Richie Evans
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Richard Ernest Evans (July 23, 1941Bourcier, Bones, "61 at 61", ''Speedway Illustrated'' (ISSN 1528-4182), Volume 3, Number 8, August 2002. – October 24, 1985), 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 ...
who won nine
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 ...
National Modified Championships, including eight in a row from 1978 to 1985. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame lists this achievement as "one of the supreme accomplishments in motorsports".International Motorsports Hall of Fame website, last verified September 17, 2007. Evans won virtually every major race for asphalt modifieds, most of them more than once, including winning the Race of Champions three times. Evans was inducted into the
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 ...
on June 14, 2011. As one of the Class of 2012, Evans was one of the Hall's first 15 inductees, and was the first Hall of Famer from outside the now NASCAR Cup Series.


Early career

Evans left his family's farm in
Westernville, New York Westernville, New York is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Oneida County, located west of Adirondack Park and north of Rome, and Utica. Westernville is in the Town of Western, adjacent to Delta Reservoir and Delta Lake State Park. H ...
at age 16RICHIE EVANS, Modified Stock Car Racing Legend
Retrieved 2014-09-07.
to work at a local garage in
Rome, New York Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States, located in the central part of the state. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 census. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Rome Metropolitan Statistical Area, which lie ...
. After he found early success in street racing, then became a winner in drag racing, a local stock car racer, Chuck Mahoney, suggested he try building a car to race at the nearby Utica-Rome Speedway. He ran his first oval-track car, a 1954 Ford Hobby Stock, numbered PT-109 (after
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
's torpedo boat in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
), in 1962. He advanced to the Modified division, the premier short track division. In 1965, winning his first feature in the season's final night.Bourcier, Bones. ''RICHIE!: The Fast Life and Times of NASCAR's Greatest Modified Driver'' (1st ed., 2004). Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA: Coastal 181. .


National championships

In 1973, Evans became the NASCAR National Modified Champion. In 1978, the "Rapid Roman" won a second title and did not relinquish his crown during the next seven years. Evans took over four hundred feature race wins at racetracks from Quebec to Florida before he died in a crash at
Martinsville Speedway Martinsville Speedway is a oval Oval track racing#Short track, short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, United States, a community of Martinsville, Virginia. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1947, primarily events sanctione ...
while practicing for the Winn-Dixie 500 tripleheader in late 1985 (three races in one day—a 200-lap Modified race, a 200-lap Busch Series race, and a 100-lap Late Model race). Before his crash, Evans had clinched NASCAR's inaugural Winston Modified Tour (now known as
Whelen Modified Tour The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) (previously the NASCAR Winston Modified Tour and NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series from 1985 until 2005) is a modified stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified Division. The Mod ...
) championship a week earlier at Thompson, Connecticut.


Regional championships

In 1982, NASCAR created the Whelen All-American Series, then known as the Winston Racing Series, to reward successful short-track racers and to provide incentives for them to support their local weekly short tracks, known now as
NASCAR Home Tracks NASCAR Regional (formerly known as NASCAR Home Tracks and NASCAR Roots) is a group of regional stock car racing divisions and race tracks running on a weekly basis sanctioned by NASCAR. History Known as NASCAR Home Tracks until 2019, the organi ...
. He was Holland Speedway's first NASCAR champion (1982). Evans won the Northeast Region championship all four years that he competed in it, from 1982 through 1985, but did not win the national championship.Schaefer, Paul. ''Where Stars Are Born: Celebrating 25 Years of NASCAR Weekly Racing''. Coastal 181, Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA, 2006. pp. 8, 14–15, 20–22, 27–28.


