Joe Shear

Joe Shear, Sr. (May 8, 1943 – March 6, 1998) was an American stock car racing driver from Clinton, Wisconsin. He won an estimated 350 races in his career, including four of his last five races. Fred Nielsen, Shear's car owner from 1975 to 1984 and 1986 to 1994, said that his team won 250 races and he estimates that Shear won six-hundred races.

Shear finished second behind Dick Trickle with 58 ARTGO wins and he won the championship of the Midwestern touring series in 1986 and 1989. also won the Wisconsin Short Track Series title in 1994. He had won the event five times, mainly later in his career.

Personality Shear was known for being very quiet. His wife Connie said, "There were times, especially early in his career, when he would not talk to a soul. He would go to the track, unload the car, set a track record, win the feature, and leave."

His son Joe Shear, Jr. is a NASCAR champion crew chief, primarily with Johnny Sauter, coincidentally the son of Shear's rival Jim Sauter.