Ray Fox | |
|---|---|
 A Fox-prepared 1961Pontiac, driven byDavid Pearson | |
| Born | Raymond Lee Fox May 28, 1916 Pelham, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Died | June 15, 2014 (aged 98) Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupations | NASCAR crew chief NASCAR Team Owner |
| Years active | 1950–1972 |
Raymond Lee Fox, Sr. (May 28, 1916 – June 15, 2014) was an American engine builder,NASCAR car owner and NASCAR engine inspector. His cars won fourteen NASCARGrand National Series events and sixteenpole positions. He was the patriarch of NASCAR mechanics, with his son Raymond Lee Fox Jr and grandson Raymond Lee Fox III also as NASCAR mechanics. Currently, Ray Fox III and his son Justin Fox, a pit athlete, both work withTeam Penske.[1]
He was inducted into numeroushalls of fame, including theInternational Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Born on May 28, 1916,[2] Fox grew up inPelham, New Hampshire. He was first introduced to racing at the 2-mile (3.2 km)board track atRockingham Park in nearbySalem, New Hampshire.[3] He left the area in 1946 after serving in theUnited States Army.[3] He moved toDaytona Beach, Florida to work at various automobile repair shops before he went to work forRobert Fish's Fish Carburetor.[4] He droveModified racecars in Florida and southernGeorgia against drivers likeFireball Roberts andMarshall Teague.[3][4]
Fox built Fireball Roberts' engine for the 1955 race on theDaytona Beach Road Course. He started building the engine at 8:00 pm the night before the race and got done at 4:00 am. Roberts car qualified fourth and led every lap of the 160 lap event, winning by 1 minute and 14 seconds ahead ofTim Flock.[4] Flock was the only other driver left on the lead lap on the 4-mile (6.4 km) circuit.[4] NASCAR disqualified the car 24 hours after the event, for the sanctioning body found thepushrods to be30⁄100 of an inch (8 mm) too short.[4] MechanicRed Vogt had ground the pushrods even, which was an illegal modification.[3] Flock was awarded the victory. It was the last NASCAR race to be taken away from the winner.[4] Subsequent rules violations have resulted in fines and point loses.[4]
Carl Kiekhaefer hired Fox andHerb Thomas in 1956. Fox said "He hired us because we were the only ones who could outrun his cars."[4] Kiekhaefer's cars won 22 of the first 26 races, with drivers Thomas,Buck Baker, Tim Flock, andSpeedy Thompson. Fox was named the Mechanic of the Year.[5] Fox opened his own engine shop after the season.
Car ownerJohn Masoni approached Fox in 1960 to build a car for the1960 Daytona 500, which would be driven byJunior Johnson. Fox built the car in seven days. The car was about 22 mph (35 km/h) slower than thePontiac racecars in practice.[4] While they were trying to figure out how to increase their speed, aCotton Owens' faster Pontiac racecar passed him. Johnson noticed that when he was able to keep up with Owens' car if he followed closely behind in itsslipstream. Johnson followed the Pontiac racecars in the race, pitting when they did. At the end,Bobby Johns had the only Pontiac which was competing for the win. Johnson followedJack Smith's lapped Pontiac until Johns caught the duo and passed Johnson for the lead with 30 laps left in the race. Johns led the race until his rear window fell out with 10 laps remaining. Johns recovered to finish second, 23 seconds behind Johnson.[4] The practice of "drafting" has become a common tactic among NASCAR drivers on high speed tracks. RookieDavid Pearson won three races that season in a Ray Fox-preparedPontiac.[4]
Fox began owning his own car starting in 1962. Drivers to race in Fox's car includeBuck Baker,Buddy Baker,Darel Dieringer,Junior Johnson,Fred Lorenzen,Fireball Roberts,Cale Yarborough, andLeeRoy Yarbrough.[1]
In 1965, LeeRoy Yarbrough drove a Fox-preparedDodge Coronet racecar to a new closed-course world speed record at 181.818 mph (292.608 km/h).[4] He set the record on the second lap and he was increasing speed on the third lap when the car began smoking. NASCAR black flagged the car and Yarbrough slowed down. When he arrived in the pits, the pit crew found a bolt in the tire.[4] The bolt easily could have caused a flat tire, which could have been deadly at high speed.
In the late 1960s, Fox boughtHolman Moody's shop at theCharlotte airport.[4]
Fox retired in 1972, selling the company to his son Ray Fox, Jr.[4]
NASCAR hired Fox to inspect engines in 1990.[5] Fox retired for the second time in 1996.[4] After retirement, he became the president of the Living Legends of Auto Racing.[4]
Fox was inducted into theInternational Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2003. He is a member of the Jacksonville (Florida) Raceway Hall of Fame, National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, the Oceanside Rotary Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Western Auto Mechanics Hall of Fame.[4][5]
Fox's son Ray Fox, Jr. was a long-time employee ofRobert Yates Racing until his death. Son Ray Fox III is currently atTeam Penske as the car chief on the #12 Ford ofRyan Blaney.[6]
Fox was married to Mrs. Patti Fox; she helped him through his NASCAR career. Patti died in 2004. Ray often said "I miss her so much, she was the best thing that happened to me". He died on June 15, 2014, ofpneumonia atDaytona Beach, Florida, aged 98.[7]