Rex White, the 1960 NASCAR champion, has died at the age of 95, NASCAR confirmed on Friday, July 18.
White, who at the time was just the seventh driver to capture a championship in NASCAR’s premier series, won 28 times in 233 starts during a nine-year driving career and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.
‘We mourn the loss of NASCAR Champion and Hall of Famer, Rex White,’ NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said in a statement. ‘Rex epitomized the formative days of NASCAR — a true pioneer whose contributions helped shape the foundation of our sport. His hard work, dedication, and talent allowed him to make a living doing what he loved most — racing cars. He was the model of consistency — finishing in the top five in nearly half of his races — and dominated the short tracks.
‘On behalf of NASCAR and the France family, I want to offer our condolences to the friends and family of Rex White.”
Born in 1929 in Taylorsville, North Carolina, White began his NASCAR career in 1956 at the age of 26. He scored three top-five finishes in his rookie season and finished 11th in the season standings. He earned his first career win in the 1958 season opener in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and finished the season with two victories.
For the next four years, White won at least five races a season. In 1960, he took the checkered flag six times on his way to the championship and was also named NASCAR’s most popular driver. The following year, in 1961, White won seven times and finished as the series runner-up to Ned Jarrett. His peak year for wins came in 1962 when he scored eight.
White, who stood 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighed just 135 pounds during his prime, was considered one of NASCAR’s fiercest competitors despite his slight size and a right leg damaged by childhood polio. He was also one of the series’ best short-track drivers, with 27 of his 28 career wins coming at smaller venues.
His last victory, at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1962, was also his lone win on an intermediate oval.
In his relatively short but excellent career, White scored 110 top-five and 163 top-10 finishes in NASCAR’s premier series and won 36 pole positions.
In addition to induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, White is also a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame and the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.