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TIMESTAMPS
Born August 17, 1930 in Taylorsville, North Carolina, Rex White was a small person, but he went on to become a giant in the world of big-time NASCAR racing, and one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers.
In his book, Gold Thunder, White said that at the age of eight, he was working on his family's Model T.
"I was unaware the car on which I labored represented hope to people around me, frustration to those trying to stop illegal moonshine. I saw automobiles as transportation, not the symbol of an upcoming billion-dollar sport."
Growing up during the poverty-ridden time of the Great Depression, he would hear the roar of the powerful Ford flathead V-8s as the liquor-laden cars sped past his family's farm.
White suffered from polio as a boy, which left him with a withered leg, but he never complained and went on with his life.
"Most of the lessons I have learned have stayed with me all my life. The biggest one was how to conquer fear."
White went on to become a champion and inspiring personality, both on and off the track. He continues to live in Fayetteville, Georgia.
From 1959 through 1963 Rex White won more races than any other driver, including Lee and Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett, "Fireball" Roberts, Junior Johnson, Joe Weatherly, Curtis Turner, and Buck Baker.
He was Chevrolet's best and most consistent driver in the early 1960s.
The Book, "Gold Thunder" tells the story of White's struggle to become a champion despite a poverty-ridden childhood and a devastating physical disability.
A firsthand account of the early days of NASCAR, and southern stock car racing, the book is based on extensive research by the writer, Anne B. Jones Ph. D, of Jonesboro, GA, and with hundreds of hours of interviews with white.
It includes stories by other drivers and is filled with anecdotes of a virtual who's who of NASCAR.
White is still very active, making numerous appearances on radio, television, and national racing magazines.