December 1, 2009
By Allen Madding
George Jefferson began racing in 1966 competing in stock car events in the Pacific Northwest. He put his brother Harry driving and teamed with Parker Nall for engines when they moved to the NASCAR Sportsman Division (now the NASCAR Busch Series). In 1972, the team won 27 of 35 events including an amazing 17 wins in a row.
Jefferson had a dangerous habit of always standing next to the track to watch the race.
Parker Nall was appointed by the team as Jefferson’s “guardian angel” - to watch the track and pull Jefferson away from the track surface and out of harm’s way in the case of a crash.
On September 2, 1973, in Monroe, Washington tragedy struck.
While Jefferson stood next to the front straight-away watching his car, another car blew an engine, and the car following slid in the oil and headed straight for where Jefferson was standing. Nall grabbed Jefferson by the arm and both of them started running.
An out of control car struck Jefferson knocking him through the air. Jefferson landed hard and suffered two broken legs, facial lacerations, a broken jaw and internal injuries. NASCAR Official Samuel “Pat” Pattison ran to Jefferson’s aid and was struck by another out of control car and was killed by the contact.
The track ambulance crew attended to Jefferson and quickly loaded him into the ambulance and headed for the hospital. According to Parker Nall, the back doors flew open and the stretcher that Jefferson was on fell completely out of the ambulance. Jefferson miraculously survived the ordeal and returned to fielding race cars.
Over the years, Jefferson fielded cars for David Pearson, Sonny Easley, Hershel McGriff, Kyle Petty, Tim Richmond, Chad Little, and Derrike Cope. Beyond the Winston West Series, Jefferson’s cars also made 24 starts in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series recording four top ten finishes.
George’s brother Harry recorded the team’s first top ten finish in NASCAR Winston Cup Series competition in 1974 finishing seventh in the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Harry then recorded two more top tens during the 1975 season scoring a ninth place finish in the Atlanta 500 and a sixth place finish in the Winston 500 at the Alabama International Motor Speedway at Talladega. Hershel McGriff gave the team its fourth top ten finish in 1978 scoring a sixth place finish in the Winston Western 500 at Riverside, California on the 2.62-mile road course.
In 1982, Jefferson began fielding cars in the NASCAR Winston West Series for driver Derrick Cope. Jefferson and Cope would continue to race in the Winston West Series thru the 1985 season. Cope won the NASCAR Winston West Series Rookie of the Year title driving for Jefferson. Jefferson also entered Cope in a handful of NASCAR Winston Cup races from 1982 through 1985.
Chad Little also won the Rookie of the Year title in the NASCAR Winston West Series driving Jefferson’s cars, and Chad Little won the 1987 NASCAR Winston West Series championship. Little made five NASCAR Winston Cup Series starts in Jefferson’s cars from 1986 through 1988.
After the 1988 season, George Jefferson continued to work in the lumber business in central Washington and continued to be involved in racing with his two sons Jason and Jeff.
In 2004, George Jefferson was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.
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