Bill Blair (racing driver)
American racing driver (1911–1995)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Ivey Blair (July 14, 1911 – November 2, 1995) was an American stock car racing driver in the 1940s and the 1950s, and he was one of the pioneers of NASCAR.
BornJuly 14, 1911
High Point, North Carolina, U.S.
High Point, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedNovember 2, 1995 (aged 84)
High Point, North Carolina, U.S.
High Point, North Carolina, U.S.
Best finish1st (1950)
First race1949 Race No. 1 (Charlotte)
| Bill Blair | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | July 14, 1911 High Point, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | November 2, 1995 (aged 84) High Point, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 123 races run over 10 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 1st (1950) | ||||||
| First race | 1949 Race No. 1 (Charlotte) | ||||||
| Last race | 1958 Lakewood Speedway (Atlanta) | ||||||
| First win | 1950 Vernon Fairgrounds (Vernon, NY) | ||||||
| Last win | 1953 Daytona Beach | ||||||
| |||||||
| Statistics up to date as of August 11, 2025. | |||||||
Racing career
Blair started his racing career as a bootlegger in the 1930s. In 1939, he began racing at the newly-constructed High Point Speedway, and he opened his own track Tri-City Speedway after World War II.[1][2]
Blair won three NASCAR Strictly Stock/Grand National races:
- June 18, 1950 – Blair piloted a 1950 Mercury owned by Sam Rice to victory in a race at Vernon Fairgrounds in Vernon, NY.[citation needed]
- April 20, 1952 – Blair drove a 1952 Oldsmobile owned by George Hutchens to his second win at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta, GA.[citation needed]
- February 15, 1953 – In his final series victory, Blair drove his 1953 Oldsmobile to victory lane at the Beach & Road Course in Daytona Beach, FL.[3]
Memorial
Blair, Jimmie Lewallen, and Fred Harb are the subject of the independent movie "Red Dirt Rising" which is based on the book Red Dirt Tracks: The Forgotten Heroes of Early Stockcar Racing by Gail Cauble Gurley.[4]
