Jimmy Hensley

James Edward Hensley (born October 11, 1945) is an American former NASCAR driver. With a career spanning 27 seasons in all three of NASCAR's elite divisions, Hensley may be best remembered for his Rookie of the Year award won in 1992, his 15th season in the series, and for his nine career Busch Series wins. He spent most of his career working as an oil truck driver in addition to racing. He was best known as being a substitute driver for many teams.

Early career Hensley's NASCAR career began in 1972, driving for famous owner Junie Donlavey in the No. 90 Ford. Both of his starts that season came at Martinsville Speedway, the track being just ten miles from Hensley's hometown of Ridgeway, Virginia. Though an engine failure in his first start relegated Hensley to a 33rd place finish, he completed all but seven laps of the fall event, the Old Dominion 500, to finish fifth. This would end up being Hensley's best finish in his 98 career Winston Cup Series races.

Hensley competed again for Donlavey in the 1973 and 1974 Virginia 500 events, coming home in seventh and sixth places, respectively. For the 1974 Old Dominion 500, Hensley drove the No. 02 Chevrolet owned by Russell Large, finishing nineteenth. Beginning in 1975, Hensley drove the No. 63 Chevrolet for part-time owner Billy Moyer, competing in both Martinsville races each year until 1977 and registering a top-ten each season. It would be last Cup race for several years.

Return to the series In 1981, Hensley returned to the Winston Cup Series, driving in the fall Martinsville event for Cecil Gordon in the No. 24 Buick and bringing home a seventh-place result. Hensley raced in three events the next year—both Martinsville races, along with the September event at Richmond, in D. K. Ulrich's No. 40 Buick. That same year, Hensley also competed in the inaugural Busch Series season, competing in eleven events and recording four top five finishes. Hensley spent the 1983 season out of Cup and in the Busch Series, where in 29 starts, he registered sixteen top-ten finishes.

Busch Series For the next eight seasons, Hensley competed on-and-off in the Winston Cup Series and raced full-time in the Busch ranks. Behind the wheel of the No. 00 Oldsmobile in 1985, Hensley came home second in points, just 29 points behind champion Jack Ingram, after a season with three wins at Hickory, South Boston, and IRP. Hensley again finished second in points in 1987 driving the No. 5 Advance Auto Parts Buick for Sam Ard, starting and finishing first in the season finale at Martinsville for his only win of the season. Just four races later, Hensley won again at Martinsville in the 1988 Miller Classic.

In 1989, Hensley drove eighteen races in six different cars, recording a pole at Hickory in the No. 70 Dirt Devil Pontiac but finishing no better than sixth. In addition, he won his only career Winston Cup pole at Martinsville Speedway, filling in for Dale Earnhardt, who was unable to make it to the track at that time due to the effects of Hurricane Hugo. Earnhardt would drive the car at the race. The pole gave Hensley a berth in the 1990 Busch Clash, in which he started on the front row but fell back with mechanical issues. Hensley returned to victory lane the next season driving the No. 25 Crown Petroleum/Fast Fare Oldsmobile for Don Beverly, winning at Nazareth Speedway; he followed that up in 1991 with a career-high three victories, winning at Martinsville, Hickory, and Rougemont.

Return to the Cup Series Hensley started the 1992 with the No. 25 Beverly Racing team, but they were unable to locate permanent sponsorship. They parted ways and Hensley moved to the Cup Series, driving the No. 66 TropArtic Ford Thunderbird for Cale Yarborough. Hensley ran in 22 races with four top-ten finishes with the group, and won Rookie of the Year honors at the age of 47, due to the other competitors that season running part-time schedules.

Hensley began 1993 in the No. 52 NAPA/Hurley Limo Ford for Jimmy Means, running the first three races of the year. He then spent most of the season driving the No. 7 car in place of the deceased Alan Kulwicki per Kulwicki's will. After the team was bought by Geoff Bodine, he drove one race for Richard Petty before closing the season in the No. 4 Eastman Kodak/Morgan-McClure Motorsports Chevrolet.

