Wendell Scott facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wendell Scott
Born	Wendell Oliver Scott (1921-08-29)August 29, 1921 Danville, Virginia
Died	December 23, 1990(1990-12-23) (aged 69) Danville, Virginia
Cause of death	Spinal cancer
Achievements	First African-American in NASCAR First African-American winner in the 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 (August 29, 1921 – December 23, 1990) was an American stock car racing driver. He was a pioneer, being one of the first African-American drivers in NASCAR. Scott was also the first African-American to win a race in the Grand National Series, which was NASCAR's top racing level.

Scott started his racing journey in local races. He got his NASCAR license around 1953, becoming the first African-American to ever compete in NASCAR. His first Grand National Series race was on March 4, 1961, in Spartanburg, South Carolina. On December 1, 1963, he won a Grand National Series race in Jacksonville, Florida. This made him the first black driver to win a race at NASCAR's highest level. Scott faced many challenges in his career because of racial prejudice. He was honored after his death by being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.

Wendell Scott's Early Life and Dreams

Scott was born in Danville, Virginia. This town was known for its cotton mills and tobacco factories. From a young age, Scott decided he did not want to work in these places. He learned about car mechanics from his father. His father worked as a driver and mechanic for wealthy families.

As a teenager, Scott left high school. He became a taxi driver and also worked as a mechanic. He served in the segregated Army in Europe during World War II. In 1943, he married Mary Coles. They had seven children together. After the war, he opened his own car repair shop.

Starting His Racing Career in NASCAR

In 1951, a racing group called the Dixie Circuit wanted to attract more fans. They decided to find a Black driver to help with marketing. Scott was chosen for this. He took part in his first race at the Danville Speedway.

Scott wanted more racing chances. He fixed his car with help from a mechanic named Hiram Kincaid. Then, he drove to a NASCAR event in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. But NASCAR officials would not let him race because of his race. A few days later, he tried another NASCAR event in High Point, North Carolina, but got the same answer. Scott decided to race with the Dixie Circuit and other non-NASCAR tracks for a while. He won his first race in Lynchburg, Virginia, only twelve days after starting his racing career.

Scott raced often, sometimes five times a week. Most of his races were in Virginia. Some drivers would try to crash into him on purpose. However, his skill also earned him white fans, even among other drivers. These drivers sometimes acted as his bodyguards at races where fans were racist.

In 1953, Scott started the season strong. He won a big race in Staunton. He also matched a qualifying record and won a race in Waynesboro. Local newspapers praised him. The Waynesboro News Virginian said he was "one of the most popular drivers." The Staunton News Leader noted he was "among the top drivers in every race."

In 1954, Scott drove his racecar to a NASCAR event at the Richmond Speedway. He asked Mike Poston, a race official, for a NASCAR license. Poston had the power to give licenses. Scott's license was approved, and he became the first Black driver in NASCAR.

Scott won many races over nine years in regional competitions. In 1959, he won two championships. NASCAR gave him the championship title for sportsman-class stock cars in Virginia. He also won the track championship at Richmond's Southside Speedway.

Making History in NASCAR's Top Series

In 1961, Scott moved up to the Grand National Series. He earned the most points for a new driver that year. In the 1964 season, he finished 15th in points. On December 1, 1964, he made history. Driving a Chevrolet Bel Air he bought from Ned Jarrett, he won a race. This race was on a half-mile dirt track at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida. It was the first Grand National event won by an African-American.

Scott passed Richard Petty, whose car was having trouble, with 25 laps left. Scott was not announced as the winner right away. Buck Baker, who finished second, was first declared the winner. But two hours later, officials found that Scott had won and was two laps ahead! NASCAR officially gave Scott the win two years later. However, his family did not receive the trophy he earned until 2021, almost 58 years after the race. This was 31 years after Scott had passed away.

Scott continued to be a strong driver through the 1960s. He did this even with a very small budget. Despite his success, he never received money from big company sponsors. In 1964, Scott finished 12th in points, even though he missed several races. For the next five years, Scott often finished in the top ten in the point standings. He was 11th in 1965, a career-best 6th in 1966, 10th in 1967, and 9th in both 1968 and 1969. His best year for prize money was 1969, when he won $47,451.

Scott had to stop racing due to injuries. These happened in a racing accident in Talladega, Alabama in 1973. He did make one more start at the 1973 National 500, where he finished 12th. In his career, he had one win and 147 top ten finishes in 495 Grand National races.

Wendell Scott passed away on December 23, 1990, in Danville, Virginia. He had been battling spinal cancer.

Wendell Scott's Lasting Legacy

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

The movie Greased Lightning was made about Scott's life. It starred Richard Pryor as Scott. Mojo Nixon, who was also from Danville, wrote a song called "The Ballad of Wendell Scott."

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

A documentary about Scott, called The Wendell Scott Story, was planned. Instead, a four-DVD set called American Stock: The Golden Era of NASCAR: 1936-to-1971 was created. It features many racers, including Scott, and includes interviews with other drivers like Richard Petty.

Scott is also a main topic in the 1975 book The World's Number One, Flat-Out, All-Time Great Stock Car Racing Book by Jerry Bledsoe.

In April 2012, 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, Scott received his own historical marker in Danville, Virginia. The marker 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.” Scott was officially inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 30, 2015.

A character based on Scott, named River Scott, appeared in the 2017 Pixar film Cars 3. He was voiced by Isiah Whitlock Jr. Scott's early career was also shown in an episode of the TV series Timeless in 2018.