Red Farmer

Charles "Red" Farmer (born October 15, 1932) is an American professional stock car racing and dirt track racing driver. He currently competes part-time in 602 Crate Dirt Late Models in the No. F97 Ford Mustang for his own team. He is a member of the Alabama Gang.

Racing career Farmer's first race was at Opa-locka Speedway near Miami, Florida in a 1934 Ford in 1948. He became famous as a member of the Alabama Gang and he considered his hometown to be Hueytown, Alabama. Estimates of Farmer's career victories range from 700 to 900 victories, most occurring in the late 1950s and early 60's. He raced 36 NASCAR Cup Series races from 1953 to 1975. He won numerous championships at local tracks. Before racing in the Grand National series, he raced modified stock cars in the northeast. He was one of the first to transition from the modified series to the early Grand National Series. He was the NASCAR National Late Model Sportsman champion (later Xfinity Series) for three consecutive years from 1969 to 1971. Farmer's best finish in NASCAR's top division was fourth at both the 1972 Talladega 500, and the 1968 Middle Georgia 500 near Macon, Georgia. He entered so few Cup races because he was content to run primarily in the Late Model Sportsman Series. He was named NASCAR's most popular driver four times. Farmer raced in the white and gold number 97 car. In the mid-60's, however, Farmer raced a white, gold, and red Ford Fairlane, number F-97.

Farmer was Davey Allison's crew chief in the Busch Series.

Farmer has retained his skills as a driver in spite of his age. He competed in two Busch Grand National races in 1992, and the season opening ARCA event at Daytona in 1993. In June 2005, at age 72, Farmer turned heads in winning a heat over current NASCAR Sprint Cup stars, and finished eighth in the feature during the Sprint Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway, owned by Tony Stewart.

As of 2022, Farmer still regularly competes in a late model at Talladega Short Track, a 1/3 mile oval dirt track in Eastaboga, Alabama located near the Talladega Superspeedway. His grandson, Lee Burdett, also races there.

Awards Farmer's accolades are numerous, being a member of five halls of fame. Farmer was named one of the 50 Greatest Drivers in NASCAR history in 1998. He was a member of the first Class of Inductees into the Talladega-Texaco Walk Of Fame. When the International Motorsports Hall of Fame inducted Farmer, they had to waive their rule of 5 years of retirement – they figured he never would retire. Red Farmer was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2022.

Helicopter crash On July 12, 1993, Farmer was a passenger in a helicopter crash at Talladega Superspeedway that took the life of NASCAR Winston Cup driver Davey Allison, which occurred as Allison was attempting to land the aircraft in a nearby parking lot. The two were en route to the track in order to watch David Bonnett (son of fellow Alabama Gang driver Neil Bonnett) drive in a practice session. Farmer suffered a broken collarbone and fractured ribs in the crash.

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.)

