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| Ron Esau | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1954-10-09)October 9, 1954 Lakeside, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | January 24, 2022(2022-01-24) (aged 67) | ||||||
| Awards | West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2022) | ||||||
| NASCARCup Series career | |||||||
| 17 races run over 10 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 62nd (1984) | ||||||
| First race | 1975Winston Western 500Riverside | ||||||
| Last race | 1990Miller Genuine Draft 400 (Richmond) | ||||||
| |||||||
| NASCARCraftsman Truck Series career | |||||||
| 6 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 43rd (1995) | ||||||
| First race | 1995Jerr Dan / Nelson 150 (Evergreen) | ||||||
| Last race | 1997Carquest Auto Parts 420K (Las Vegas) | ||||||
| |||||||
Ronald Richard Esau[1] (October 9, 1954 – January 24, 2022) was an AmericanNASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who competed from 1975 to 1990.[2]
The primary vehicle for this driver was the No. 56Marc Reno-owned Gear VendorChevrolet.[3] He completed 1,704 laps - the equivalent of 3,425.5 miles (5,512.8 km) of racing - while picking up eight DNQs in the process.[2] Esau started in an average of 31st place and finished in an average of thirtieth place; keeping him near the rear of the average racing grid.[2] His total career earnings are $44,290.[2]
Even though he acquired a seventeen-race winless streak throughout his entire career as a NASCAR driver, Esau climbed as high in the championship rankings to 62nd place in the1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season in addition to falling as low as 114th place in the1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship standings.[3]
In February 1988, Esau drove in the first ever NASCAR sanctioned stock car race held outside of North America when he was one of 32 starters in theGoodyear NASCAR 500 held at theCalder Park Thunderdome inMelbourne,Australia. Driving in place of the critically injuredJim Robinson with all proceeds (including Esaus driving fee) going to the Jim Robinson Fund to help with medical bills, Esau'sOldsmobile Delta 88 started fifth, qualifying at 138.200 mph. For the first half of the race, Esau was able to avoid the predicted wrecks and was among the leaders, swapping the lead many times with regular Winston Cup starsNeil Bonnett andBobby Allison. However his race was over on lap 160 (of 280) with engine failure.
From 2013 until his death, Esau operated a racing team in the independent circuits of stock cars that feature the old V8 engines that are rarely used in major league motorsports anymore.[4]
Esau was married to Marsha; they had one son. He worked as a mentor to young stock car drivers likeBrandon Whitt andBrendan Gaughan. Occasional jobs that Esau did after his NASCAR career include stints as the head driving instructor forDrivetech Racing School and doing fundraisers for people with various handicaps.[citation needed] Ron died on January 24, 2022, at the age of 67.[5]
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Hylton Motorsports | Chevrolet | DNQ | |
| NASCARCraftsman Truck Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | NCTSC | Pts | Ref | ||||||||||||
| 1995 | Ken Schrader Racing | 52 | Chevy | PHO | TUS | SGS | MMR | POR | EVG 9 | 43rd | 427 | [17] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Walker Evans Racing | 26 | Dodge | I70 26 | LVL | BRI | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 | MLW 29 | CNS | HPT | IRP | FLM | RCH | MAR | NWS | SON | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bunce Engineering | 63 | Chevy | MMR 20 | PHO DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Bunce Engineering | 9 | Chevy | WDW | TUS | HOM | PHO | POR | EVG | I70 | NHA | TEX | BRI | NZH | MLW | LVL | CNS | HPT | IRP | FLM | NSV | GLN | RCH | MAR | SON | MMR 20 | CAL DNQ | PHO | LVS 22 | 73rd | 249 | [18] | ||||||||||||
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| ARCA Hooters SuperCar Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | AHSSC | Pts | Ref | |||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | 26 | Olds | DAY | FIF | TWS 6 | TAL | TOL | KIL | POC | MCH | FRS | KIL | NSH | DEL | POC | HPT 30 | FRS | ISF | TOL | DSF | TWS DNQ | SLM | ATL | 87th | - | [39] | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | Spears Motorsports | 75W | Chevy | DAY | FIF | TWS 7 | TAL | KIL | CMS | FRS | TOL | POC | MCH | FRS | POC | KIL | ISF | DSF | TOL | SLM | WIN | ATL | NA | 0 | [40] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Inaugural | NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour Champion 1986 | Succeeded by |