Tiny Lund

DeWayne Louis "Tiny" Lund (November 14, 1929 – August 17, 1975) was an American stock car racer. He was a journeyman racer-for-hire in the top level NASCAR Grand National Series, running partial seasons for a number of years, including a victory in the 1963 Daytona 500. Lund saw his greatest success in the NASCAR Grand American Series, where he was the season champion in three of the four full years the series was run – Lund won 41 of the 109 Grand American events that ran.

Lund was 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighed about 270 lbs., earning the ironic nickname "Tiny".

Background Lund started racing at a young age on a motorcycle, then moved up to midget cars and sprint cars. Lund also ran a few events for A. L. Bumgarner.

In 1957, Lund split his time between Bumgarner's Pontiacs and a Petty Enterprises Oldsmobile. With Bumgarner, Lund controlled the majority of an event at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds short dirt track in Shelby, North Carolina. He won the pole position, and led 136 (of 200) laps when his right rear axle gave out with 14 laps left. Lund had two other poles on the season. Late in the 1957 season at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, a wheel from Lund's car was thrown into stands, and a spectator was killed.

Lund left Bumgarner and continued his journeyman driving in 1958, winning the pole position at races in Gastonia and Hillsboro. In 1959 he fielded self-owned Chevrolets. Lund did not have major success, and he was without rides by 1963.

1963 Daytona 500

In February 1963, Lund went to Daytona International Speedway shopping around for any ride in that year's Daytona 500. Lund's friend Marvin Panch, the driver for the Wood Brothers racing team, had an accident while testing an experimental Ford-powered Maserati for the Daytona Continental three-hour sportscar race (a precursor to the 24 Hours of Daytona). When Panch's car burst into flames, Lund ran into the inferno and pulled Panch out of the wreckage. For his actions, Lund was awarded the Carnegie Hero's Medal.

Panch, in hospital, asked Lund to take his ride in the Wood Brothers Racing entry. Lund was fourth fastest in individual qualifying trials, and finished sixth in the second qualifying race, starting the race from 12th on the grid. The start of the race was delayed due to heavy rains, and then the first 10 laps were run under caution. As the green flag waved, Lund worked his way through the field. The Wood Brothers team had a winning strategy for the race – they planned to complete the race on one fuel stop less than the field. The flat tracks at the Shuman and Myers events favored the smaller pony cars, while Lund won the Wilkes event when Richard Petty's Grand National car had problems late in the race. Neither of these victories were added to Lund's official win tally—NASCAR had dictated, pre-races, that if a Grand American car won it would not be credited with a Grand National victory; first place points would not be awarded. Despite this, the wins were counted as constructor's victories for Chevrolet and starts for Lund.

Greg Fielden and Peter Golenbock's Stock Car Racing Encyclopedia has credited Lund with the two victories, bringing his career Grand National total to five. This also has disputed the win total between Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip, both of whom are tied at 84, though Allison has always claimed that he has 85 Grand National wins. This also would technically dispute Charlie Glotzbach, Richard Petty and Elmo Langley's win totals. If, as NASCAR did with other combined division races, wins were awarded based on classes similar to sportscar racing and regional series (K&N Pro Series currently), Petty would have a 201st win (in the same Grand American win for Allison), Langley a third win (1971 at Hickory; Lund in a Grand American), and Glotzbach a second win (1971 at North Wilkesboro; Lund in a Grand American) based on winning the Grand National class.

The Grand American series folded during 1972, after just six races – the new Grand National East Division emerged later that year. Lund moved to the new series and the existing NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series.

Lund won the Sportsman season opener at Daytona twice and continued to rack up victories on short tracks that he had raced on as a youth.

Death at Talladega In 1975, Lund entered an A. J. King Dodge in the Talladega 500 of the top level (renamed) Winston Cup Series. Lund qualified as first alternate; when Grant Adcox's car was withdrawn from the event, Lund was in and after a short track event that Saturday was flown down in Bobby Allison's private airplane.

The race was delayed a week by heavy rains, finally running on August 17. On the seventh lap, Lund and J. D. McDuffie collided on the backstretch. Other cars start to scramble as Lund’s Dodge and McDuffie's Chevy spun out. Subsequently, Terry Link slammed broadside into Lund's driver's side door, the impact knocking him unconscious and his Pontiac bursting into flames. Two spectators in the infield climbed over the catchfence, and with help from driver Walter Ballard, pulled Link from his car and was able to revive him.

Meanwhile, Lund was extricated from his own car by track rescue teams. He died later at the track infield hospital of massive chest and internal crush injuries.

Lund was survived by his wife, Wanda, and son, Christopher.

