Raymond Lee Fox, Sr. (born 1917) is a retired American engine builder,
NASCARThe 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...
car owner and NASCAR engine inspector. His cars won fourteen NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) events and sixteen
pole positionThe term "pole position" comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole.The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsport, a driver has pole position when he or she starts a race at the front of...
s.
He is induced in numerous
halls of fameA hall of fame is a type of museum established for any a field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field.In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or museums which enshrine the honorees with sculptures, plaques, and displays of memorabilia...
, including the
International Motorsports Hall of FameThe International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to auto racing either as a driver, owner, developer or engineer...
.
Fox grew up in
Pelham, New HampshirePelham is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,914 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 12,514 in 2006.- History :...
. He was first introduced to racing at the
board trackBoard track, or motordrome, racing was a type of motorsport, popular in the United States between the second and third decades of the 20th century, where competition was conducted on oval race courses with surfaces composed of wooden planks...
at
Rockingham ParkRockingham Park is a horse racing establishment in Salem, New Hampshire, in the United States. First built in 1906, it was used as an area for many to gamble on the weekends. Seabiscuit raced there in 1935 and 1936, and Mom's Command ran in her first race and gained her first victory there in...
in nearby
Salem, New HampshireSalem is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 28,112 at the 2000 census. Salem is a marketing and distributing center, with several colleges, recreation attractions and a large shopping mall, the Mall at Rockingham Park....
. He left the area in 1946 after serving in the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
.
Raymond Lee Fox, Sr. (born 1917) is a retired American engine builder,
NASCARThe 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...
car owner and NASCAR engine inspector. His cars won fourteen NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) events and sixteen
pole positionThe term "pole position" comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole.The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsport, a driver has pole position when he or she starts a race at the front of...
s.
He is induced in numerous
halls of fameA hall of fame is a type of museum established for any a field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field.In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or museums which enshrine the honorees with sculptures, plaques, and displays of memorabilia...
, including the
International Motorsports Hall of FameThe International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to auto racing either as a driver, owner, developer or engineer...
.
Early life
Fox grew up in
Pelham, New HampshirePelham is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,914 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 12,514 in 2006.- History :...
. He was first introduced to racing at the
board trackBoard track, or motordrome, racing was a type of motorsport, popular in the United States between the second and third decades of the 20th century, where competition was conducted on oval race courses with surfaces composed of wooden planks...
at
Rockingham ParkRockingham Park is a horse racing establishment in Salem, New Hampshire, in the United States. First built in 1906, it was used as an area for many to gamble on the weekends. Seabiscuit raced there in 1935 and 1936, and Mom's Command ran in her first race and gained her first victory there in...
in nearby
Salem, New HampshireSalem is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 28,112 at the 2000 census. Salem is a marketing and distributing center, with several colleges, recreation attractions and a large shopping mall, the Mall at Rockingham Park....
. He left the area in 1946 after serving in the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
. He moved to
Daytona Beach, FloridaDaytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,421. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had a...
to work at various automobile repair shops before he moved to Daytona, Florida to work for Robert Fish's Fish Carburetor. He drove
Modified racecarsThe NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified division. The Modified division is NASCAR's oldest division, and its one of two open-wheeled divisions...
in Florida and southern
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January...
against drivers like
Fireball RobertsEdward Glenn "Fireball" Roberts, Jr. was one of the pioneering race car drivers of NASCAR.-Background:Roberts was born in Tavares, Florida, and raised in Apopka, Florida where he was interested in both auto racing and baseball...
and
Marshall TeagueMarshall Teague was an American race car driver.He was nicknamed by NASCAR fans as the "King of the Beach" for his performances at the Daytona Beach Road Course....
.
NASCAR engine builder
Fox built Fireball Roberts' engine for the 1955 race on the
Daytona Beach Road CourseDaytona Beach Road Course was a race track that was instrumental in the formation of NASCAR. It originally became famous as the location where fifteen world land speed records were set.-World speed records:...