Craftsman Truck Series participation Beginning in 1995, Hensley began to compete in the newly formed Craftsman Truck Series, driving in his first two seasons for owner Grier Lackey. His first full season was in the No. 30 Mopar Performance Dodge Ram in 1996, where he had five top-fives and a pole position. In 1997, however, Hensley joined Petty Enterprises, piloting the No. 43 Cummins Dodge in the next three seasons. At the age of 52 in 1998, Hensley found victory lane at Nashville and finished sixth in the final points standings. The next year, he finished first at Martinsville, recording what would be the last win of his career. That year, he made his final run in the Busch Series, filling in for Wayne Grubb.

Hensley was replaced at Petty, and signed with the No. 16 Team Rensi Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado group. With sponsorship coming from Lance Snacks, Mobile Max2, and eLink, he had eight top-ten finishes and finished thirteenth in points. He began 2001 without a ride, but ran a majority of the year filling in for Randy MacDonald in the No. 72 truck. Hensley retired after that season, and now works installing fire-service systems.

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 NASCAR Winston Cup 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 Pts Ref 1972 Donlavey Racing 90 Ford RSD DAY RCH ONT CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR33 TAL CLT DOV MCH RSD TWS DAY BRI TRN ATL TAL MCH NSV DAR RCH DOV MAR5 NWS CLT CAR TWS 99th 215.25 1973 Mercury RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR7 TAL NSV CLT DOV TWS RSD MCH DAY BRI ATL TAL NSV DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR 103rd - 1974 Ford RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL DAR NWS MAR6 TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY BRI NSV ATL POC TAL MCH DAR RCH DOV NWS 83rd 4.01 Russell Large Racing 02 Chevy MAR19 CLT CAR ONT 1975 Moyer Racing 63 Chevy RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR7 TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH DAR DOV NWS MAR27 CLT RCH CAR BRI ATL ONT 97th 82 1976 RSD DAY CAR RCH BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR25 TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR7 NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 68th 234 1977 RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL NWS DAR BRI MAR22 TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV 61st 247 Hensley Racing MAR6 NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 1981 Gordon Racing 24 Buick RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR7 NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD NA 0 1982 Ulrich Racing 40 Buick DAY RCH BRI ATL CAR DAR NWS MAR9 TAL NSV DOV CLT POC RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH29 DOV NWS CLT MAR23 CAR ATL RSD NA 0 1984 Langley Racing 64 Ford DAY RCH22 CAR ATL BRI NWS DAR MAR20 TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD POC MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH22 DOV MAR22 CLT NWS CAR ATL RSD NA 0 1986 Langley Racing 64 Ford DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR23 TAL DOV CLT RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH16 DOV MAR18 NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD 54th 318 1988 Arrington Racing 67 Ford DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR24 TAL CLT DOV RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR PHO ATL NA 0 1989 Richard Childress Racing 3 Chevy DAY CAR ATL RCH DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MARQL† CLT NWS CAR PHO ATL NA - 1990 Moroso Racing 20 Olds DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT33 CAR31 PHO ATL 88th 70 1991 Team III Racing 24 Pontiac DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR10 NWS11 CLT20 CAR14 PHO ATL 41st 488 1992 Cale Yarborough Motorsports 66 Ford DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR15 TAL25 CLT11 DOV8 SON30 POC9 MCH29 DAY15 POC14 TAL31 GLN26 MCH29 BRI7 DAR15 RCH17 DOV13 MAR17 NWS25 CLT18 CAR18 PHO21 ATL8 28th 2410 1993 Jimmy Means Racing 52 Ford DAY40 CAR25 RCH34 ATL DAR BRI 32nd 2001 AK Racing 7 Ford NWS12 MAR13 TAL9 SON CLT15 DOV22 POC17 MCH23 DAY34 NHA11 POC39 TAL28 GLN MCH15 BRI6 DAR23 RCH21 DOV Petty Enterprises 44 Pontiac MAR34 NWS CLT CAR Morgan-McClure Motorsports 4 Chevy PHO32 ATL25 1994 RaDiUs Motorsports 55 Ford DAY15 CAR22 RCH36 ATL29 DAR13 BRIDNQ NWSDNQ MAR23 TAL30 SONDNQ CLTDNQ DOV17 POC29 MCH42 DAY32 NHA29 POCDNQ TAL30 IND32 GLN33 MCHDNQ BRIDNQ DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS 41st 1394 Moroso Racing 20 Ford CLT40 CAR PHO Charles Hardy Racing 44 Ford ATL12 1995 Active Motorsports 32 Chevy DAY CAR40 RCHDNQ ATL38 DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON BRIDNQ DAR RCH DOV 44th 558 Hagan Racing 14 Ford CLTDNQ DOV POC MCH Bill Davis Racing 22 Pontiac DAY30 NHA41 POC32 TALDNQ IND32 GLN MCH22 A.G. Dillard Motorsports 31 Chevy MARDNQ NWS29 CLT39 CAR PHO ATL 1996 Active Motorsports 32 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL DARDNQ BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL NA - † - Qualified for Dale Earnhardt