Awards and legacy

Lund was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994, and in 1998 named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers.

Lund was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on March 17, 2020.

There is a Tiny Lund Grandstand at Daytona International Speedway, and in his hometown of Harlan, Iowa, there is a local dirt-track International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) Modified race, the Tiny Lund Memorial, with over 200 entries annually for this popular event. The movie Short track (2008) is dedicated to his memory.

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 57 58 59 60 61 62 Pts Ref 1955 Carl Rupert 37 Chevy TCS PBS JSP DAB 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 DAR MGY LAN RSP GPS MAS CLB MAR LVP NWS HBO 217th - 1956 Gus Holzmueller 37 Pontiac HCY CLT WSS PBS ASF DAB PBS WIL ATL NWS LAN CLB CON GPS HCY HBO 19th 2754 A.L. Bumgarner 55 Pontiac RCH 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 Gus Holzmueller 16 Chevy DAR CSH CLT LAN POR CLB HBO NWP CLT CCF MAR HCY WIL 1957 WSS CON 11th 4848 Petty Enterprises 42A Dodge TIC 188 Olds DAB44 CON WIL HBO AWS C.M. Julian 431 Dodge NWS Gus Holzmueller 79 Ford LAN A.L. Bumgarner 55 Pontiac CLT PIF GBF POR CCF10* RCH MAR POR EUR LIN LCS ASP NWP CLB CPS PIF RSP51 CLT MAS POR HCY NOR LCS GLN KPC LIN OBS MYB DAR NYF AWS CSF SCF LAN CLB CCF Rice Racing 80 Pontiac JAC NWS GBF Bob Welborn 48 Chevy CLT Bishop Brothers 8 Chevy MAR NBR CON 1958 Lonnie Fish 76 Chevy FAY 25th 2436 Bob Welborn 48 Chevy DAB CON FAY WIL HBO FAY Don Angel 37 Ford CLB PIF ATL CLT MAR ODS OBS GPS GBF STR NWS BGS TRN RSD CLB NBS REF LIN HCY AWS MCC SLS TOR BUF MCF BEL BRR CLB NSV AWS BGS MBS CLT SAS A.L. Bumgarner 55 Pontiac RSP49 Jim Linke 88 Ford DAR Julian Petty 48 Chevy BIR CSF GAF RCH MAR Buck Baker Racing 86 Chevy HBO Tootle Estes 36 Ford NWS ATL 1959 Tommy Irwin FAY 20th 2634 Buck Baker Racing 88 Chevy DAY DAY 89 HBO CON Lund Racing 5 Chevy ATL WIL BGS CLB NWS REF HCY MAR TRN CLT NSV ASP PIF GPS ATL CLB WIL RCH BGS AWS DAY HEI CLT MBS CLT AWS BGS GPS CLB Julian Petty 44 Chevy NSV Spook Crawford 20 Ford DAR HCY RCH CSF HBO MAR AWS NWS CON 1960 CLT 32nd 4124 Lund Racing 5 Chevy CLB Bill Gazaway 45 Olds DAY DAY DAY51 CLT NWS PHO CLB MAR HCY WIL BGS GPS AWS DAR PIF HBO RCH HMS ATL BIR NSV AWS PIF CLB SBO BGS DAR HCY CSF GSP HBO MAR NWS Frank Skinner 63 Pontiac CLT BGS DAY HEI MAB MBS CLT RCH Donlavey Racing 90 Ford ATL 1961 Fred Clark 30 Chevy CLT JSP DAY DAY DAY PIF AWS HMS ATL GPS HBO BGS MAR NWS CLB HCY RCH MAR DAR CLT CLT RSD ASP CLT PIF BIR GPS BGS NOR HAS STR ATL MAR NWS BRI GPS HBO 23rd 7740 J.D. Braswell 75 Pontiac DAY ATL BRI NSV BGS AWS RCH SBO Pete Boland 63 Ford CLB MBS B.G. Holloway 59 Pontiac DAR HCY RCH CSF J.L. Cheatham 96 Chevy CLT 1962 Fred Clark 30 Chevy CON AWS DAY DAY DAY 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 DAR HCY RCH DTS AUG 34th 4384 Lewis Osborne 96 Chevy AUG Paul Lewis SVH MBS BRI CHT NSV HUN AWS STR BGS PIF VAL Fred Clark 58 Chevy MAR NWS Cliff Stewart Racing 12 Pontiac CLT ATL 1963 Wood Brothers 21 Ford BIR GGS THS RSD DAY DAY DAY PIF AWS HBO ATL HCY BRI MAR NWS CLB THS DAR ODS RCH 10th 19624 Ed Livingston 68 Ford AUG