David Pearson, The Silver Fox: What If?

By Orlena Miller

September 26, 2002

If David Pearson had competed in as many NASCAR events as Richard Petty it’s possible our sport would have crowned a different man king. In 574 starts Pearson won 105 times. This gives him a winning percentage of slightly over eighteen-percent, Petty’s is about seventeen-percent. However, while Pearson raced for 27 years he seldom ran a complete season. In 1973 David entered only eighteen races, he won 11 of these events. The "what ifs" boggle the mind.

David Pearson was born in Whitney, SC on December 22, 1940. He began his illustrious career in 1952 in a hobby car race, he won $13.00. Racing throughout the Carolinas for several years David made his way to Daytona in 1960 and won Rookie of the Year honors that season. As they say in the garage, David Pearson was the "real deal."

Nicknamed the "Silver Fox", Pearson was a master at showing just enough of what he had to stay in the hunt while saving his car for the final sprint to the checkers. H. A. "Humpy" Wheeler, President and General Manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway says, "You never saw Pearson in a race, particularly at a superspeedway, until the end. The last ten-percent, he’d show up. Where was he the rest of the time? He was buried back in eighth or ninth or tenth, just waiting." Pearson would patiently wait to make his move, like a fox bides his time until the chicken coop is left unattended.

Without a doubt, David Pearson and Richard Petty were cut from the same cloth. Both were hard charging, go for broke competitors. Leading the list of all time winners Petty and Pearson dominated the sport throughout the ‘60’s and 70’s. Their rivalry brought unprecedented exposure and legions of new fans to the sport. Some of the most memorable finishes in NASCAR history were between Pearson and Petty. The pair finished one-two, sixty-three times, with the Silver Fox leading the way thirty-three times, to King Richard’s thirty.

In the 1974 Firecracker 400 Pearson had the best car, but he knew that with superspeedway racing the best car does not always win. David Pearson charged across the line to take the white flag with Richard Petty a close second. Suddenly Pearson slowed, everyone, including Richard Petty thought there was a problem. But foxy as always and fearing the slingshot Pearson knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, Petty passed him with ease. When the #43 car was a few hundred feet out front, Pearson jumped into the wash of air from Petty’s car. With a perfectly executed slingshot of his own David powered past Petty to win the race.

The final lap of the 1976 Daytona 500 is widely considered the most dramatic finish in the history of NASCAR. As the laps wound down David Pearson and Richard Petty were sizing each other up. Both drivers were accomplished on superspeedways. However, in seventeen starts Pearson had never won the Great American Race. David and Richard traded the lead back and forth for the last twenty laps. The crowd was on their feet, they knew that classic Petty-Pearson finish was unfolding.

Petty was leading as the pair entered turn one on the final lap. Everyone waited to see when Pearson would make his move and slingshot past the STP car. As they entered turn three the Silver Fox took the lead but drifted high, Petty went low to retake the point exiting three. Into turn four Petty led Pearson by half a car length. Coming out of four Petty caught the left front of the #21 Puralotor car and sent it into the wall. Fighting to maintain control of the #43, Petty overcorrected and also hit the wall. As Richard’s Dodge slid across the track into the grassy infield, the engine died. The car came to rest less than 50 yards short of the start finish line.

As he spun off the wall, Pearson popped the clutch on his Mercury and kept the engine fired. "Where’s Richard?" Pearson shouted into his radio. Glen Wood replied, "He’s stuck in the grass." With no other cars on the lead lap David limped across the line to his only Daytona 500 victory. After the race someone asked David if he was mad at Petty, he replied, "Nah, but I was fixin’ to be if I hadn’t won the race."

David Pearson finished ninth in points in 1976, it was his last time in the top ten. A frustrated Pearson left the Wood Brothers after a pit miscue at Darlington in 1979. On lap 302 Pearson pitted, the pit crew planned a four-tire change, but David thought it was a two-tire stop. The jack dropped after the right side tires were on and David took off. He lost the left side tires at the end of pit road and finished twenty-second. Later that year, driving for Hoss Ellington, Pearson claimed his 105th and final victory, also at Darlington.

In addition to being a fierce side-by-side racer, Pearson was a demon when it came to qualifying. One lap holding nothing back, pushing the limit suited David’s style. He recorded 113 poles, 58 on superspeedways. From 1973 to 1978 Pearson claimed an incredible 11 consecutive poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Silver Fox also mastered the treacherous track at Darlington. With 10 wins and 12 poles he is the winningest driver in the history of the legendary track.

During his NASCAR career David Pearson never had so much as a suture as a result of an on-track incident. He never broke a bone or spent a night in the hospital. However, persistent back spasms forced the Silver Fox to retire from driving in 1986. And the "what ifs" began.

TO THE WOODSHED: In the spirit of fairness, I’m sending myself to the "shed of dread" this week. My column last week was a bit misleading and I want to give credit where credit is due.

The Richard Childress shop does detail the #29, #30 and #31 cars. RCR did the decals on two of the three Looney Tunes cars for the Richmond race. The specialists from Motorsports Design were only called in when the team became pressed for time.

Sorry guys, you do a great job and don’t get the accolades you deserve. Thanks to Megan at RCR for the clarification and again for her hospitality.

You can contact Orlena at: Insider Racing News

NASCAR: How It All Began!

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The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.

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