Longtime NASCAR team owner behind three Daytona – Sports News
Larry McClure, a longtime NASCAR Cup Series team owner who received three Daytona 500s, has handed away on the age of 81.
In current months, the motorsports world has been struck by a number of tragedies after former team owner and crew chief Travis Carter died earlier this month. Back in April, Jeff Gordon’s close good friend and publicist handed away shortly earlier than long-time correspondent Al Pearce additionally died.
On Wednesday morning, CBS Sports reported that McClure handed away at Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon, Va. Throughout the Nineties, the Morgan-McClure Motorsports co-owner fielded a aggressive team, which entered NASCAR back in 1983.
McClure and his business companions Tim Morgan and Jerry McClure purchased the required tools from G.C. Spencer, a longtime unbiased driver, to kickstart their dream of operating a racing team. Following a number of difficult seasons, Morgan-McClure lastly took off upon gaining sponsorship from the Eastman Kodak Company in 1986.
Four years later, Morgan-McClure secured its first Cup Series win during the Busch 500, as Ernie Irvan coasted down victory lane driving the No. 4 Kodak Film Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway.
From 1991-1995, Morgan-McClure emerged victorious within the Daytona 500 on three separate events. Irvan received ‘The Great American Race’ in 1991, with Sterling Marlin crossing the end line first at Daytona International Speedway in 1994 and 1995.
At the time, McClure was keen to do something to see Morgan-McClure win races. His unrelenting dedication paid off, because the team amassed 14 Cup Series victories between 1990 and 1998. “Everybody makes sacrifices. If you want to win, if you want to be successful, you’ve got to do what it takes,” he stated on the time.
“And sometimes the task is large and it takes a lot, and you have to give up a lot of other things that you’d rather be doing — maybe not rather be doing, but you could be doing — that are just not as important as winning. And winning is everything to me and to this race team, and we’re committed to it.”
News of McClure’s passing was a robust tablet to swallow for a lot of people who crossed paths with him, together with Marlin. Taking to social media, the previous driver wrote: “My heart hurts finding out Larry McClure passed away this morning.
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“He took a chance on me saying ‘I know you’ll drive the hell out of it.’ He gave me a fast race car and back to back Daytona 500s. He was innovative, smart and a hell of a guy. Glad I got to see him last year. I’m gonna miss him.”
Droves of extra tributes poured in on X, as ESPN reporter Ryan McGee wrote: “Godspeed Larry McClure. I saw him at the airport not too long ago and introduced him to a friend as ‘This here is the man who owned the slickest looking bullet that ever cut through Daytona.’ And he said ‘Hi, I’m Larry, and he’s damn right.’”
Broadcaster Hermie Sadler added: “I send my deepest condolences to the family of Larry McClure. Many years ago I went to Chicagoland with one car and one engine. My engine blew in practice. He gave me an engine to run. He said, ‘If you out qualify my car, you can race that engine for free.’ RIP.”
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