| Nelson Stacy | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1921-12-28)December 28, 1921 Flemingsburg, Kentucky, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | May 14, 1986(1986-05-14) (aged 64) Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Achievements | 1958ARCA Series Champion 1959ARCA Series Champion 1960ARCA Series Champion 1961Southern 500 Winner 1962World 600 Winner 1964Daytona ARCA 250 Winner | ||||||
| NASCARCup Series career | |||||||
| 45 races run over 6 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 14th (1963) | ||||||
| First race | 1952 Race #28 (Dayton) | ||||||
| Last race | 1965Firecracker 400 (Daytona) | ||||||
| First win | 1961Southern 500 (Darlington) | ||||||
| Last win | 1962Old Dominion 500 (Martinsville) | ||||||
| |||||||
| ARCA Series | |||||||
| Years active | 1956–1960, 1964 | ||||||
| Teams | Willie Holt | ||||||
| Starts | 111 | ||||||
| Wins | 37 | ||||||
| Best finish | 1st in 1958, 1959, 1960 | ||||||
| Previous series | |||||||
| 1952, '61-'65 | NASCAR Grand National Series | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| 1958 1959 1960 | ARCA Series Champion ARCA Series Champion ARCA Series Champion | ||||||
| Statistics current as of April 28, 2013. | |||||||
Nelson Stacy (December 28, 1921 – May 14, 1986) was an American race car driver fromMaysville, Kentucky.[1][2] He won the 1958, 1959, and 1960 MARC Series (nowARCA Menards Series) championships.[3] He also won fourNASCARGrand National Series races in 1961 and 1962, including the 1961Southern 500 atDarlington Speedway and the 1962World 600 atCharlotte Motor Speedway.[4]
Stacy was originally fromKentucky. He was a veteran ofWorld War II, serving as a tank driver in theU.S. Third Army under the command of GeneralGeorge S. Patton.
In 1952, Stacy made his firstNASCAR Grand National Series start atDayton Speedway. After a 12th-place finish out of 30 cars,[5] he decided it would be best to drive in the MARC Series (later theARCA Menards Series).[3] He lost the 1957 title toIggy Katona by 4.5 points, one of the slimmest margins in series history.[6] Stacy's move enabled him to win the series championship in 1958, 1959 and 1960.[3] He had wins in 1957, 1959 and 1960 atCanfield Speedway.[7] In 1959, he started the season in April by winning two of three races (Dayton and Canfield).[8]
After a decade in the MARC series, Stacy decided to give Grand National racing another try. In 1961 he returned to NASCAR competition at age 40, competing in 15 of the 52 scheduled races.[9] He won the 1961Southern 500 atDarlington Raceway beatingFireball Roberts and leading 72 laps. He also accumulated eight Top Ten finishes and 4 Top Five finishes.[10]
In 1962, Stacy won the Rebel 300 atDarlington Raceway, the finalconvertible race in NASCAR history, beatingMarvin Panch,[11] as well as winning theWorld 600 atCharlotte Motor Speedway, coming from 18th place to beatJoe Weatherly,[12] and the 1962Old Dominion 500 atMartinsville Speedway, beating outRichard Petty by over three laps.[13] He accumulated three wins, seven Top Tens, and five Top Five finishes for the 1962 season. As mentioned, he also won theNASCAR Convertible Division race that year at the Darlington Rebel 300.[4]
Stacy failed to win any races in 1963. He accumulated nine Top Ten and four Top Five finishes. He finished a career-high 14th in the final points standing that year. In 1964, at age 43, Stacy's health began to become a factor.[how?] He went on to compete in two more Grand National races.[3] He achieved a 24th-place finish in his final start at theFirecracker 400 in 1965.[4] Stacy ended his NASCAR career after competing in 45 races. In his career, he had 24 Top Ten and 13 Top Five Finishes along with 4 wins.[2]
Stacy spent his final years inFlorida, where he owned a car dealership.[4] He died on May 14, 1986, at the age of 64.[3]
Stacy was married to Mary Stacy. The couple had three children, two girls and a boy.[4]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | MARC Champion 1958–1960 | Succeeded by |