Fatal crash and legacy

On October 24, 1985, Evans, who had clinched the 1985 National Modified title the week before at Thompson, was practicing for the Winn-Dixie 500 Modified race at
Martinsville Speedway Martinsville Speedway is a oval Oval track racing#Short track, short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, United States, a community of Martinsville, Virginia. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1947, primarily events sanctione ...
in
Martinsville, Virginia Martinsville is an Political subdivisions of Virginia#Independent cities, independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 13, ...
(the races featured 200-lap Modified and Busch Grand National, and a 100-lap Late Model feature). He crashed heavily into the concrete retaining wall in Turn 3, and perished in the accident. Evans' signature paint scheme, truck fleet color Swamp Holly Orange, began with "borrowed" paint from the local highway department garage. NASCAR named him as one of the sports' 50 Greatest Drivers during its 50th anniversary year in 1998. On January 20, 2012, Evans was inducted into the NASCAR Hall Of Fame. He is survived by wife Lynn and six children: Jodi Lynn (Evans) Meola, Janelle Ralaine (Evans) Walda, Jill Ann Evans, Jacqueline Marie (Evans) Williams, Richard Edwin Evans (who has raced under the moniker "Richie Evans Jr.") and Tara Denise (Evans) Farrell.


Awards and honors


Track championships

''(30 championships at 11 tracks in 4 states. All were in the Modified division on paved tracks.)'' * Thompson Speedway (
Thompson, Connecticut Thompson is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The town was named after Sir Robert Thompson, an English landholder. The population was 9,189 at the 2020 census ...
): 5 (1980–81, 1983–1985) * Utica-Rome Speedway ( Vernon, New York): 4 (1972–74, 1978) * Holland Speedway ( Holland, New York): 4 (1978–80, 1982) * Spencer Speedway ( Williamson, New York): 4 (1977–78, 1983, 1985) * Fulton Speedway ( Volney, New York): 3 (1970–71, 1974) * Shangri-La Speedway (
Owego, New York Owego is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Tioga County, New York, Tioga County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 18,728 at the 2020 census. The name is derived from the Iroquoian languages, Iro ...
): 3 (1975, 1977, 1982) * New Egypt Speedway (
New Egypt, New Jersey New Egypt is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Plumsted Township, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Stafford Speedway ( Stafford Springs, Connecticut): 2 (1980–81) * Chemung Speedrome (
Chemung, New York Chemung is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Chemung County, New York, Chemung County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 2,368 at the 2020 census. The town name is derived from the Chemung River, whi ...
): 1 (1978) *
Oswego Speedway The Oswego Speedway is a 5/8 mile race track in Oswego, New York. It was built in 1951 and was paved with asphalt since the 1952. The track has held dates on several national tours - the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, ASA National Tour, and USAC ...
(
Oswego, New York Oswego () is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 16,921 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Oswego is situated at the mouth of the Oswego River (New York), Osw ...
): 1 (1983) * Riverside Park Speedway ( Agawam, Massachusetts): 1 (1980)


Other acknowledgements

* NASCAR Connecticut State Champion (1980–1981) * NASCAR Winston Racing Series Northeast Region Champion (1982–1985) * New Smyrna World Series of Racing Modified Champion (1977, 1979–1981, 1983–1984) * 2-time Daytona International Speedway Modified Race winner (1979–1980) * 3-time Modified Race of Champions winner :1973 – Trenton (NJ) Speedway (1.50 mile track) :1979 – Pocono (PA) Raceway (2.50 mile track) :1980 – Pocono (PA) Raceway (0.75 mile track)


