Tim Richmond facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the racing driver who competed in the NASCAR Cup Series in the 1980s. For the racing driver who currently competes in ARCA, see Tim Richmond (racing driver, born 1998).

Quick facts for kids

Tim Richmond

Born

June 7, 1955
Ashland, Ohio

Died

August 13, 1989 (aged 34)
West Palm Beach, Florida

Cause of death

HIV/AIDS

Achievements

1986 Southern 500 Winner

Awards

Named one of the 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time (1998)
International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee (2002)

NASCAR Cup Series career

185 races run over 8 years

Best finish

3rd (1986)

First race

1980 Coca-Cola 500 (Pocono)

Last race

1987 Champion Spark Plug 400 (Michigan)

First win

1982 Budweiser 400 (Riverside)

Last win

1987 Budweiser 400 (Riverside)

Wins	Top tens	Poles
13	78	14

NASCAR Xfinity Series career

10 races run over 4 years

Best finish

48th (1986)

First race

1983 Kroger 200 (Indianapolis)

Last race

1986 Gatorade 200 (Darlington)

First win

1985 Winn-Dixie 300 (Charlotte)

Last win

1986 Winn-Dixie 300 (Charlotte)

Wins	Top tens	Poles
2	4	6

Timothy Lee Richmond (June 7, 1955 – August 13, 1989) was an American race car driver from Ashland, Ohio. He first competed in IndyCar racing. Later, he became a star in NASCAR's Winston Cup Series. Tim was one of the first drivers to switch from open wheel racing to NASCAR stock cars full-time. This move later became very popular in the racing world.

Richmond won the 1980 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award. He also earned 13 victories during his eight seasons in NASCAR. His best NASCAR season was in 1986 when he finished third in the overall points. That year, he won seven races, which was more than any other driver.

In February 1987, Richmond missed the first race of the season, the Daytona 500. Media reports said he had pneumonia. He raced in eight events in 1987, winning two races and one pole position. His last race was in August of that year.

Tim Richmond grew up in a wealthy family and had a very exciting life. This earned him the nickname "Hollywood." Charlotte Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler once said, "We've never had a race driver like Tim in stock car racing. He was almost a James Dean-like character." The main character, Cole Trickle, in the movie Days of Thunder, played by Tom Cruise, was partly based on Tim Richmond.

Early Life and Racing Start
- First Steps in Racing
- IndyCar Adventures
NASCAR Career Highlights
- First NASCAR Wins
- Joining Hendrick Motorsports
Illness and Passing
Legacy and Recognition
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Racing Start

Tim Richmond grew up in Ashland, Ohio. His father, Al, was a welder who invented a machine to bore under highways. He started a company called Richmond Manufacturing, which sold these machines worldwide.

Tim's love for driving began when he was a toddler. He had a go-kart that he drove everywhere, even inside buildings! He later raced his go-kart at local tracks. Because his family was well-off, Tim sometimes felt different from his classmates. His parents sent him to Miami Military Academy in Miami, Florida.

Tim was great at sports. He set a record in high hurdles and was an amazing football player. His high school even retired his sports jersey after he finished playing. In 1970, Miami Military Academy named him Athlete of the Year. Tim also loved flying and got his private pilot license at age 16. After high school, he went to Ashland University for about a year before leaving to pursue racing.

First Steps in Racing

In 1976, when Tim was 21, he joined a sprint car team as a crew member. One day, he took the car for practice laps at Lakeville Speedway. "Somebody put a stopwatch on me," Tim said. "I was running laps faster than Dave had been. It was the first time I had ever driven a race car."

Tim and his father found a red, white, and blue No. 98 car. This was the same number and paint scheme Tim used on his model cars as a child. In his first race, he passed many cars but then spun out and broke an axle. His father wasn't happy and fired him as the driver.

The next year, Al Richmond bought a SuperModified car that fit Tim's driving style better. In 1977, Tim Richmond became both Sandusky Speedway's Rookie of the Year and the SuperModified class track champion.

