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Dave Marcis
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Dave Marcis (born March 1, 1941 in Wausau, Wisconsin) was a driver on the NASCAR Winston Cup (now known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup) circuit from 1968 until 2002. Marcis won five times over this tenure, twice at Richmond, including his final win in 1982. Dave was most famous for two things: racing for his own team and racing while wearing wingtip shoes to absorb the heat in the car. He made the Daytona 500 every year from 1968 until 1999.
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Encyclopedia
Dave Marcis (born March 1, 1941 in Wausau, Wisconsin) was a driver on the NASCAR Winston Cup (now known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup) circuit from 1968 until 2002. Marcis won five times over this tenure, twice at Richmond, including his final win in 1982. Dave was most famous for two things: racing for his own team and racing while wearing wingtip shoes to absorb the heat in the car. He made the Daytona 500 every year from 1968 until 1999. The 2002 Daytona 500 was the last time Marcis raced in NASCAR.
Career Overview
Marcis' career is notable in the history of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. While he is best known as the last of the non-factory supported independent owner drivers, he is also known as one of the top drivers of the 1970s. During his career, he drove for series championship car owners Nord Krauskopf and Rod Osterlund. Marcis is second only to Richard Petty in all time starts at 883. Marcis often owned/drove the #71 car. He finished 8 times in the Top 10 season long driver's points.
1970s
Marcis finished as high as second in the season standing in 1975 driving Nord Krauskopf's K & K Dodge Charger in the first year for NASCAR's modern standard of calculating points. Despite driving for some of the top teams of the day, Marcis opted to field his own teams following his sudden departure from Osterland Racing after the 1978 season. Marcis was replaced by seven time champion Dale Earnhardt, who would begin his rookie campaign the following year. Former crew Harry Hyde once said of Marcis, "he had the talent to be a champion, if only he weren't so stubborn."
1980s
Marcis experienced moderate success as an owner driver during the 1980s. The highlight of Marcis' career as an owner-driver was winning at the old Richmond Fairgrounds in 1982. Marcis was a lap down, but made up the lap when the race leader Joe Ruttman spun out and Marcis passed him. All three drivers that were ahead of Marcis pitted and he assumed the lead as it began to rain. The race was called complete as darkness set in, and Marcis was declared the winner. Marcis described the win, "I wasn't praying for rain, but I told the guys when I got out of the car (during the break before the race was canceled) that if the good Lord wanted to help an independent, this was his chance." "It was one of my greatest moments in racing," Marcis said. "I had even built my own engine for that race." From that point Marcis' team gradually became less competitive as more well-funded teams found their way into the series. Marcis was occasionally known to moonlight for other car owners such as Larry Hedrick (later of Hedrick Motorsports). Often Marcis would still field his own car, usually with Jim Sauter behind the wheel.
1990s
During the twilight of his career Marcis landed the first major internet sponsor in Winston Cup, Prodigy Internet. This company would sponsor Marcis as an associate and primary sponsor between 1994 and 1996. Marcis was frequently the test driver for the Richard Childress GM Goodwrench #3 of his friend Dale Earnhardt during the prime of his career. This agreement with Childress was made by Marcis to help fund his own race team, but backfired because he rarely had the time to test his own equipment. Marcis finished out his career in the 2002 Daytona 500, a race he has competed in more than any other driver in history.
Marcis was a test driver for the IROC and the Nextel Cup series after his retirement from racing competition in early 2002. He currently resides with his wife in the Asheville, North Carolina area.
Trivia
Career statistics
| Year | Starts | Poles | Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Final Points Ranking | | 1968 | 10 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 02 | 34 | | 1969 | 37 | 00 | 00 | 03 | 11 | 19 | | 1970 | 47 | 00 | 00 | 07 | 15 | 09 | | 1971 | 29 | 02 | 00 | 09 | 14 | 21 | | 1972 | 27 | 00 | 00 | 05 | 11 | 15 | | 1973 | 23 | 00 | 00 | 03 | 06 | 24 | | 1974 | 30 | 00 | 00 | 06 | 18 | 06 | | 1975 | 30 | 04 | 01 | 16 | 18 | 02 | | 1976 | 30 | 07 | 03 | 09 | 16 | 06 | | 1977 | 18 | 00 | 00 | 05 | 07 | 25 | | 1978 | 30 | 00 | 00 | 14 | 24 | 05 | | 1979 | 25 | 00 | 00 | 01 | 06 | 20 | | 1980 | 31 | 00 | 00 | 04 | 14 | 09 | | 1981 | 31 | 01 | 00 | 04 | 09 | 09 | | 1982 | 30 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 14 | 06 | | 1983 | 30 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 07 | 11 | | 1984 | 30 | 00 | 00 | 03 | 09 | 13 | | 1985 | 28 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 05 | 18 | | 1986 | 29 | 00 | 00 | 01 | 04 | 17 | | 1987 | 29 | 00 | 00 | 02 | 07 | 18 | | 1988 | 29 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 02 | 19 | | 1989 | 27 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 01 | 25 | | 1990 | 29 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 21 | | 1991 | 27 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 01 | 29 | | 1992 | 29 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 29 | | 1993 | 23 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 33 | | 1994 | 23 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 01 | 36 | | 1995 | 28 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 35 | | 1996 | 27 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 38 | | 1997 | 19 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 42 | | 1998 | 13 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 45 | | 1999 | 20 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 42 | | 2000 | 11 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 46 | | 2001 | 03 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 53 | | 2002 | 01 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 00 | 82 | | Total | 883 | 14 | 5 | 94 | 222 | Avg.: 24.63 |
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