with driver Matt Kenseth, in 2009 and 2012. Since Jack Roush started in NASCAR, his teams have won 283 races and earned 212 pole positions.
Roush's Loyalty to Ford
Jack Roush is very loyal to Ford. He has often spoken about his strong support for Ford in NASCAR. He has sometimes made comments about Toyota being in NASCAR, always showing his dedication to Ford.
Roush Performance Cars
Roush Performance sells many different vehicles and car parts. They also sell powerful engines. They are well-known for their special Ford Mustang cars. More than 16,000 of these cars are on the roads today.
When Roush Performance improves a car, they often add special body kits and wheels. They also upgrade the suspension for better handling. Plus, they can make the engine much more powerful. Some of their Mustang versions have as much as 775 horsepower!
ROUSH CleanTech for a Greener Future
Around 2008, Roush began offering vehicles that run on propane autogas. These vehicles are designed for companies with large fleets of cars or trucks. In 2010, he officially started ROUSH CleanTech. This company designs and builds special fuel systems. These systems use clean technology like propane autogas and electric power. They are used in Ford commercial vehicles and Blue Bird school buses.
Jack Roush's Plane Accidents
Jack Roush has survived two serious plane crashes. On his 60th birthday, April 19, 2002, his private plane crashed into a lake in Troy, Alabama. He was unconscious underwater. Luckily, a retired Marine named Larry Hicks rescued him. Hicks pulled Roush to safety and helped him breathe again. Roush was then taken to a hospital. He was treated for a head injury, broken ribs, and a broken leg.
On July 27, 2010, Roush was in another plane crash. This happened while he was landing his jet near an airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was able to walk out of the plane. He was taken to a hospital and was in serious but stable condition. Later, he shared that he had fractured his back, broken his jaw, and lost vision in his left eye from the accident.