Feature race victories

''(518 feature wins known = 516 in Modifieds, 1 in Limited Sportsmen, and 1 in Supermodifieds, at 40 tracks in 12 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces).'' * Shangri-La Speedway (Owego, New York): 66 (1972–85) * Spencer Speedway (Williamson, New York): 52 (1969–85) * Fulton Speedway (Fulton, New York): 44 (1968–77), and 1 Limited Sportsman win (1970)Bisci, John. ''Remembering'', 2 October 2002 edition, covering weekend of September 11–12, 1970. * New Smyrna Speedway (
New Smyrna Beach, Florida New Smyrna Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States, located on the central east coast of the state, with the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The downtown section of the city is located on the west side of the Indian River and the ...
): 39 (1976–85) * Stafford Motor Speedway (Stafford Springs, Connecticut): 38 (1975–85) * Utica-Rome Speedway (Vernon, New York): 33 (1965–78) * Riverside Park Speedway (Agawam, Massachusetts): 32 (1978–84) * Thompson Speedway (Thompson, Connecticut): 35 (1975–85), and 1 Supermodified win * New Egypt Speedway (New Egypt, New Jersey): 25 (1976–85) * Lancaster Speedway (
Lancaster, New York Lancaster is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Erie County, New York, Erie County, New York (state), New York, United States, centered 14 miles east of downtown Buffalo, New York, Buffalo. Lancaster is an outer ring suburb of ...
): 23 (1969–76) * Albany-Saratoga Speedway (
Malta, New York Malta is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The town is in the central part of the county and is south of Saratoga Springs. The population was 17,130 as of the 2020 census. Malta, along with Stillwater, is home to the Luthe ...
): 17 (1970–76) * Islip Speedway (
Islip, New York Islip ( ) is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, New York (state), New York, United States, on the South Shore (Long Island), South Shore of Long Island. The population was 339,938 at th ...
): 18 (1970–83) *
Oswego Speedway The Oswego Speedway is a 5/8 mile race track in Oswego, New York. It was built in 1951 and was paved with asphalt since the 1952. The track has held dates on several national tours - the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, ASA National Tour, and USAC ...
(Oswego, New York): 13 (1972–85) * Holland International Speedway (Holland, New York): 11 (1977–85) *
Martinsville Speedway Martinsville Speedway is a oval Oval track racing#Short track, short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, United States, a community of Martinsville, Virginia. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1947, primarily events sanctione ...
(
Martinsville, Virginia Martinsville is an Political subdivisions of Virginia#Independent cities, independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 13, ...
): 10 (1973–1983) * Monadnock Speedway ( Winchester, New Hampshire): 3 (1978–81) *
Pocono Raceway Pocono Raceway (formerly known as the Pocono International Raceway in early years) is a tri-oval track in Blakeslee, Pennsylvania. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1969, including NASCAR, IndyCar Series, and IMSA GT ...
( Long Pond, Pennsylvania): 3 (1979 on 2.5-mile superspeedway, 1972 and 1980 on 3/4-mile oval) * Bowman Gray Stadium (
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 ...
): 2 (1979–80) * Caraway Speedway (
Asheboro, North Carolina Asheboro is a city in and the county seat of Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 27,156 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Greensboro- High Point Metropolitan Area of the Piedmont Triad and is home of the st ...
): 3 (1973-79) * Chemung Speedrome (Chemung, New York): 3 (1978) *
Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, Daytona Beach, Florida, United States, about north of Orlando, Florida, Orlando. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race ...
(
Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach is a coastal Resort town, resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona†...
): 2 (1979–80) * Freeport Stadium (
Freeport, New York Freeport is a Political subdivisions of New York State#Village, village in the town of Hempstead, New York, Hempstead, in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the South Shore (Long Island), South Shore of Long Island, in New York (state), ...
): 3 (1975-76) * Hickory Speedway (
Hickory, North Carolina Hickory is a city in western North Carolina primarily located in Catawba County, North Carolina, Catawba County. The List of municipalities in North Carolina, 25th most populous city in the state, it is located approximately northwest of Charlot ...
): 3 (1972–79) * Oxford Plains Speedway (
Oxford, Maine Oxford is a town in Oxford County, Maine, Oxford County, Maine, United States. Oxford is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 4,229 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. ...
): 2 (1982-85) * Seekonk Speedway (
Seekonk, Massachusetts Seekonk is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Massachusetts border with Rhode Island. It was incorporated in 1812 from the western half of Rehoboth. The population was 15,531 at the 2020 census. In 1862, under a U.S. ...
): 2 (1979-83) * Trenton Speedway (
Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the federal capital, capital of the United States from November 1 until D ...
): 2 (1973-78) * Catamount Stadium ( Milton, Vermont): 1 (1970) * Plattsburgh Speedway (
Plattsburgh, New York Plattsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. The population of the sur ...
): 1 (1971) * Devil's Bowl Speedway ( West Haven, Vermont): 1 (1971) * Twin State Speedway (
Claremont, New Hampshire Claremont is the only city in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 12,949 at the 2020 census. Claremont is a core city of the Lebanon–Claremont micropolitan area, a bi-state, four-county region in the upper Connec ...
): 1 (1985) * Deux-Montagnes Speedway (
Saint-Eustache, Quebec Saint-Eustache () is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in western Quebec, Canada, west of Montreal on the north shore of the Rivière des Mille Îles. It is located northwest of Montreal. History The city was founded in 1770 and was incorpora ...
): 1 (1979) * Evans Mills Speedway (
Evans Mills, New York Evans Mills is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 621 at the 2010 census. The village is within the town of Le Ray and is northeast of Watertown. History The village was founded around 1802, but the m ...
): 1 (1970) * Franklin County Speedway (
Callaway, Virginia Callaway is an unincorporated community in Franklin County, Virginia, United States. Callaway is west of Rocky Mount. Callaway has a post office with ZIP code 24067, which opened on July 14, 1871. Bleak Hill was listed on the National Regis ...
): 1 (1979) * Kingsport Speedway ( Kingsport, Tennessee): 1 (1979) * Metrolina Speedway (
Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
): 1 (1974) * Riverhead Raceway (
Riverhead, New York Riverhead is a town in Suffolk County, New York, United States, on the north shore of Long Island. Since 1727, Riverhead has been the county seat of Suffolk County, though most county offices are in Hauppauge. As of the 2020 census, the popul ...
): 1 (1985) * Star Speedway (
Epping, New Hampshire Epping is a New England town, town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,125 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 6,411 at the 2010 census.United States Census ...
): 2 (1979-84) * Wall Stadium (
Wall Township, New Jersey Wall Township is a Township (New Jersey), township within Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Crisscrossed by several different highways within the heart of the Jersey Shore region, the township is a t ...
): 1 (1971) * Weedsport Speedway ( Weedsport, New York): 1 (1971, Evans' only win on dirt) * Capital City Speedway ( Stittsville,
Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
): 18 (1967-76)''


