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David Pearson, three-time champion of NASCAR's current series Monster Energy, died Monday at age 83, confirmed the Wood Brothers Racing team at ESPN.
Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in his second class in 2011, Pearson won 105 races in cup, just behind Richard Petty, Pearson's main rival in the 1960s and 1970s. Between 1963 and 1977, the two finished first and second in 63 races, Pearson winning 33 wins.
"I've always wondered who was my toughest competitor in my career – the answer has always been David Pearson," Petty said Monday in a statement. "David and I ran together throughout our career and fought for wins, mostly in first or second place.
"It was not a rivalry, but a mutual respect." David is a Hall of Fame pilot who has made me better, he pushed me as much as I pushed him. on the track, we both became better. "
Petty and Pearson remained friends after the end of their race.
"We have always been close to the Pearson family because she was in the racing business just like us," said Petty. "We stayed close and enjoyed David's visits when we went through South Carolina and we will miss those trips."
In a statement Monday, NASCAR said Pearson's legendary rivalry with Petty "helped pave the way for NASCAR's transformation into a nationally attractive mainstream sport."
"When he retired, he had three championships and millions of fans," said NASCAR President and CEO Jim France. "Petty called him the biggest driver he had ever run against, we were lucky to be able to call one of our champions, the man they were. called the "Silver Fox" was the gold standard of NASCAR excellence. "
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski were among the many pilots to pay homage to Pearson on Twitter on Monday.
David Pearson was one of the greatest of all time. Anyone who ran it will tell you that he was the best. The silver fox has lived up to his personality on and off the track. What badass. TEAR pic.twitter.com/LGGJ7ZIje9
– Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) November 13, 2018
RIP David Pearson.
I must say that if it is one of the drivers who inspired me the most on the track, it's you. Always slender, witty and in position at the end when it mattered.
– Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) November 13, 2018
Known as "Silver Fox" for his penchant for waiting while others used their car to take the lead early in the races, Pearson often seemed to come out of nowhere to take the lead in the races. decreasing turns of a race.
In 1976, during his victory, he won the dayton victory in 1976, when he overtook Petty to take the lead in the back of the final lap. the infield gets closer to the finish line.
Pearson was able to fire his Wood Brothers Ford and overtook Petty's blocked Dodge for the win.
Although Petty has won 200 105 Cup races, Pearson's accomplishments are remarkable in that he has won the championship the only three times he has run. During his years leading the Wood Brothers, the team focused only on the biggest races, leaving it behind the championship.
During his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Pearson remembered and joked about his battles with Petty.
"It's probably the one who made me win as much as me," Pearson said. "I run hard because he made me run hard.
"Sometimes he made a mistake and I passed him, of course I never made a mistake, I always accused him of having big engines when he doubled me. But it's a good sport.As I say, I've had more fun running with him than with anyone I've ever run with, because I know that if I was going on a race track and that he was there, if I could beat him, I would win the race. "
The most successful track of Pearson was in his home country. He has won 10 wins at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.
"His strong competitiveness and passion for the sport have made him true to NASCAR," said Darlington Raceway President Kerry Tharp. "His Hall of Fame career will remain one of the most prolific in the history of this sport and we will miss him and he will always be remembered."
The first Pearson championship was held in 1966, when he won 15 of his 42 starts, followed by championships in 1968 (16 wins in 48 starts) and 1969 (11 wins in 51 starts).
Bob Pockrass of ESPN contributed to this report.
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