Sonny Easley
American racing driver (1939–1978)
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Lynwood Lacey "Sonny" Easley (June 5, 1939 – January 15, 1978) was an American racecar driver who is best known for competing in the NASCAR Winston West Series and a handful of NASCAR Winston Cup Series events.
Virginia, U.S.
Van Nuys, California, U.S.
Saugus Speedway track champion[1]
| Sonny Easley | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | June 5, 1939 Virginia, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | January 15, 1978 (aged 38) Van Nuys, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Cause of death | Accident (Modified practice) | ||||||
| Awards | West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2003) Saugus Speedway track champion[1] | ||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 19 races run over 6 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 38th - 1976 | ||||||
| First race | 1972 (Riverside) | ||||||
| Last race | 1977 (Ontario) | ||||||
| |||||||
Easley tallied nine Winston West victories over his career, including a victory in the first stock car race ever held at the Laguna Seca Raceway road course.[2] He finished second in Winston West points in 1973 and 1975.
In 19 career Cup starts, Easley had a best finish of fifth place at the January 16, 1977 Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway.
During practice for a NASCAR Grand American race at Riverside on January 15, 1978, Easley was killed when his 1968 Camaro slid across the track into a trailer and pickup truck near pit road. A pit crew member for Tiny Keith, Douglas Grunst, was also killed in the incident.[3][4]
Easley lived in Van Nuys, California.
Easley was a 2003 inductee into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.[5]
