Ricky Knotts

Benny Richard Knotts (May 23, 1951February 14, 1980) was an American ASA driver. The Paw Paw, MichiganHolliman, Ray
Desire for success kills Ricky Knotts
''St. Petersburg Times'', February 15, 1980, Retrieved 2010-06-25 driver began his career in 1966 on Michigan short tracks and raced in various stock car series for six years before he died in a crash at Daytona International Speedway in 1980.

ASA

Knotts was a Michigan short-track racer who began racing at the age of 14. Primarily competing in late models, he was in touring series by the late 1970s. He won three American Speed Association events during his career, at Toledo Speedway, Winchester Speedway, and Anderson Speedway. The 1979 Anderson win came in the Red Bud 300, a major event for short track racing, now a Champion Racing Association Super Late Model major, where he led 58 laps, beating Midwestern short track legends Dick Trickle and Mike Eddy (who led 57 laps), and future NASCAR Cup Series race winners Jody Ridley (who led 98 laps) and NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Mark Martin (who led 40 laps).

Cup Series

In 1979, the Knotts family purchased an Oldsmobile 442 race car, attempting to make Cup Series starts without any prior ARCA or Sportsman experience on the longer circuits. The car made attempts at Michigan and Charlotte at the National 500, failing to qualify for both.

His father Richard served as his crew chief.

Death

On February 14, 1980, Knotts was in the field for the second 125 mile heat race race at Daytona International Speedway, hoping to qualify for that Sunday's Daytona 500. His hopes dwindled as his Weaver powered Oldsmobile quickly lost position. On the 14th lap, Knotts hit the outside wall in the short chute just past the start finish line. His car spun off the track sideways across the infield grass and struck passenger side first against the inside concrete wall entering turn one. His seat mount broke and Knotts died instantly, aged 28.

Incidents like Knotts, and other incidents such as those that infiltrated the Permatex 300 Sportsman race, led to eventual rule changes when the Sportsman race was upgraded to a national touring race in 1982.

Knotts had never competed in a race at an intermediate track in any series (ARCA or Sportsman), having failed to qualify for two intermediate track races in 1979. Owing to his inexperience under their sanction, a NASCAR official admitted "there's just not much we can tell you about him. We just don't know much about him."

Under current rules, he would not have been permitted to participate in the Duels. Nowadays, NASCAR requires drivers to have intermediate experience before being allowed to participate in the three restrictor plate (superspeedway) races at Daytona, Talladega Superspeedway, and since 2022, Atlanta Motor Speedway. In addition, drivers cannot participate in the Daytona 500 heat races unless they have raced in any of the development series races previously at the three circuits. First time drivers must test in the January test session for ARCA and gain clearance from NASCAR before being permitted in a developmental series practice session (Truck, Xfinity, ARCA) before being cleared to race in that series. Cup Series drivers must have participated in a superspeedway race in a lower series and start at another oval before being cleared for any of the six races at the classified superspeedways under current rules.

Honors

Knotts was inducted into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. His daughter Toysa and her family were part of a November 2017 banquet celebrating his induction.

Personal life

Knotts attended Comstock High School. He had a sister Deborah.

He and his wife Connie had three children Jayson, Matthew, and Toysa.

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

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1951 births
1980 deaths
American Speed Association drivers
Racing drivers who died while racing
People from Paw Paw, Michigan
Sportspeople from Van Buren County, Michigan
Racing drivers from Michigan
Filmed deaths in motorsport
Sports deaths in Florida

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