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1993 Jimmy Means Racing Ford 38 40 1994 RaDiUs Motorsports Ford 25 15

Busch Series

Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR Craftsman Truck 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 Pts Ref 1995 Grandaddy Racing 30 Dodge PHO TUS SGS MMR POR EVG I70 LVL BRI25 MLW CNS HPT IRP FLM RCH MAR NWS18 SON MMR PHO30 55th 270 1996 HOM26 PHO27 POR10 EVG7 TUS4 CNS3 HPT28 BRI25 NZH2* MLW4 LVL3 I708 IRP25 FLM9 GLN8 NSV8 RCH13 NHA9 MAR9 NWS16 SON10 MMR18 PHO30 LVS17 8th 3029 1997 Petty Enterprises 43 Dodge WDW6 TUS8 HOM13 PHO14 POR11 EVG25 I702 NHA23 TEX12 BRI8 NZH25 MLW8 LVL3 CNS8 HPT7 IRP3* FLM13 NSV15 GLN6 RCH13 MAR4 SON6 MMR9 CAL34 PHO19 LVS15 8th 3385 1998 WDW14 HOM28 PHO14 POR12 EVG19 I7024 GLN31 TEX33 BRI9 MLW2 NZH6 CAL20 PPR5 IRP14 NHA6 FLM5 NSV1 HPT3 LVL7 RCH16 MEM3 GTY6 MAR2 SON5 MMR21 PHO9 LVS3 6th 3570 1999 HOM29 PHO7 EVG21 MMR5 MAR1 MEM30 PPR5 I705* BRI12 TEX8 PIR23 GLN23 MLW12 NSV3 NZH9 MCH3 NHA9 IRP30 GTY10 HPT14 RCH15 LVS7 LVL3* TEX14 CAL8 10th 3280 2000 Team Rensi Motorsports 16 Chevy DAY29 HOM12 PHO15 MMR14 MAR10 PIR6 GTY2 MEM10 PPR11 EVG12 TEX12 KEN13 GLN14 MLW12 NHA27 NZH7 MCH12 IRP9 NSV29 CIC25 RCH13 DOV32 TEX4 CAL10 13th 2933 2001 MacDonald Motorsports 72 Chevy DAY HOM MMR MAR25 GTY13 DAR33 PPR14 DOV26 TEX32 MEM15 MLW26 KAN KEN13 NHA IRP NSH CIC25 TEX14 20th 1708 Dodge NZH14 RCH16 SBO25 LVS15 PHO20 CAL30

ARCA Talladega SuperCar Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) ARCA Talladega SuperCar Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pts Ref 1985 Thomas Brothers Racing 00 Olds ATL DAY ATL TAL ATL SSP IRP1 CSP FRS IRP OEF ISF DSF TOL 93rd -