Fireball Roberts

Edward Glenn "Fireball" Roberts Jr. (January 20, 1929 – July 2, 1964) was an American stock car racer.

Background Roberts was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, and raised in Apopka, Florida, where he was interested in both auto racing and baseball. He was a pitcher for the Zellwood Mud Hens, an American Legion baseball team, where he earned the nickname "Fireball" because of his fastball. He enlisted with the United States Army Air Corps in 1945, but was discharged after basic training because of his asthma.

Racing career

Roberts attended the University of Florida and raced on dirt tracks on weekends. In 1947, at the age of 18, he raced on the Daytona Beach Road Course at Daytona for the first time. He won a 150-mile race at Daytona Beach the following year. Roberts also competed in local stock and modified races at Florida tracks, such as Seminole Speedway.

"Fireball" Roberts continued to amass victories on the circuit, despite the changes in NASCAR, as it moved away from shorter dirt tracks to superspeedways in the 1950s and 1960s. Roberts won his first Southern 500 in 1958, driving a Chevrolet prepared by Paul McDuffie. In his 206 career NASCAR Grand National races, he won 33 times and had 32 poles. He finished in the top-five 45% of the time, and in the top-ten 59% of the time. He won both the Daytona 500 and Firecracker 250 events in 1962, driving a black and gold 1962 Pontiac built by car-builder legend Smokey Yunick. He also designed Augusta International Raceway, where he would last win.

Between 1962 and 1964, Roberts competed in multiple major sports-car races, including a class win at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Ferrari 250 GTO entered by North American Racing Team.

Labor union In 1961, Roberts, temporary president of the Federation of Professional Athletes (FPA), was in dispute with NASCAR president, Bill France, over the Teamsters' Union affiliate – the FPA – which Curtis Turner and he had helped organize, and which France was trying to disband. Unlike the banned Curtis Turner and Tim Flock, Roberts soon returned to the NASCAR fold.

Death alt=Fireball Roberts's car is overturned and on fire, with workers surrounding it. Jarrett's car is also on fire but upright. Another car speeds by. On May 24, 1964, at the World 600 in Charlotte, Roberts had qualified in 11th position and started in the middle of the pack. On lap seven, Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson collided and spun out, and Roberts crashed trying to avoid them. Roberts' Ford slammed backward into the inside retaining wall, flipped over, and burst into flames. Witnesses at the track claimed they heard Roberts screaming, "Ned, help me", from inside his burning car after the wreck. Jarrett rushed to save Roberts as his car was engulfed by the flames. Roberts suffered second- and third-degree burns over 80% of his body and was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. Although Roberts was thought to have had an allergic reaction to flame-retardant chemicals, he was secretly an asthmatic, and the chemicals affected his breathing.

Roberts was able to survive for several weeks, appearing as if he might pull through, but he took a turn for the worse on June 30. He contracted pneumonia and sepsis and had slipped into a coma by the next day. Roberts died from his burns on July 2.

Legacy Despite having his career cut short and having never won a Grand National title, Roberts was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers. Other career accolades he won include induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990, and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1995. In 2000, the city of Concord, North Carolina, named a street near Charlotte Motor Speedway in his honor.

After Roberts' death, NASCAR mandated that all drivers wear flame-retardant coveralls while on track. They also instituted the five-point safety harness, and the special, contoured driver's seat, as requirements for all NASCAR vehicles.

The "Fireball Run", named for Roberts, was started in 2007. This streaming TV "adventurally" series, headquartered at Universal Studios in Florida, covers 40 teams as they compete in an eight-day, 2000-mile race and life-sized trivia game to raise money for missing and exploited children organizations. The Fireball Run is credited with assisting in the recovery of 38 missing children.

In 2013, Roberts was nominated for induction in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, and he was included in the 2014 induction ceremony.

