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Curtis Turner
In NASCAR's earliest days, no one raced, or partied, harder than Curtis Turner. His philosophy of "Run it till it breaks or wins" earned the sport many fans when it most needed them, while his sociability made him a vital part of the drivers' growing group identity. Turner was killed in a crash of his private plane in 1970.
Tim Flock
One of the genuine rough & ready pioneers of stock car racing, Flock holds the record for highest winning percentage (he won 21.2% of the races he entered) and was twice the series champion. A classic "character," Flock competed in eight races with Jocko Flocko, his pet monkey, as a passenger in his race car.
David Pearson
"The Silver Fox" from Spartanburg, SC, Pearson is second only to Richard Petty on the sport's all-time win list (105), and won the series championship three times. From 1973 to 1978, he won an unprecedented 11 straight pole positions at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Bill Elliott
One of the most popular drivers in NASCAR history, "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" ruled the late-80s and much of the 90s. He holds the single-season record of 11 superspeedway races (in 1985), and was the first driver to win the "Winston Million," also in 1985, which earned him the nickname "Million Dollar Bill."
Buck Baker
The Baker family patriarch, Charlotte native, and former bus driver, Baker was the first back-to-back series champion (1956 and 1957), and won the then reputation-making Southern 500 in Darlington three times.
Lee Petty
Not just the father of Richard, Lee Petty's forceful style helped him win 54 races — seventh on the sport's all-time wins list. The first three-time series champion, he won the first Daytona 500 (1959), and ranked in the Top 5 in the series points chase 11 of 16 seasons.
Ned Jarrett
"Gentleman Ned" Jarrett, whose soft-spoken demeanor belied his aggressive driving style, was a crowd favorite who won 50 Winston Cup races and was a two-time series champion, and that was after having had a championship-winning career in the Busch series races. He retired in 1966 at the age of 34.
Bobby Allison
A highly popular driver, and one of the founders of the "Alabama Gang," Allison was series championship runner-up five times, and won the title in 1983. He is tied with Darrell Waltrip for third in all-time career wins, with 84.
His career was cut short by an accident in 1988.
Buddy Baker
The son of two-time series champion Buck Baker, Buddy made a name for himself in a big way by winning back-to-back Coca-Cola 600s (1972 and 1973), finishing in the Top 5 in 202 races, and becoming the first driver to break the 200mph barrier at Talladega.
Herb Thomas
A former wildcat racing king, Thomas became a linchpin of NASCAR's early days, winning the series championship in 1951 and 1953, and was the first driver to win three Southern 500s (at the time the most prestigious race). The third of those wins, in 1955, came despite being badly injured a mere three months earlier. The next year, Thomas was seriously injured again, ending his career.
Bobby Isaac
Bobby Isaac liked to drive fast, it was that simple. After winning the 1970 series championship, he went on to set a world closed-course speed record, running over 201mph at Talladega. Later, he set 28 world class records on the Bonneville Salt Flats in his trusty Dodge. In 1969, he set a single-season record by winning 20 pole positions. He died following a race in Hickory, NC in 1977.
