Larry Phillips (July 3, 1942 – September 21, 2004) was an American

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

and race car builder with a driving career starting in 1960 and running until 2001. Phillips was the first person to win the

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

Weekly Series national championship five times. He won that title in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, and 1996. As a driver, he won seven NASCAR Weekly Series regional championships and thirteen track championships.Schaefer, Paul. ''Where Stars Are Born: Celebrating 25 Years of NASCAR Weekly Racing''. Coastal 181, Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA, 2006. . pp. 49–79.

Early life

Phillips was born in Springfield,

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, son of Jim and Margie Phillips. He attended Bois D'Arc grade school in a suburb of Springfield, Missouri and Parkview High School in Springfield, Missouri.

NASCAR touring series

Phillips competed in one NASCAR touring series race in 1976. The race was a combined

Winston Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States. The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and fro ...

/ Winston West Series event at

Ontario Motor Speedway Ontario Motor Speedway was a motorsport venue located in Ontario, California. It was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: United States Au ...

. He started 24th and finished 13th overall. Since he was the highest finisher in a Winston West car, he was credited with a win in the class.

Racing career

After years as a star in Midwestern dirt Late Model racing, Phillips switched to asphalt tracks in 1989 when two tracks near him: I-44 Speedway, Lebanon MO and Speedway USA, Bolivar MO were paved. That year, driving an asphalt Late Model that he owned, Phillips won 23 of the 27 NASCAR-sanctioned races that he entered, and won the track championship at Bolivar Speedway in Missouri. In 1990, Phillips added James Ince (later a winning

Winston Cup The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States. The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...

crew chief) to his team, and won 32 races in 40 starts in 1991 at race tracks in Kansas and Missouri. The team's success continued in 1992 at the same race tracks, winning 38 times in 40 starts despite a trailer fire en route to the only double-feature event on their schedule. The team had more than 70 wins for the season including some late season dirt races. In 1995, Phillips once again won 32 out of 40 races, winning the national championship over

Greg Biffle Gregory Jack Biffle (born December 23, 1969), nicknamed "the Biff", is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver. After racing in the NASCAR Winter Heat Series in the mid-1990s, he was recommended to Jack Roush by former race ...

by a tiebreaker. In his final national championship season, 1996, Phillips earned 14 wins in 20 starts. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2000, but continued to race until the first race of the 2001 season. With his energy fading, he retired rather than race without confidence in being ready to win.

Honors

* As part of the 25th anniversary of the NASCAR Weekly Series in 2006, Phillips was named one of the series' All Time Top 25 drivers.Schaefer, Paul. ''Where Stars Are Born: Celebrating 25 Years of NASCAR Weekly Racing''. Coastal 181, Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA, 2006. . pp. 163–170. * 2013

NASCAR Hall of Fame The NASCAR Hall of Fame, is a Hall of Fame and Museum located in Charlotte, North Carolina that honors NASCAR and its history. Inductees to the Hall of Fame are drivers who have shown expert skill at NASCAR driving, all-time great crew chiefs ...

Nominee * 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame Nominee * Named to NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers * 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame Nominee

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

( key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series

References

External links

* Pictures of Larry Phillips * https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheRealMidwestDirtTrackLegends/permalink/1800705626626866/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v {{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Larry NASCAR drivers American Speed Association drivers Sportspeople from Springfield, Missouri Racing drivers from Missouri 1942 births 2004 deaths