. He started building the engine at 8:00 pm the night before the race and got done at 4:00am. Roberts car qualified fourth and led every lap of the 160 lap event, winning by 1 minute and 14 seconds ahead of
Tim FlockJulius Timothy Flock was one of NASCAR's early pioneers, and a two time series champion. He was a brother to NASCAR's second female driver Ethel Mobley and NASCAR pioneers Bob Flock and Fonty Flock.- NASCAR career :...
. Flock was the only other driver left on the lead lap on the circuit. NASCAR disqualified the car 24 hours after the event, for the sanctioning body found the
pushrodsAn overhead valve engine, also informally called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft within the cylinder block , and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder...
to be of an inch (8 mm) too short. Mechanic Red Vogt had ground the pushrods even, which was an illegal modification. Flock was awarded the victory. It was the last NASCAR race to be taken away from the winner. Subsequent rules violations have resulted in fines and point loses.
Carl KiekhaeferElmer Carl Kiekhaefer was the owner of Kiekhaefer Marine , and also a two-time NASCAR championship car owner.-Kiekhaefer Mercury founder:...
hired Fox and
Herb Thomas----Herbert Watson Thomas was a NASCAR pioneer who was one of the series' most successful drivers in the 1950s.-Background:...
in 1956. Fox said "He hired us because we were the only ones who could outrun his cars." Kiekhaefer's cars won 22 of the first 26 races, with drivers Thomas,
Buck BakerElzie Wylie Baker Sr. better known as Buck Baker was an American racecar driver.-Racing career:...
, Tim Flock, and
Speedy ThompsonAlfred "Speedy" Thompson was a NASCAR pioneer and driver in the Grand National [now Sprint Cup] series from 1950 to 1971, capturing 20 wins along the way.-Racing career:...
. Fox was named the Mechanic of the Year. Fox opened his own engine shop after the season.
Car owner John Masoni approached Fox in 1960 to build a car for the
1960 Daytona 500The 1960 Daytona 500 was won by Junior Johnson driving a 1959 Chevrolet. Johnson drove the number 27 to victory in just over four hours after starting in the 9th position. Johnson took the lead with nine laps remaining when Bobby Allison spun, and Johnson went on to win the race. The win was...
, which would be driven by
Junior JohnsonRobert Glenn Johnson, Jr. , known as Junior Johnson, was a moonshiner in the rural South who became one of the early superstars of NASCAR in the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966. In the 1970s and 1980s he became a NASCAR racing team owner; he sponsored...
. Fox built the car in seven days. The car was about slower than the
PontiacPontiac is a brand of automobiles first produced in 1926, and sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico by General Motors . Pontiac has been marketed as an "athletic" brand, specializing in mainstream performance vehicles....
racecars in the car in practice. While they were trying to figure out how to increase their speed, a
Cotton OwensEverett "Cotton" Owens "the King of the Modifieds" was a NASCAR driver. For five straight years , Owens captured at least one Grand National series win.-Modified driving career:...
' faster Pontiacs racecar passed him. Johnson noticed that when he was able to keep up with Owens' car if he followed closely behind in its
slipstreamA slipstream is a region behind a moving object in which a wake of fluid is moving at velocities comparable to the moving object . The term slipstream also applies to the similar region adjacent to an object with a fluid moving around it...
. Johnson followed the Pontiac racecars in the race, pitting when they did. At the end,
Bobby JohnsBobby Johns is a retired American racecar driver.Johns raced in the NASCAR series in the 1956-1969 seasons, with 141 career starts. He had 2 wins among his 36 top ten finishes and finished the 1960 season 3rd in the points...
had the only Pontiac which was competing for the win. Johnson followed
Jack SmithJack Smith is the name of:In sport:*Jack Smith , American football end*Jack Smith , English player with Wolverhampton Wanderers and others...
's lapped Pontiac until Johns caught the duo and passed Johnson for the lead with 30 laps left in the race. Johns led the race until his rear window fell out with 10 laps remaining. Johns recovered to finish second, 23 seconds behind Johnson. The practice of "
draftingDrafting or slipstreaming is a technique where two vehicles or objects align in a close group reducing the overall effect of drag due to exploiting the lead object's slipstream...
