44 Facts About Red Byron

Robert Nold "Red" Byron was an American stock car racing driver, who was successful in NASCAR competition in the sanctioning body's first years.

Red Byron was NASCAR's first Modified champion in 1948 and its first Strictly Stock champion in 1949.

Red Byron won the first NASCAR race at Daytona Beach and Road Course and won the inaugural NASCAR Strictly Stock driver's championship.

Red Byron began racing in 1932 and was successful in racing at Talladega and Anniston by the start of the 1940s.

Red Byron then made his way to Lakewood Speedway, where he raced any ride he could find.

Red Byron was eventually stationed as a flight engineer on B-24 Liberator bombers during World War II, flying in fifty-eight missions while serving engineer duties and tail gunning duties.

In 1944, Red Byron joined his 58th mission after subbing for a fellow serviceman whose wife was going into labor.

In 1946, while working on ideas with Vogt, Red Byron fabricated two stirrup pins on his clutch pedal to help support his left leg.

Red Byron achieved his first Stock Car victory in July 1941, while on two-day liberty from training with the USAAF, and with the war intervening, did not return to racing for five years.

Red Byron won the Hankinson Memorial on February 24,1946, at Seminole Speedway, beating Roy Hall and Bill France.

On July 20,1946, Red Byron finished 2nd in the inaugural race at Selinsgrove Speedway.

In 1948, Red Byron became a part of the newly-formed NASCAR Modified Series racing with Raymond Parks' team.

Red Byron won the Rayson Memorial, the first NASCAR sanctioned race.

The race took place at the Daytona Beach Road Course, where Red Byron beat Marshall Teague and Bob Flock.

The front-right tire of Red Byron's car blew, causing the car to veer off the track and into a group of spectators, injuring sixteen and killing a seven-year-old boy.

Fonty Flock did not finish in the points which helped Red Byron shorten his lead in the points championship.

Fonty Flock did not finish ahead of Red Byron which shortened his points lead even more.

In race two of the double header, Red Byron fought his way from tenth to first to win the race, giving him the series points lead.

Red Byron accumulated 11 wins and 25 top fives during the season.

In 1949, Red Byron ran a more limited schedule in the NASCAR Modified Division, starting 11 races.

The first modified race that Red Byron participated in during the 1949 season was on January 23, where Red Byron would bring his car home in fifth place at Broward Speedway.

In race two, Red Byron finished behind Tim Flock and Fonty Flock.

Red Byron would move to focusing on the NASCAR Strictly Stock series full time, not making another start in the Modified Division.

In 1950, Red Byron started two races in the Modified Division, both coming in March.

In 1949, Red Byron began racing in NASCAR's newly formed Strictly Stock series, which became the Grand National series, Winston Cup, and the modern-day NASCAR Cup Series.

Red Byron finished sixteenth and was crowned Strictly Stock Champion at the conclusion of the race by a margin of 117.5 points over Lee Petty.

Red Byron finished the season with two wins, four top fives, and four top tens.

Red Byron raced just four of the nineteen races of the 1950 NASCAR Grand National season.

Red Byron did not return to the series again until race thirteen, where he finished third in the 1950 Southern 500.

The last race that Red Byron ran in the season was the 1950 Wilkes 200, where he would finish nineteenth with a spindle issue.

In 1951, Red Byron ran just five of the forty one races included in the NASCAR Grand National schedule.

The last race of the season that Byron entered was the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Red Byron owned a sports car racing team for much of the 1950s.

Red Byron worked with Briggs Cunningham, who was trying to develop an American sports car that could win Grand Prix races, then become manager of a Corvette team with the same goal.

On January 19,2018, Red Byron was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame's Class of 2018.

Red Byron died of a heart attack in a Chicago hotel room on November 11,1960, at the age of 45, he was in Chicago to talk with Anheuser-Busch executives about starting a sports car team.

At the time of his death, Red Byron was managing the Scarab SCCA team which was owned by Augi Pabst and Harry Heuer.

Red Byron was set to fly to Daytona Beach the next day to be with the team for the championship race that weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

Red Byron was inducted into the National Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1966.

Red Byron was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2008.

Red Byron was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 19,2018.

Red Byron's induction was accepted by Winston Kelley, the executive director for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Red Byron was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on March 17,2020.

Red Byron was automatically included because he was part of the original 50 Greatest Drivers.