Recognition

* Named No. 1 on NASCAR's Modified all-time Top 10 list (2003) * Only retired number in NASCAR in any series – No. 61 on the
Whelen Modified Tour The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) (previously the NASCAR Winston Modified Tour and NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series from 1985 until 2005) is a modified stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified Division. The Mod ...
(Unofficial). * As part of NASCAR's 50th Anniversary celebration in 1998, Evans was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers of All Time. * Selected by fans as NASCAR Modifieds' Most Popular Driver nine times * International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1996) * National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame (1986) * New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame * New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame inaugural 1998 class * FOAR SCORE Hall of Fame: 1986 – inaugural classHall of Fame page of FOAR Score (Friends of Auto Racing) website , retrieved 16 April 2007. * Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame (2000) * As part of the 25th anniversary of the NASCAR Weekly Series in 2006, Evans 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. * Nominated in the class of 2010 as one of the potential 5 inaugural inductees to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, July 2, 2009. * Evans' No. 61 was retired at his home track – Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, New York in 2008. * Nominated in the class of 2011 as one of the potential 5 inductees of 2011 to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, July 1, 2010. * In the 1985 IROC Series, every orange car featured a '61' on the rear fender to honor Evans and his orange No. 61 car. * Elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame on June 14, 2011 with Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Inman and Glen Wood. * Inducted to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC on January 20, 2012. * Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)


Motorsports career results


NASCAR

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


Whelen Modified Tour


Further reading

* Zanardi, Pete. ''Stock Car Racing'', April 1974. (Richie Evans biography article.)


References


External links

*
NASCAR.com profile




{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Richie 1941 births 1985 deaths International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees NASCAR drivers Sportspeople from Utica, New York Racing drivers from New York (state) Racing drivers who died while racing Sports deaths in Virginia People from Westernville, New York Sportspeople from Oneida County, New York Sportspeople from Rome, New York NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees