Wendell Scott facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wendell Scott
Scott in 1970
Born	Wendell Oliver Scott (1921-08-29)August 29, 1921 Danville, Virginia, U.S.
Died	December 23, 1990(1990-12-23) (aged 69) Danville, Virginia, U.S.
Cause of death	Spinal cancer
Achievements	First African-American NASCAR driver First African-American winner in the NASCAR Grand National Series
Awards	International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1999) NASCAR Hall of Fame (2015)
NASCAR Cup Series career
495 races run over 13 years
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 races run over 2 years
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 Sr. (born August 29, 1921 – died December 23, 1990) was an amazing American stock car racing driver. He made history as the first African-American driver and team owner to compete and win at the highest levels of NASCAR.

Scott started his racing journey on local tracks in the late 1940s. He earned his NASCAR license in 1953, becoming the first African-American to ever race in NASCAR. His first big race in the Grand National Series (NASCAR's top league) was on March 4, 1961. On December 1, 1963, he won a Grand National Series race in Jacksonville, Florida. This made him the first Black driver and team owner to win at NASCAR's highest level. Scott faced many unfair challenges because of racial prejudice. Despite these difficulties, he kept racing. He was honored after his death by being inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.

Early Life and Beginnings

Wendell Scott grew up in Danville, Virginia. His father was a driver and mechanic, and Wendell learned a lot about cars from him. Young Wendell also enjoyed racing bicycles against other kids in his neighborhood.

As a teenager, he left high school and became a taxi driver. He also served as a mechanic in the segregated army during World War II in Europe. He married Mary Coles in 1943, and they had seven children together. After the war, Wendell opened his own auto-repair shop.

Racing Career

Starting His Racing Journey

In 1951, a regional racing group called the Dixie Circuit wanted to include a Black driver to attract more fans. Wendell Scott was chosen and raced for the first time at the Danville Speedway.

Scott wanted more chances to race. He fixed up his car with help from a mechanic named Hiram Kincaid. He tried to enter a NASCAR event, but officials unfairly stopped him because of his race. This happened again at another NASCAR event. So, Scott decided to race with the Dixie Circuit and other non-NASCAR tracks for a while. He won his very first race in Lynchburg, Virginia, just 12 days after he started racing!

Scott often raced several times a week, mostly in Virginia. Some drivers tried to cause accidents for him because of prejudice. But Wendell's skill also earned him many fans, even among other drivers. These supportive drivers sometimes acted as his protectors at races where fans were unfair.

In 1953, Scott started the season strong, winning a big race in Staunton, Virginia. He also set a qualifying record and won a race in Waynesboro, Virginia. Local newspapers praised him, calling him "one of the most popular drivers" and saying he was "among the top drivers in every race."

Breaking Barriers in NASCAR

In 1954, Wendell Scott took his racecar to a NASCAR event in Richmond. He asked an official, Mike Poston, for a NASCAR license. Poston approved it, and Wendell Scott officially became the first Black driver in NASCAR history!

Over nine years, Scott won many races in regional competitions. In 1959, he won two championships. He became the Virginia state champion for sportsman-class stock cars and also won the track championship at Richmond's Southside Speedway.

In 1961, Scott moved up to the NASCAR Grand National Series, which was the top level of NASCAR. He earned the most points of any new driver that year.

A Historic Win and Ongoing Challenges

On December 1, 1963, Wendell Scott made history. He won a Grand National Series race at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida. He was driving a Chevrolet Bel Air he bought from Ned Jarrett. This was the first time an African American driver won a race at NASCAR's highest level!

However, the win was not announced right away. Buck Baker, who finished second, was first declared the winner. Race officials later realized that Scott had actually won and was two laps ahead! NASCAR eventually gave Scott the win. But his family did not receive the winner's trophy until 2021, almost 58 years after the race and 31 years after Wendell Scott had passed away.

Scott continued to be a strong competitor throughout the 1960s, even with a small budget. Despite his many successes, he never got big commercial sponsors. In 1964, he finished 12th in points, even though he missed some races. For the next five years, he often finished in the top ten in the standings. His best year was 1966, when he finished 6th overall. In 1969, he earned his highest winnings, about US$47,451.

Wendell Scott had to retire in 1973 because of injuries from a racing accident in Talladega, Alabama. He did race one more time, finishing 12th in the 1973 National 500. In his career, he had one win and 147 top-ten finishes in 495 Grand National races.

Scott passed away on December 23, 1990, in Danville, Virginia, after battling spinal cancer.

Family Life

Wendell's wife, Mary, was a big part of his racing team. She drove the truck that carried his race car. Their seven children often came to the races with them.

His daughter, Sybil, later became a consultant for NASCAR's Driver Development Program. This program works to bring more women and minority groups into racing, both as drivers and fans. Wendell's son, Wendell Jr., passed away in 2022.

Legacy and Recognition

A 1962 Chevrolet built by Scott for the movie Greased Lightning on display at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Wendell Scott's life story inspired the 1977 film Greased Lightning, starring Richard Pryor.

A musician from Danville, Mojo Nixon, wrote a tribute song called "The Ballad of Wendell Scott." It appeared on his 1986 album, Frenzy.

Scott was inducted into The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2000. A street in his hometown of Danville is also named after him.

Only a few other African-American drivers have raced in what is now the Cup Series. These include Elias Bowie, Charlie Scott, George Wiltshire, Randy Bethea, Willy T. Ribbs, Bill Lester, and most recently Bubba Wallace. This shows how special Wendell Scott's achievements were.

Filmmaker John W. Warner created a four-set DVD called American Stock: The Golden Era of NASCAR: 1936-to-1971. This documentary series features many racers, including Wendell Scott, and includes interviews with drivers like Richard Petty.

Scott's life is also featured in the 1975 book The World's Number One, Flat-Out, All-Time Great Stock Car Racing Book by Jerry Bledsoe. A biography titled Hard Driving: The Wendell Scott Story was written by journalist Brian Donovan and released in 2008.

In April 2012, Wendell Scott was nominated for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He was chosen for induction in May 2014, as part of the 2015 class. In January 2013, a historical marker was placed in Danville, Virginia, honoring him. It states that Scott "Persevering over prejudice and discrimination, Scott broke racial barriers in NASCAR, with a 13-year career that included 20 top five and 147 top ten finishes." He was officially inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 30, 2015.

A fictional car character named River Scott in the 2017 Pixar film Cars 3 was loosely based on Wendell Scott. He was voiced by Isiah Whitlock Jr..

A fictional version of Scott also appeared in an episode of the TV series Timeless in 2018. The episode highlighted his mechanical skills, driving talent, and his determination in the face of unfair treatment due to racial discrimination.