’Iron Man’ Was One of NASCAR’s Toughest Competitors
by Daniel J. Simone, Ph.D. November 13, 2020
Item: Jack Ingram, Third Place Award, Lonesome Pine International Raceway (1976)
Photo by Kevin Larrabee.
Accession Number(s): 2019.24
Donor: Russell Large
Description:
Jack Ingram (2014) was the first NASCAR Hall of Famer to spend most of his racing career competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Nicknamed ”Iron Man,” the Asheville, North Carolina-based driver picked up three consecutive championships (1972-1974) when the Xfinity Series was known as the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division. He notched another title in 1982; that year the circuit was rebranded as the NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series. The division was referred to as the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series when Ingram picked up his fifth and final championship in 1985.
Ingram picked up this piece of hardware for finishing third in a 1976 NASCAR Late Model Division event at Lonesome Pine International Raceway, one of the countless bullrings he competed on during the 1970s.
Significance:
Lonesome Pine is located in the small town of Coeburn in southwestern Virginia. A 3/8-mile paved track, it is one of countless short speedways that have played small, yet vital roles in NASCAR’s longevity and success. This artifact will be considered for display in future exhibits. For now, guests can view a photo and caption of this tray in the Digital Interactive Vault located on Heritage Speedway.
Plan your visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and purchase tickets by visiting nascarhall.com/tickets.
