Buddy Arrington is a retired NASCAR

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/Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup Series) driver.

Biography

He has the second most starts without a win, and managed to finished in the top 10 of NASCAR points twice; in 1979 (ninth) and 1982 (seventh). He was known as a stubborne Mopar (Chrysler vehicles) loyalist until 1985 (long after almost every other team moved to other makes, and when the cars became ineligible to compete) and finished his career driving a few FORD Thunderbirds

Ford Thunderbird

The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...

.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/statitudes/news/2000/08/21/waltrip_statitudes/ His best career race and finish was at Talledega in 1979, where he had a powerful enough car to lead a few laps towards the end, and finished third. The race was ironic for Buddy (and Richard Petty

Richard Petty

Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...

), as Buddy finished one lap up of Petty, driving one of Richard's cast-off Dodge Magnums (a car Petty considered uncompetitive on big tracks like Talledega) and several other top NASCAR drivers. Buddy; from day one, almost always ran his own car, and his operation was a very money conscious effort. His pit crew were almost always unpaid volunteers, and relied on used equipment; at first Dodge Magnums that he bought from Richard Petty team, and also Harry Hyde's defunct team. These cars were later re-skinned and re-wheelbased to Dodge Mirada

Dodge Mirada

The Dodge Mirada was a full-sized, rear-wheel drive coupe built from 1980–83, and was one of the three cars based on the Chrysler J platform, the other models being the second generation Chrysler Cordoba and the Imperial, these three vehicles being Chrysler's response to the downsizing of its car...

s and Chrysler Imperial/Cordobas to meet the new NASCAR 110" wheel-base rule in 1981 (Buddy could not afford to build, or buy new 110" cars) and later ex-Bill Elliott Fords.

Buddy's two Chrysler Imperial

Chrysler Imperial

The Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was the company's top of the range vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced with the Chrysler name until 1954, and again from 1990 to 1993. The company tried to position the cars as a prestige marque that would rival Cadillac and Lincoln...

s were the last Chrysler

Chrysler

Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....

 products to run in the NASCAR Winston Cup series. http://registry.imperialclub.com/Yr/1981/Buddy/index.htm He ran the car at first in two races in the 1981 season, and in more races (alternating with Dodge Miradas) up until April 1985, when at that point the parts supply, even used, for Chrysler products (Chrysler factory support ended in late 1978) dried up. He sold one of the Imperials (purchased from Cecil Gordon

Cecil Gordon

Cecil Gordon was a NASCAR driver. He is not related to Sprint Cup driver Jeff Gordon although the two drivers drove in car number 24....

 in 1984) to Phil Goode in April 85 (Goode raced it right up till the end of the 1985 season), and his other Imperial was given to the NASCAR Hall of Fame at Talledega, AL. Buddy was always a much liked man on the NASCAR circuit, and other teams and a small, but loyal fan club pitched in to help keep him racing. In 1985 the generosity of rising NASCAR star driver Bill Elliott (who sold Buddy his slightly used Ford Thunderbird

Ford Thunderbird

The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...

 race cars and parts on the cheap) kept Buddy driving until 1988. Buddy's son Joey (who at a the young age of 17 served on Buddy's pit crew, and built up his engines), now runs Arrington Manufacturing in Martinsville VA. The company builds racing engines (mostly Dodges) for the Craftsman Truck Series, and test engines for Nextel Cup Nationwide series cars. Buddy is a regular visitor to his son's company, and often offers advice to young (mostly Dodge) drivers trying to make it in NASCAR racing.

Tragedy struck Arrington's team in 1986. Rick Baldwin

Rick Baldwin

Richard A. Baldwin was an American racing driver who competed on the NASCAR circuit. He ran a few races each season during 1983-85 running his self-owned Dodge Mirada and Chrysler Imperial....

 substituted for Arrington, who had been injured the previous week at Pocono International Raceway, for the Miller 400

Miller 400

At one time, two different NASCAR races were known as the Miller 400:* For the race at Michigan International Speedway in 1985, 1996 and 1997, see 3M Performance 400* For the race at Richmond International Raceway in 1996, see Chevy Rock and Roll 400...

 at the Michigan International Speedway

Michigan International Speedway

Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas...

. During his qualifying run in Arrington's Thunderbird, Baldwin spun in turn 1 and pancaked the wall with the drivers side of the car, and his head struck the wall. Baldwin remained in a coma for over 11 years, succumbing to his brain injuries in 1997.