David Pearson Conquered the World 600 Before Conquering the NASCAR Cup Series

Years after he retired from driving race cars, David Pearson was amazed at the daily contents of his mailbox.

The letters came from across the country—and across the oceans. Many were addressed simply to “David Pearson, Race Car Driver, Spartanburg, S.C.” Most held requests for autographs. Some writers simply wanted Pearson to know they were fans and that they hoped he enjoyed his retirement.

Pearson won three NASCAR Cup championships and 105 races in a career that began in 1960 and ended in 1986 (he tried to return in 1989 but “officially” retired after a practice session because of back problems). He is enshrined in numerous racing Halls of Fame, twice was named the American Driver of the Year and was named Driver of the Century (the 20th) by Sports Illustrated.

His crypt (Pearson died in 2018) in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens in his hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina, makes no mention of his heroics on track but carries this short, meaningful message: Simply The Best.

Pearson didn’t win as many races as Richard Petty or as many championships as Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson, and he wasn’t as in-your-face as Darrell Waltrip or Kyle Busch, but many who saw all the top drivers over the years will decorate Pearson as, indeed, the best.

He began proving himself in May 1961 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Pearson had raced in his own cars in 1960, his debut season in Cup racing, and had turned enough heads to win the season’s Rookie of the Year award. But there were no wins and not much money, and Pearson looked to 1961 as a possible make-or-break season. For that to happen, he needed a real chance in a top-flight car, and the opportunity arrived in May. He was roofing a house in Spartanburg when Ray Fox, one of the sport’s top crew chiefs, called offering Pearson a ride in the May 28 World 600 at Charlotte. Pearson was aware of Fox’s excellent reputation and jumped at the chance to drive a solid race car.

After a practice session at Charlotte, Pearson drove onto pit road. Fox came over to the car and asked Pearson how it was running. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never driven a race car that fast.”

Pearson wasn’t intimidated. “I was sitting in the car getting ready to start the race,” he remembered in an interview years later. “Guys like Fireball Roberts and Joe Weatherly were up at the front. I said to myself, ‘This car doesn’t know who’s driving it. If they can do it, I can do it.’ ”

And he did. Pearson pushed the Pontiac to the front and led 225 of the race’s 400 laps, including the final 129. He had a four-lap lead on Roberts with two laps to go in NASCAR’s longest race when his right rear tire blew. Pearson stayed on the track and crossed the finish line with sparks flying from the car’s right rear rim. Roberts finished second two laps down.

Pearson had his first of 105 Cup victories and was on his way to decades of glory days at the top level of American auto racing. The Fox team won $24,280 that day at Charlotte, and Pearson used his share to buy a house in Spartanburg. Never in Pearson’s wildest dreams had he thought of paying cash for a house. “I was just a mill-town boy, but, man, I was uptown after that win,” Pearson said.

Money wouldn’t be an issue for him for the rest of his days.