Charles "Red" Farmer (born October 15, 1932) is an American professionalstock car racing anddirt track racing driver. He currently competes part-time in602 Crate Dirt Late Models in the No. F97Ford Mustang for his own team. He is a member of theAlabama Gang.

His first race was atOpa-locka Speedway nearMiami, Florida in a 1934Ford in 1948. He became famous as a member of theAlabama Gang and he considered his hometown to beHueytown, Alabama. Estimates of Farmer's career victories range from 700 to 900 victories, most occurring in the late 1950s and early 60's. He raced 36NASCAR Cup Series races from 1953 to 1975. He won numerous championships at local tracks. Before racing in the Grand National series, he raced modified stock cars in the northeast. He was one of the first to transition from the modified series to the early Grand National Series.^[1][2] He was the NASCAR National Late Model Sportsman champion (laterXfinity Series) for three consecutive years from 1969 to 1971. Farmer's best finish inNASCAR's top division was fourth at both the 1972Talladega 500, and the 1968 Middle Georgia 500 nearMacon, Georgia. He entered so few Cup races because he was content to run primarily in the Late Model Sportsman Series. He was namedNASCAR's most popular driver four times. Farmer raced in the white and gold number 97 car. In the mid-60's, however, Farmer raced a white, gold, and red Ford Fairlane, number F-97.

He wasDavey Allison'screw chief in theBusch Series.

Farmer has retained his skills as a driver in spite of his age. He competed in two Busch Grand National races in 1992, and the season opening ARCA event at Daytona in 1993. In June 2005, at age 72, Farmer turned heads in winning a heat over current NASCARSprint Cup stars, and finished 8th in the feature during theSprintPrelude to the Dream atEldora Speedway, owned byTony Stewart.

As of 2022, Farmer still regularly competes in alate model at Talladega Short Track,^[3] a 1/3 mile oval dirt track inEastaboga, Alabama located near theTalladega Superspeedway.^[4][5] His grandson, Lee Burdett, also races there.^[5]

Farmer's house, race shop, race hauler, and dirtlate model were damaged bya tornado on March 25, 2021.^[6]

His accolades are numerous, being a member of five halls of fame. Farmer was named one of the 50 Greatest Drivers in NASCAR history in 1998. He was a member of the first Class of Inductees into the Talladega-Texaco Walk Of Fame. When theInternational Motorsports Hall of Fame inducted Farmer, they had to waive their rule of 5 years of retirement – they figured he never would retire. Red Farmer was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2022.^[7]

On July 12, 1993, Farmer was a passenger in a helicopter crash at Talladega Superspeedway that took the life of NASCAR Winston Cup driverDavey Allison, which occurred as Allison was attempting to land the aircraft in a nearby parking lot. The two were en route to the track in order to watchDavid Bonnett (son of fellow Alabama Gang driverNeil Bonnett) drive in a practice session.^[8] Farmer suffered a broken collarbone and fractured ribs in the crash.^[9]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

• Red Farmer driver statistics at Racing-Reference
• Alabama Gang websiteArchived 2005-07-28 at theWayback Machine
• Talladega Walk of Fame

• ARCA Menards Series drivers
• Survivors of aviation accidents or incidents
• International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees
• Living people
• NASCAR drivers
• Sportspeople from Birmingham, Alabama
• Racing drivers from Alabama
• 1932 births
• Alabama Gang
• NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees
• Racing drivers from Nashville, Tennessee
• People from Hueytown, Alabama
• Sportspeople from Jefferson County, Alabama

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