Ernie Stierly

Stierly made his debut in the NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model Division in 1965, driving a self-owned Pontiac at Portland Speedway, where he finished in last due to exhaust issues.^[1] He next raced in the series in 1969, scoring a top ten at Evergreen Speedway and competing in three other races.^[2] He ran eight races in the renamed NASCAR Winston West Series in 1971, scoring two top ten finishes.^[3] Stierly ran nine races in 1972, finishing in the top-ten in seven of them.^[4] 1973 saw Stierly run more races and score more top tens, running eleven races and finishing top ten in every race he finished, including a runner-up finish at Portland Speedway, only failing to finish the race at Laguna Seca Raceway.^[5] Stierly ran 22 of 28 races during the 1974 season, scoring his first career pole along with six top-five and eight top-ten results.^[6] He would only run seven races in 1975, but would score his first wins in the series, first at Umitalla Speedway, where he led every lap, and then in the following event at Portland Speedway; Stierly failed to finish the other five races.^[7] He attempted the Rose Classic, but failed to qualify.^[8] Stierly is known to have competed in the NASCAR Winston Northwest Racing Series in 1975, where he finished fifteenth in the standings, but specific results are unknown.^[9] In 1976, Stierly attempted all but one race (the season opener at Riverside International Raceway) and scored three more wins, all in succession, coming at Western Speedway,^[10] Umatilla Speedway, and Portland Speedway.^[11] Stierly ended the season second in the standings behind Chuck Bown. In contesting a majority of the schedule, he made his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut at Riverside, finishing thirty-third due to transmission issues.^[12] Stierly again ran a majority of the schedule in 1977, scoring three poles and seven top tens across seventeen races.^[13] He nearly won the first West Series races at All American Speedway, but was passed with six laps remaining by Sumner McKnight.^[14] During the series' inaugural race at Phoenix Raceway, Stierly collided with Chris Monoleos, causing Monoleos to hit the wall and roll multiple times, leading to an hour-long red flag.^[15] Stierly finished sixth in the standings. In two Winston Cup starts, he finished twentieth and thirty-fifth at Riverside and Ontario Motor Speedway respectively.^[16] Stierly also made his USAC Stock Car Series debut in 1977, finishing twenty-seventh at Ontario due to engine issues.^[17] He also made at least one start in the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman National Championship, where he finished sixth at Riverside.^[18] Stierly would only run half of the West schedule in 1978, scoring a pole and four top tens, including two fourth place finishes.^[19] His final Cup starts and final cup attempt also came during this season, with finishes of nineteenth and thirty-first in the races at Riverside.^[20] He also made his second and final USAC Stock Car start, finishing eleventh at Ontario.^[21] He competed in at least one NASCAR Winston Northwest Racing Series event, finishing fourth at Yakima Speedway.^[22] He also competed in the Rose Classic at All American Speedway, finishing fifth.^[8] Stierly made his final career West starts in 1979, failing to finish the first two and ending his career with a twentieth place finish at Portland.^[23]

Stierly was born in Montgomery, Pennsylvania, on November 29, 1930,^[24] although it has also been noted as being in December.^[9][25] He owned Allied Plating Inc, a bumper chroming business in Portland, Oregon from 1956 to 1984. The company appeared as a sponsor on his racecar throughout much of his career.^[26] He retired and moved to Tillamook, Oregon until having a heart attack in 2006, when he would subsequently move to his prior residence of Vancouver, Washington.^[24] Stierly was married to Phyllis Jean Myers Stierly from 1959 until her death in 1993, and had four children.^[24] Stierly died in Vancouver on July 3, 2010, at the age of 79.