Monk Tate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
March 29, 1934
Ruffin, North Carolina
Ruffin, North Carolina
| Monk Tate | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | John Dillard Tate March 29, 1934 Ruffin, North Carolina | ||||||
| Died | May 15, 2020 (aged 86) Ruffin, North Carolina | ||||||
| Achievements | 1971 Trico Motor Speedway late model sportsman champion[1] | ||||||
| NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| 1982 position | 173rd | ||||||
| Best finish | 173rd (1982) | ||||||
| First race | 1982 Dogwood 500 (Martinsville) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Statistics up to date as of October 2, 2020. | |||||||
John Dillard "Monk" Tate (March 29, 1934 – May 15, 2020) was an American racing driver, moonshine runner, tobacco farmer and business owner. He was a competitor in the NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series, winning the 1975 Cardinal 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
After becoming a racing fan in his youth, Tate started his racing career with a 1938 Chevrolet, driving it at Rainbow Speedway in his late teens. He later raced locally at tracks like Concord International Speedway, Draper Speedway and Log Cabin Raceway.[2][3] He later expanded to regional racing in the eastern United States, running races as far away as the World Series of Asphalt in Florida.[4] Tate claimed a NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division win at the Cardinal 500 at Martinsville Speedway in 1975, inheriting the lead late after Butch Lindley slowed from tire wear.[5] After briefly retiring from competitive racing in the 1980s, Tate began vintage racing in 1996 and continued to do so until 2004.[2] Bouncing between stock car racing, late model racing and modified racing, Tate estimated that he won over 1,000 races in his career, including 50 in one particularly successful season.[2]
Tate also dabbled in car ownership, fielding a ride for Cale Yarborough in 1977 at Trico Motor Speedway.[6] In the 2010s, Tate was a modified car owner at Ace Speedway.[7]
Personal life
Tate was nicknamed "Monk" after he climbed a falling tree in his childhood.[2] He ran moonshine, leading police to trap him one time by blocking both ends of a bridge on the Dan River. The incident landed Tate one night in jail and a probationary period.[2] Tate was a tobacco farmer in the beginning portions of his adult life and later owned Tate Trucking Company until 2019.[8]