NASCAR driver and Hall of Famer David Pearson died November 12, 2018 in Spartenburg, South Carolina at the age of 83. No further details of his death were available. Pearson had a stroke in 2014.
Known to the racing world as “the Silver Fox”, Pearson won 105 races in only 574 race starts and won the sports top honours three times. His name is also engraved on the Harley Earl trophy as one of the winners of the Daytona 500.
He was born David Gene Pearson on December 22, 1934 near Spartanburg, South Carolina where he also began his racing career on dirt tracks when he was in his teens.
Pearson only earned $13 for his first win, but he was hooked by the thrill of the sport.
Pearson began his career in NASCAR in 1960 when he was named Rookie of the Year. While he never competed in a full season, Pearson led the field to the green flag as the pole sitter 113 times.
Along with the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Pearson was a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the National Motor Sports press Association’s Hall of Fame, the Charlotte Motor Speedway’ Court of Legends, and was inducted into the Heroes of Bristol.
Predeceased by his wife Helen, Pearson is survived by his sons Eddie, Larry, and Ricky.
Feature photo credit: By Freewheeling Daredevil from Kingston, TN, USA – David Pearson, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74372692