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. ** – All laps led.) Grand National Series NASCAR Grand National Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 Pts Ref 1950 Jim Davis 11 Hudson DAB33 CLT 2nd 1848.5 51 Ford LAN15 MAR CAN VER DSP MCF CLT Sam Rice 71 Olds HBO1 DSP 11 HAM2 MAR6 WIN HBO21 82 DAR2 LAN3 NWS16 VER 1951 85 Plymouth DAB45 12th 930 Sam Rice 11 Olds CLT8 NMO19 GAR HBO14 ASF NWS38 MAR32 CAN CLS24 CLB DSP GAR GRS BAI HEI AWS MCF ALS MSF FMS MOR ABS Saverance Motors Ford DAR5 CLB2 CCS LAN CLT DSP WIL HBO TPN PGS MAR OAK NWS HMS JSP ATL GAR NMO 1952 PBS DAB52 JSP24 NWS MAR CLB21 ATL CCS LAN DAR8 DSP CAN HAY FMS HBO CLT MSF NIF OSW MON MOR PPS MCF AWS DAR49 CCS LAN DSP WIL16 HBO MAR NWS 59th - Bill Snowden 16 Hudson ATL18 PBS 1953 Saverance Motors 11 Ford PBS DAB HAR NWS CLT RCH CCS LAN CLB HCY MAR PMS RSP39 LOU FFS LAN TCS WIL MCF PIF MOR ATL RVS LCF DAV HBO AWS PAS HCY 132nd 84 Leland Colvin Olds DAR45 CCS LAN BLF WIL NWS MAR ATL 1954 25 PBS DAB8 JSP ATL22 OSP OAK NWS HBO CCS LAN WIL MAR SHA RSP20 CLT GAR CLB13 LND HCY MCF WGS PIF AWS SFS GRS MOR OAK CLT SAN COR DAR7 CCS CLT LAN MAS MAR NWS 22nd 1648 1955 Bob Fish M-1 Buick TCS PBS JSP DAB48 OSP CLB HBO NWS MGY LAN CLT HCY ASF TUS MAR RCH NCF FOR LIN MCF FON AIR CLT PIF CLB AWS MOR ALS NYF SAN CLT FOR MAS RSP DAR66 MGY LAN RSP GPS MAS CLB MAR LVP NWS HBO 201st - 1956 DePaolo Engineering 22 Ford HCY CLT WSS PBS ASF DAB59 PBS5 WIL ATL NWS25 LAN31 RCH18 CLB CON GPS HCY HBO4 MAR16 LIN CLT POR EUR NYF MER MAS21 CLT4 MCF POR AWS18 RSP1* PIF2 CSF CHI1 CCF4 MGY10 OKL3 ROA3 OBS4 NOR8 PIF8 MYB1 POR DAR51 CSH4 CLT19 LAN17 POR CLB4 HBO1 NWP1 CLT10 CCF12 MAR5 HCY WIL4 7th 5794 12 SAN8 1957 22 WSS2 CON TIC1* DAB37 CON4 WIL9 HBO17 AWS13 NWS1** LAN1* CLT1 PIF2 GBF5 POR CCF1 RCH2* MAR9 POR EUR LIN2 LCS14 ASP 6th 8268 Roberts Racing NWP1 CLB16 CPS PIF9 JAC12 HCY5 NOR21 LCS7 GLN2 KPC LIN31 OBS6 MYB3* DAR33 NYF5 AWS10 CSF SCF LAN17* CLB15 CCF14 CLT2 NBR1* CON1* NWS21* GBF 11 RSP13 MAS3 POR Dick Beaty 34 Ford CLT5 Buck Baker Racing 7 Chevy MAR12 1958 Bob Fish M-1 Buick FAY DAB9 CON FAY WIL HBO FAY CLB PIF 11th 4420 Beau Morgan 494 Ford ATL3 CLT MAR ODS OBS GPS GBF STR NWS BGS Frank Strickland 22 Chevy TRN1* RSD CLB NBS REF LIN HCY AWS RSP1* MCC SLS TOR BUF MCF