J.T. Putney) was a former NASCAR

NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 Grand National Series race car driver who would accomplish 16 finishes in the "top five" in addition to 49 finishes in the "top ten." Herman Beam

Herman Beam

Herman Beam was a NASCAR Grand National driver and team owner from Johnson City, Tennessee who was active as a driver from 1957 until 1963. He is famous for holding the longest streak of races without a DNF, with 84, from 1961 until 1963...

 would become one of Putney's employers; guiding him to a seventh-place finish at the end of the 1965 NASCAR Grand National Cup Series.

Summary

He would lead 32 laps out of 26,094 in NASCAR - the equivalent of 20371.2 miles (32,784.2 km). Putney's average start was 17th place while his average finish would end up being 15th place. Total earnings for this driver added up to $63,963 ($ in today's money). One of his notable racing accomplishments outside of NASCAR was his seventh place finish at the 1967 ARCA 250 Daytona Race in a 1966 Chevrolet machine. Putney mainly drove the #22 Chevrolet

Chevrolet

Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...

 machine as a driver/owner in the NASCAR Cup Series. When he was not racing on the track, Putney had a day job at American Enka Corp. as a corporate pilot

Aviator

An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...

. After his NASCAR career ended, he would fly for Kingsport Press (based out of Kingsport

Kingsport, Tennessee

Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...

, Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

) in addition to other local aircraft companies. Putney would suffer from four other heart attacks before dying of his fifth in 2001. A brief stint as a businessman gave him the opportunity to briefly own a Budget Rental Car

Budget Rent a Car

Budget Rent a Car System, Inc. is an American car rental company that was founded in 1958 in Los Angeles, California by Morris Mirkin. Budget's operations are headquartered in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, New Jersey....

 franchise. Putney would ultimately retire from any sort of business or flying after his first heart attack in 1979. When the air traffic controller

Air traffic controller

Air traffic controllers are the people who expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. The position of the air traffic controller is one that requires highly specialized skills...

s went on strike, he joined the FAA and took over their jobs from 1981 to 1990.

He would leave behind his wife Joyce, four kids (Debbie Putney Buckley, Dede Buckley Wasielewski, Taylor Putney, Lloyd Putney), three siblings (Nell Putney Casteen, W.W. Putney, Blake Putney), five biological grandchildren, and a surrogate

Surrogacy

Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or person. This woman may be the child's genetic mother , or she may carry the pregnancy to delivery after having an embryo, to which she has no genetic relationship whatsoever, transferred to her uterus...

grandchild named Tucker Smith.