RCH GPS SBO BGS Stewart McKinney 44 Ford CLT BIR Holman-Moody 0 Ford ATL DAY MBS SVH DTS BGS ASH OBS BRR BRI DAR CLT SBO Dave Kent 32 Ford GPS NSV CLB AWS PIF BGS ONA HCY RCH MAR DTS NWS HBO RSD 53 THS 1964 32 CON AUG JSP SVH RSD 20th 12598 Graham Shaw DAY DAY DAY RCH BRI Herman Beam 19 Ford GPS BGS David Walker 35 Plymouth ATL AWS Graham Shaw 98 Ford HBO PIF CLB NWS MAR SVH David Walker 89 Plymouth DAR LGY HCY SBO CLT 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 Lyle Stelter 55 Ford DAR RCH ODS HBO MAR SVH NWS CLT HAR AUG JAC 5 HCY 1965 55 RSD DAY DAY DAY PIF ASW RCH HBO ATL GPS 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 21st 12820 Gary Weaver 10 Ford NWS MAR MAR NWS CLT HBO CAR DTS 1966 Lyle Stelter 55 Ford AUG20* RSD ATL HCY CLB GPS BGS NWS MAR DAR LGY MGR MON RCH CLT DTS ASH PIF8* SMR AWS BLV GPS ODS BRR OXF ISP BRI SMR NSV CLB AWS BLV BGS CLT CAR44 29th 9332 Gary Weaver 10 Ford DAY DAY DAY Larry DeBeau CAR BRI Betty Lilly 24 Ford DAY ATL DAR HCY RCH HBO MAR NWS Lyle Stelter 15 Ford FON 1967 55 AUG RSD TRN OXF FDA ISP BRI SMR NSV ATL BGS CLB SVH DAR HCY RCH BLV HBO MAR NWS CLT CAR AWS 19th 16292 Petty Enterprises 42 Plymouth DAY DAY DAY AWS BRI GPS BGS ATL CLT ASH MGR SMR BIR Don Culpepper 76 Ford CLB HCY NWS MAR SVH RCH DAR BLV LGY Turkey Minton 74 Chevy CAR GPS MGY DAY 1968 Lyle Stelter 55 Ford MGR MGY RSD 22nd 1443 Bud Moore Engineering 16 Mercury DAY BRI RCH ATL HCY MAR AUG AWS DAR BLV LGY CLT ASH MGR SMR BIR CAR GPS DAY ISP OXF FDA TRN BRI SMR NSV ATL DAR HCY RCH BLV HBO MAR NWS AUG CLT CAR JFC Lyle Stelter 56 Ford GPS CLB NWS Don Culpepper 76 Ford CLB BGS AWS SBO LGY 1969 Bill France 53 Ford MGR MGY 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 NA 0 1970 McConnell Racing 55 Dodge RSD DAY DAY DAY RCH CAR SVH ATL BRI TAL NWS CLB DAR BLV LGY CLT SMR MAR MCH RSD HCY KPT GPS DAY AST TPN TRN BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB ONA MCH TAL BGS SBO DAR HCY RCH DOV NCF NWS CLT MAR MGR CAR LGY NA 0 1971 RSD DAY DAY DAY ONT RCH CAR HCY BRI ATL CLB GPS SMR NWS MAR DAR SBO TAL ASH KPT CLT DOV MCH RSD HOU GPS NA 0 Lund Racing Mercury DAY BRI AST ISP TRN NSV ATL CLT DOV CAR TWS Ronnie Hopkins Chevy BGS ONA MCH TAL CLB HCY DAR MAR MGR RCH NWS

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 Hank Richardson 55 Chevy RSD DAY RCH ONT CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV MCH RSD TWS DAY BRI TRN ATL TAL MCH NSV DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR TWS 104th 191 1973 Carl Price RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV CLT DOV TWS RSD MCH DAY BRI ATL TAL NSV DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR 94th - 1975 King Enterprises 26 Dodge RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL46 MCH DAR DOV NWS MAR CLT RCH CAR BRI ATL ONT 115th 25

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1959 Buck Baker Racing Chevrolet 13 40 1960 Bill Gazaway Oldsmobile 64 51 1963 Wood Brothers Racing Ford 12 1 1964 Graham Shaw Ford 13 11 1965 Lyle Stelter Ford 24 29 1966 Gary Weaver Ford DNQ 1967 Petty Enterprises Plymouth 11 4 1968 Bud Moore Engineering Mercury 5 9 1970 McConnell Racing Dodge 8 13 1971 23 29 1973 Carl Price Chevrolet 19 36 1975 King Enterprises Dodge DNQ