BEL BRR CLB NSV30 AWS1 BGS MBS DAR1* CLT BIR1 CSF GAF RCH HBO SAS MAR1* NWS ATL2 1959 Jim Stephens 3 Pontiac FAY DAY33 DAY34 HBO CON DAY1* HEI CLT MBS CLT NSV AWS BGS GPS CLB DAR7 HCY RCH CSF HBO 16th 3676 22 Chevy ATL8 WIL BGS CLB NWS REF HCY E. C. Wilson 48 Chevy MAR25 TRN CLT NSV ASP PIF GPS Buck Baker Racing 88 Chevy ATL6 CLB WIL RCH BGS AWS Lynton Tyson MAR30 AWS NWS CON 1960 John Hines 22 Pontiac CLT CLB DAY1** DAY DAY57 CLT NWS PHO CLB MAR HCY WIL BGS GPS AWS DAR20 PIF HBO RCH HMS CLT35 BGS DAY31 HEI MAB MBS ATL1 BIR NSV AWS PIF CLB SBO BGS DAR9 HCY CSF GSP HBO MAR NWS CLT23* RCH ATL34 29th 4700 1961 Smokey Yunick CLT JSP DAY1* DAY DAY20* PIF AWS ATL42 GPS HBO BGS MAR NWS4 CLB HCY RCH DAR5* CLT2 PIF BIR GPS BGS NOR HAS STR DAY5* ATL12 CLB BRI2 NSV BGS DAR2* HCY RCH CSF ATL3 CLT29* 5th 17600 75 HMS1** MAR3 CLT6 CLT RSD ASP Rex Lovette 127 Pontiac MBS21 B. G. Holloway 59 Pontiac AWS31 RCH SBO Cotton Owens 6 Pontiac MAR4 Bud Moore Engineering 18 Pontiac NWS2 Rex Lovette 22 Pontiac BRI26 GPS16 HBO5 1962 Jim Stephens CON AWS DAY1* DAY DAY1* CON AWS SVH HBO RCH5 CLB NWS4 GPS MBS MAR18* BGS BRI2 RCH HCY CON DAR32 PIF CLT9 ATL4 BGS AUG RCH SBO DAY1 CLB ASH GPS AUG SVH MBS BRI36 CHT2 NSV19 HUN AWS STR BGS PIF VAL DAR36 HCY RCH17 DTS AUG MAR7 NWS29 CLT2 ATL10* 8th 16380 1963 Banjo Matthews BIR GGS20 THS RSD4 DAY6 DAY DAY21 PIF AWS HBO ATL2 HCY 5th 22642 Holman-Moody Ford BRI1* AUG RCH23 GPS SBO BGS MAR28 NWS CLB THS DAR2 ODS RCH CLT10 BIR ATL31 DAY1* MBS SVH DTS BGS ASH OBS1 BRR5 BRI29 GPS NSV CLB AWS PIF BGS ONA DAR1 HCY RCH MAR7 DTS NWS4* THS CLT4 SBO HBO RSD4 1964 CON AUG1 JSP SVH RSD3 DAY7 DAY DAY37 RCH BRI2 GPS BGS ATL20 AWS HBO PIF CLB NWS31 MAR5 SVH DAR2 LGY HCY SBO CLT35 GPS ASH ATL CON NSV CHT BIR VAL PIF DAY ODS OBS BRR ISP GLN LIN BRI NSV MBS AWS DTS ONA CLB BGS STR DAR HCY RCH ODS HBO MAR SVH NWS CLT HAR AUG JAC 27th 9900

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1959 Jim Stephens Pontiac 46 45 1960 John Hines Pontiac 3 57 1961 Smokey Yunick Pontiac 1 20* 1962 Jim Stephens Pontiac 1 1* 1963 Banjo Matthews Pontiac 1 21 1964 Holman-Moody Ford 15 37

24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Driver Car Class Laps 1962 North American Racing Team Bob Grossman Ferrari 250 GTO E 3.0 297 6th 1st