Whitson Buren Skeen (September 28, 1936 – September 13, 1965) was an American

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driver from

Denton, North Carolina Denton is a town in Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 1,494. Geography Denton is located in southern Davidson County southeast of Lexington, North Carolina, Lexington, the coun ...

Career

Skeen competed in eight

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events in his career, earning three finishes in the top ten. All of those races came in

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...

, when Skeen finished 60th in points. His debut went miserably, finishing 30th at North Wilkesboro after transmission woes. But then Skeen improved over the next two races, finishing 9th at Martinsville and then a career-best 5th at

Bowman Gray Stadium Bowman Gray Stadium is a multi-use sports facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The complex consists of a paved oval Oval track racing#Short track, short track and a gridiron football field. The complex has held various major events since ...

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...

. Skeen would add a 7th-place finish in another race later in the year at Bowman Gray. However, four DNFs in five races were capped when Skeen died from injuries sustained a week earlier after crashing on the second lap of the 1965 Southern 500 at

Darlington Raceway Darlington Raceway is a egg-shaped oval track in Darlington, South Carolina. The track has hosted a variety of racing events since its inaugural season of racing in 1950; primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. The venue has a capacity of 47,00 ...

. His car spun on the second lap and was hit on the driver's side. Because of the lack of the strength in the roll cage, the drivers side door was completely smashed in. An infamous video shows the car being towed away. The drivers seat was moved completely to the other side of the car, and the steering wheel poking out of the window.

References

External links

* * * 1936 births 1965 deaths Sportspeople from Guilford County, North Carolina People from Denton, North Carolina Sportspeople from Davidson County, North Carolina Racing drivers from North Carolina NASCAR drivers Racing drivers who died while racing Sports deaths in South Carolina Filmed deaths in motorsport {{NASCAR-bio-stub