" has become a common tactic among NASCAR drivers on high speed tracks. Rookie
David PearsonDavid Gene Pearson is a former American NASCAR racecar champion.Known as the "Silver Fox", he debuted on the Grand National racing circuit in 1960 and earned Rookie of the Year honors that same season. He went on to win the NASCAR Championship in 1966, 1968 and 1969...
won three races that season in a Ray Fox-prepared
PontiacPontiac is a brand of automobiles first produced in 1926, and sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico by General Motors . Pontiac has been marketed as an "athletic" brand, specializing in mainstream performance vehicles....
.
Car owner
Fox began owning his own car starting in 1962. Drivers to race in Fox's car include
Buck BakerElzie Wylie Baker Sr. better known as Buck Baker was an American racecar driver.-Racing career:...
,
Buddy BakerElzie Wylie Baker, Jr. is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.-Early life:...
,
Darel DieringerDarel Dieringer is a former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup driver. He made his debut in 1957 driving for John Zink and John Whitford but would see little success until 1963, when driving for Bill Stroppe, he won a race, logged 15 top tens, and finished 7th in points...
,
Junior JohnsonRobert Glenn Johnson, Jr. , known as Junior Johnson, was a moonshiner in the rural South who became one of the early superstars of NASCAR in the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966. In the 1970s and 1980s he became a NASCAR racing team owner; he sponsored...
,
Fred LorenzenFred Lorenzen , is a former NASCAR driver. He first caught the car bug young, and had built his first car at the age of 13. After graduating from high school, he began racing modifieds and late models, and made his NASCAR debut in 1956 at Langhorne Speedway, finishing 26th after suffering a broken...
,
Fireball RobertsEdward Glenn "Fireball" Roberts, Jr. was one of the pioneering race car drivers of NASCAR.-Background:Roberts was born in Tavares, Florida, and raised in Apopka, Florida where he was interested in both auto racing and baseball...
,
Cale YarboroughWilliam Caleb Yarborough , is a businessman and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner. He is the one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships, before Jimmie Johnson in 2006-2008...
, and
LeeRoy YarbroughLonnie Yarbrough was a NASCAR racer. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 Top Ten finishes and earned $193,211. During his entire career from 1960-1972, he competed in 198 races, scoring 14 wins, 65 top fives, 92 top tens, and 10 poles...
.
In 1965, LeeRoy Yarbrough drove a Fox-prepared
Dodge CoronetThe Coronet was a full-size car from Dodge in the 1950s, initially the division's highest trim line but, starting in 1955, the lowest trim line. In the 1960s, the name was transferred to Dodge's mid-size entry.-1949:...
racecar to a new closed-course world speed record at . He set the record on the second lap and he was increasing speed on the third lap when the car began smoking. NASCAR black flagged the car and Yarbrough slowed down. When he arrived in the pits, the pit crew found a bolt in the tire. The bolt easily could have caused a flat tire, which could have been deadly at high speed.
In the late 1960s, Fox bought
Holman MoodyHolman Moody was an auto racing team, racecar manufacturer, and marine engine manufacturer. The team built virtually all of the factory Ford racecars of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. It owned racecars that competed in NASCAR, drag racing, ocean boat racing, rallys, and sports car racing. The team...
's shop at the Charlotte airport.
Fox retired in 1972, selling the company to his son Ray Fox, Jr.
NASCAR inspector
NASCAR hired Fox to inspect engines in 1990. Fox retired for the second time in 1996. After retirement, he became the president of the Living Legends of Auto Racing.
Honors and awards
Fox was inducted in the
International Motorsports Hall of FameThe International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to auto racing either as a driver, owner, developer or engineer...
in 2003. He is a member of the Jacksonville (Florida) Raceway hall of Fame, National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, the Oceanside Rotary Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Western Auto Mechanics Hall of Fame.
Personal life
Fox's son Ray Fox, Jr. was a long-time employee of Robert Yates Racing until his death. Raymond Fox, Ray Jr.'s son, worked at Robert Yates Racing for around twenty years until he moved to
Petty EnterprisesPetty Enterprises was a NASCAR racing team based in Randleman, North Carolina. The team was owned by Richard Petty, his son Kyle Petty, and Boston Ventures. At the time of its folding the team operated the #43 and #45 Dodge Chargers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Petty Enterprises ran from 1949...
in 2008.