NASCAR News: Hall of Famer Rex White dies at 95
Rex White, who became just the seventh driver to capture NASCAR’s premier series championship (now called the Cup Series) in 1960, has died.
Growing up on a North Carolina farm, Rex familiarized himself with all things mechanical and enjoyed driving anything with wheels. He began his driving career in 1954 before moving to NASCAR’s premier series in 1956.
Rex captured NASCAR’s top prize as both a driver and car owner, winning the 1960 NASCAR Cup Series championship on the strength of six wins and 35 top 10 finishes in 40 starts. A short track specialist, Rex made a name for himself in an era when those tracks dominated the schedule. Of his 28 career wins in NASCAR’s premier series, 26 were on tracks of a mile or less. He accomplished that in only 233 total starts over a period of just nine years.
Best known for piloting a gold and white No. 4 Chevrolet, White was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998 and was named the series’ Most Popular Driver in 1960. In addition to his Cup wins, White also scored a victory in the NASCAR Convertible Series, winning at Marlboro, Maryland, in April of 1959.
White nabbed his first NASCAR Cup Series win on Nov. 3, 1957 at Champion Speedway in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He took over the lead in the 50-mile, 150-lap race when then-leader Jack Smith lost a wheel after 145 laps. White led the remaining five laps. The victory came in his 34th start in the series.
He put the wraps on his 1960 championship well before the season’s final race, winning at Martinsville Speedway for the second consecutive year and with four races remaining on the schedule. White bested Weatherly for the Old Dominion 500 victory and thanks to the win, he expanded his lead over second-place Richard Petty to more than 13,000 points in an earlier points structure.
According to an Associated Press report on the Martinsville race, White’s winning margin was “a mere 200 yards” and came “after waging a bumper-to-bumper, fender-to-fender duel with (Weatherly) for the last 30 laps.”
A member of the Class of 2015, Rex was among NASCAR’s pioneers who remained very visible at tracks and industry events for years. He was a dedicated ambassador who enjoyed supporting any event or activity he was requested to participate in.
“We mourn the loss of NASCAR Champion and Hall of Famer, Rex White,” Jim France, NASCAR chairman and CEO, shared in a statement. “Rex epitomized the formative days of NASCAR — a true pioneer whose contributions helped shape the foundation of our sport. His hard work, dedication and talent allowed him to make a living doing what he loved most – racing cars. He was the model of consistency – finishing in the top five in nearly half of his races — and dominated the short tracks. On behalf of NASCAR and the France family, I want to offer our condolences to the friends and family of Rex White.”