IndyCar Adventures

In 1978, Tim returned to racing sprint cars in the United States Automobile Club's (USAC) national tour. He was named the series' Rookie of the Year. That same year, he attended a road racing school and set a new student record. He also won a Mini Indy car event, which caught the eye of big team owners like Roger Penske.

For the 1980 Indianapolis 500, Tim Richmond showed incredible speed during practice. He was even faster than the race favorite, Johnny Rutherford. However, a crash during qualifying practice meant he started 19th. During the race, he drove well, even leading one lap, and finished ninth. He was named the 1980 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year.

Tim later said, "I busted up a few Indy cars right after that... I was afraid my racing career would come to a halt. So when I got an offer to drive stock cars, I took it, and it turned out I liked driving them better."

NASCAR Career Highlights

Richmond's car in 1983

Pocono Raceway President Joseph Mattioli III helped convince Tim to switch to stock car racing in NASCAR. Tim made his first NASCAR start on July 27, 1980, at Pocono. He finished 12th in a Chevrolet.

In 1981, Tim had his first top 10 finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. He then had a sixth-place finish at Talladega. He ended the season with six top 10 finishes.

First NASCAR Wins

Richmond (right) talking with a crew member

In 1982, Tim Richmond joined J.D. Stacy's team. In his first race with them, he finished fifth at Darlington Raceway. He then finished second at Pocono. The very next week, he won his first NASCAR race on the road course at Riverside, California. Later that season, he won his first pole position at Bristol. He won his second race of the season back at Riverside, sweeping both events there.

In 1983, Tim started racing for Raymond Beadle, a friend he knew before his racing career. He won his first oval race at Pocono. That year, he earned four pole positions and 15 top 10 finishes, ending the season tenth in points.

Richmond in Hendrick's No. 25

Esquire magazine called Tim Richmond one of "the best of the new generation" in 1984. He won a race at North Wilkesboro Speedway that year. In 1985, his last season with Beadle, his best finish was second place at Bristol. He finished 11th in points with 13 top 10 finishes.

Joining Hendrick Motorsports

Tim Richmond Helmet

In 1986, Tim Richmond joined Hendrick Motorsports and worked with experienced crew chief Harry Hyde. It took some time for the team to work perfectly together. Tim had not won a race in 64 starts, but he finally broke that streak at Pocono in June 1986.

During that race, rain caused a long delay. When the race restarted, Tim's car was adjusted to his liking. Even though his radio wasn't working, he made a great final pit stop. He took the lead with 30 laps left and won the race. It was his first victory for Rick Hendrick's team.

A month later, Tim won another race at Pocono in a fog-shortened event. He battled Geoff Bodine and Ricky Rudd in the final laps, winning by a tiny 0.05 seconds! He won four more races that season. Over 12 races, he had three second-place finishes and six wins. The National Motorsports Press Association named him Co-Driver of the Year. He finished a career-best third in points in 1986, which was his last full NASCAR season.

Illness and Passing

Tim Richmond became very ill after the 1986 NASCAR banquet. He was too sick to start the 1987 NASCAR season. When he missed the Daytona 500, it was reported that he had severe pneumonia.

Despite his health challenges, Tim returned to racing in the middle of 1987. He won the Miller High Life 500 at Pocono, leading 82 laps. He was very emotional after the win, saying, "I had tears in my eyes when I took the checkered flag." Tim then won the next race at Riverside. His final NASCAR race was in August 1987 at Michigan International Speedway. He finished 29th due to an engine problem. He left Hendrick Motorsports in September 1987.

On August 13, 1989, Tim Richmond passed away at the age of 34, about two years after his last NASCAR race. He was buried in Ashland, Ohio.

Legacy and Recognition

Richmond's No. 25 on display at the Hendrick Motorsports shops in 2013

Tim Richmond is remembered as a unique and talented driver. In 1996, the Ashland County Sports Hall of Fame honored him. In 1998, NASCAR named Tim one of its 50 greatest drivers of all time. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2002.

In 2009, a race at Mansfield Motorsports Park was named the Tim Richmond Memorial ARCA Re/Max 250 in his honor. A documentary film about his life, Tim Richmond: To The Limit, was released in 2010 as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series.