95-year-old Hershel McGriff drove in his first stock-car race in 1945 and is now ready to drive into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
GREEN VALLEY (KVOA) — 72 years ago, Hershel McGriff accepted the invitation of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. to come to Darlington, South Carolina and drive in a Grand National Series race.
Friday night McGriff will drive into Charlotte, North Carolina and take a seat in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
It’s the ultimate culmination of a life dedicated to racing for the 95-year-old Southern Arizona resident.
The 22-year old finished 9th that day at Darlington.
He ended up running 85 cup races over a 28-year span, winning four times in 1954.
McGriff finished 5th at the Daytona 500 in 1973.
He criss-crossed the west as a weekend racer, competing in the former Winston West Series (currently ARCA West Series) where he won the points championship in 1986 and was voted the series’ favorite driver 12 times.
Hershel McGriff Sr. ran his first NASCAR sanctioned race in 1954 at Darlington and his last in 2018 in Tucson
The Bridal Veil, Oregon native finished his illustrious career with 37 victories between NASCAR’s Cup and West series.
In 1998 he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers of all-time.
He twice took his talents across the Atlantic Ocean to drive in the famed 24 hours of LeMans.
When not racing on weekends, McGriff owned a lumber yard in Oregon before moving to Southern Arizona to sell mining equipment.
His family has become a staple in the Tucson stock car racing community with son Hershel Jr. and grandkids Jason and Mariah all involved in the NASCAR Home Tracks circuit as drivers and crew members.
McGriff is being enshrined alongside fellow driver Matt Kenseth and longtime Dale Earnhardt crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine. Mike Helton will receive the NASCAR Landmark Award.
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