Dick Bown

Bown's first racecar was a 1937 Ford Coupe, which he purchased for $5, and he drove it in his first race in Salem, Oregon.^[2] In 1961, Bown made his NASCAR Grand National Series debut at Marchbanks Speedway, finishing seventeenth in his self-owned Chevrolet.^[3] This also doubled as his NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model Division debut; his first standalone start in the series came in the following race at Kearney Bowl, where he finished tenth.^[4] Bown is known to have competed in two races in 1962, scoring another top ten at the California State Fairgrounds Race Track.^[5] His next Grand National start came in 1963 at Riverside International Raceway, where he finished nineteenth.^[6] His only known standalone Pacific Coast Late Model Division start of the year came at Manzanita Speedway, where he finished second.^[7] In 1964, Bown expanded his NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model Division schedule, competing in eighteen of twenty-nine races. Across those starts, he scored eleven top-tens, three wins, and three poles.^[8] Bown's wins came at Evergreen Speedway, Eugene Speedway, and Ascot Park. Bown ran eight of fourteen races in 1965, scoring five top-tens.^[9] This included the combination race with the Grand National Series at Riverside, where he finished twenty-seventh due to engine issues.^[10] In 1966, Bown only attempted four races, making three starts and failing to qualify for the race at the California State Fairgrounds Race Track.^[11] He did not compete in the series in 1967. In 1968, Bown made one start, coming at Tri-City Raceway, where he finished eighth.^[12] Bown made one Grand National Series start in 1969, finishing twelfth at Riverside.^[13] He is known to have competed in seventeen Pacific Coast Late Model Division races, scoring a win at Jantzen Beach Arena.^[14] He also won the Apple Cup at Yakima Speedway.^[15] Bown competed in all but one race in 1970, scoring six wins, eleven top-tens, and four poles.^[16] He finished sixth in the standings. He also competed in six Grand National Series races, scoring his only career top-ten at Smoky Mountain Raceway.^[17] Bown ran fourteen of twenty-six races in 1971 in the rebranded Winston West Series, but only scored four top-tens.^[18] He made four Winston Cup starts, including the World 600.^[19] Bown competed in all thirty West Series races in 1972, scoring three wins, eighteen top-fives, and twenty-three top-tens.^[20] He finished a career-best third in points.^[1][21] His only Winston Cup starts were combination races, with his best finish being thirteenth in both Riverside races.^[22] Bown's final full-time West Series season was 1973, where he scored a win, twelve top-fives, and sixteen top-tens in twenty-one races.^[23] He failed to finish the combination races at Riverside.^[24] Bown competed in one race in 1974, a combination race at Riverside, finishing thirtieth.^[25] His final start in both the Cup and West series was the 1975 Winston Western 500, where he finished thirtieth due to engine issues.^[26] He then retired from racing to focus on supporting the racing careers of his children.^[2][21]

Bown was born on August 12, 1928, in Gettysburg, South Dakota, to Walter Bown and Annetta Ulmer Bown.^[2] He grew up in the state, where he first developed his love for cars. He settled in Portland, Oregon in 1941, where he met his wife, Evelyn Ferguson Bown, with whom he had three children: Sheri, Chuck, and Jim.^[2] Chuck and Jim both became NASCAR drivers, with Chuck winning championships in the NASCAR Winston West Series and NASCAR Busch Series, and Jim winning seven races in the West Series. Bown was a self-made millionaire in the auto wrecking business.^[1] He opened his business, Rose Auto Wrecking, in 1953, and ran it for over 60 years. Bown became president of the Auto Wreckers Association and in the 1960s, he testified before Congress on their behalf.^[2]