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 Pts Ref 1953 Sikes Motors 48 Hudson PBS DAB45 HAR NWS CLT RCH CCS LAN CLB HCY MAR PMS RSP LOU FFS LAN TCS WIL MCF PIF MOR ATL RVS LCF DAV HBO AWS PAS HCY DAR CCS LAN BLF WIL NWS MAR ATL 176th 13 1956 J. M. Fitzgibbons C97 Chevy HCY CLT WSS PBS15 ASF DAB36 PBS17 WIL ATL NWS LAN RCH CLB CON GPS HCY HBO MAR LIN CLT POR EUR NYF MER MAS CLT MCF POR AWS RSP PIF CSF CHI CCF MGY OKL ROA OBS SAN NOR PIF MYB POR DAR CSH CLT LAN POR CLB HBO NWP CLT CCF MAR HCY WIL 154th - 1960 Long-Lewis 88 Ford CLT CLB DAY20 DAY DAY56 CLT NWS PHO CLB MAR HCY WIL BGS GPS AWS DAR PIF HBO RCH HMS CLT BGS DAY HEI MAB MBS ATL BIR NSV AWS PIF CLB SBO BGS DAR HCY CSF GSP HBO MAR NWS CLT RCH ATL 131st 120 1962 Frank Rhoads 23 Ford CON AWS DAY DAY11 DAY40 CON AWS SVH HBO RCH CLB NWS GPS MBS MAR BGS BRI RCH HCY CON DAR PIF CLT ATL BGS AUG RCH SBO DAY CLB ASH GPS AUG SVH MBS BRI CHT NSV HUN AWS STR BGS PIF VAL DAR HCY RCH DTS AUG MAR NWS CLT ATL 90th 360 1965 26 Ford RSD DAY DAY DAY36 PIF AWS RCH HBO ATL GPS NWS MAR CLB BRI DAR LGY BGS HCY CLT CCF ASH HAR NSV BIR ATL GPS MBS VAL DAY ODS OBS ISP GLN BRI NSV CCF AWS SMR PIF AUG CLB DTS BLV BGS DAR HCY LIN ODS RCH MAR NWS CLT HBO CAR DTS 104th 208 1967 Ben Arnold 76 Ford AUG RSD DAY DAY14 DAY42 AWS BRI GPS BGS ATL CLB HCY NWS MAR SVH RCH DAR BLV LGY CLT ASH MGR SMR BIR CAR GPS MGY DAY TRN OXF FDA ISP BRI SMR NSV ATL BGS CLB SVH DAR HCY RCH BLV HBO MAR NWS 54th 2546 Gray Racing 97 Ford CLT31 CAR11 AWS 1968 Long-Lewis 97 Ford MGR4 MGY29 RSD DAY43 BRI RCH ATL30 HCY GPS CLB NWS MAR AUG AWS DAR BLV LGY CLT ASH MGR SMR BIR CAR GPS DAY ISP OXF FDA TRN BRI SMR NSV ATL34 CLB BGS AWS SBO LGY DAR HCY RCH BLV HBO MAR NWS AUG CLT26 CAR31 JFC 50th 407 1969 Donald Brackins 2 Chevy MGR MGY20 RSD DAY DAY DAY CAR AUG BRI ATL CLB HCY GPS RCH NWS MAR AWS DAR BLV LGY CLT MGR SMR MCH KPT GPS NCF DAY DOV TPN TRN BLV BRI NSV SMR ATL MCH SBO BGS AWS DAR HCY RCH TAL CLB MAR NWS CLT SVH AUG CAR JFC MGR TWS 92nd 31 1971 Giachetti Brothers Racing 44 Ford RSD DAY DAY10 DAY32 NA - 46 ONT40 RCH CAR HCY BRI ATL CLB GPS SMR NWS MAR DAR SBO TAL ASH KPT CLT DOV MCH RSD HOU GPS DAY BRI AST ISP TRN NSV ATL BGS ONA MCH TAL CLB HCY DAR MAR CLT DOV CAR MGR RCH NWS TWS

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 Long-Lewis 97 Ford RSD DAY30 RCH ONT41 CAR ATL31 BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL39 CLT DOV MCH RSD TWS DAY BRI TRN ATL TAL4 MCH NSV DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR TWS 63rd 749.5 1973 RSD DAY32 RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL32 NSV CLT DOV TWS RSD MCH DAY BRI ATL TAL32 NSV DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR 72nd - 1974 RSD DAYDNQ RCH CAR BRI ATL DAR NWS MAR TAL27 NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY BRI NSV ATL POC TAL23 MCH DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR ONT 76th 5.22 1975 RSD DAYQL† RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL37 NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL44 MCH DAR DOV NWS MAR CLT RCH CAR BRI ATL ONT 96th 83 † – Qualified for Bob Burcham

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1960 Long-Lewis Ford 39 56 1962 Frank Rhoads Ford 23 40 1965 Ford 42 36 1967 Ben Arnold Ford 28 42 1968 Long-Lewis Ford 30 43 1971 Giachetti Brothers Racing Ford 22 32 1972 Long-Lewis Ford 18 30 1973 23 32 1974 DNQ 1975 QL

Busch Series NASCAR Busch 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 1992 Allison Racing 28 Ford DAY CAR RCH ATL MAR DAR BRI HCY LAN DUB NZH CLTDNQ DOV ROU MYB GLN VOL NHA TAL22 IRP17 ROU MCH NHA BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT MAR CAR HCY 72nd 209

ARCA Re/Max Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)