Bobby Isaac
Encyclopedia
Bobby Isaac is a former NASCAR
Grand National (now Sprint Cup Series) champion.
, the second youngest of nine children. He finished school after the sixth grade, which led to the incorrect rumor that he could neither read nor write.
sponsored by K&K Insurance. His crew chief was legendary Harry Hyde
. Isaac & Hyde took the car to Talladega in November and set a closed-course speed record.
Isaac won 37 races in NASCAR's top series during his career, including 11 in his championship season, and started from the pole position
50 times. He took 20 poles in a single season in 1969. This NASCAR record will be hard to beat since there are currently 36 races on the schedule. According to Isaac a strange "voice" in the car told him to retire from the Talladega race in 1973 because it threatened he would be killed. (Earlier in the race, another driver named Larry Smith
died in an accident.)
and set 28 world speed records, some of which still stand to this day.
in 1996. In 1998 NASCAR honored Isaac as one of its NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers
of all time.
with 25 laps left, and called for a relief driver, collapsing on pit road. Though he was revived briefly at the hospital, a heart attack in the early morning hours proved fatal to the 45-year-old.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Grand National (now Sprint Cup Series) champion.
Early life
Isaac grew up on a farm near Catawba, North CarolinaCatawba, North Carolina
Catawba is a town in Catawba County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 604 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, the second youngest of nine children. He finished school after the sixth grade, which led to the incorrect rumor that he could neither read nor write.
NASCAR career
He began racing full-time in 1956, but it took him seven years to break into the Grand National division. Isaac won the championship in 1970 driving the #71 Dodge Charger DaytonaDodge Charger Daytona
Dodge, an American automobile brand, has produced three separate vehicles with the name Dodge Charger Daytona, all of which were modified Dodge Chargers. The name is taken from Daytona Beach, Florida, which was an early center for auto racing and still hosts the Daytona 500, one of NASCAR's premier...
sponsored by K&K Insurance. His crew chief was legendary Harry Hyde
Harry Hyde
Harry Hyde was a leading crew chief in NASCAR stock car racing in the 1960s through the 1980s, winning 56 races and 88 pole positions. He was the 1970 championship crew chief for Bobby Isaac...
. Isaac & Hyde took the car to Talladega in November and set a closed-course speed record.
Isaac won 37 races in NASCAR's top series during his career, including 11 in his championship season, and started from the pole position
Pole position
The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...
50 times. He took 20 poles in a single season in 1969. This NASCAR record will be hard to beat since there are currently 36 races on the schedule. According to Isaac a strange "voice" in the car told him to retire from the Talladega race in 1973 because it threatened he would be killed. (Earlier in the race, another driver named Larry Smith
Larry Smith
Larry W. Smith, CQ is an athlete, businessperson and member of the Canadian Senate.-Education:He graduated from Bishop's University with a degree in economics before going on to be a professional player in the Canadian Football League...
died in an accident.)
Land speed records
Isaac also made his mark outside of NASCAR. In September 1971, he went to the Bonneville Salt Flats in UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and set 28 world speed records, some of which still stand to this day.
Awards
Bobby Isaac was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1979, and the International Motorsports Hall of FameInternational Motorsports Hall of Fame
The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to auto racing either as a driver, owner, developer or engineer...
in 1996. In 1998 NASCAR honored Isaac as one of its NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers
NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers
NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers is a list of NASCAR drivers.In 1998, as part of its 50th anniversary celebration, NASCAR gathered a panel to select "The 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time." It was inspired in part by the NBA's decision to select the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History on its 50th...
of all time.
Death
Unfortunately, Bobby did not live to enjoy any of the accolades. He pulled out of a 1977 Late Model Sportsman race at Hickory Motor SpeedwayHickory Motor Speedway
Hickory Motor Speedway is a short track located in Hickory, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most storied venues, and is often referred to as "The World's Most Famous Short Track" and the "Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars"....
with 25 laps left, and called for a relief driver, collapsing on pit road. Though he was revived briefly at the hospital, a heart attack in the early morning hours proved fatal to the 45-year-old.