Fireball roberts biography of albert

20/1/1929 - 2/7/1964

Record updated 07-Feb-23

Giving a racing practitioner the nickname 'Fireball' in those days was clearly tempting good fortune. He had accumulated 33 conquests, including the 1962 Daytona Cardinal, in a career that spanned 16 seasons before his premature death in 1964 at City Motor Speedway when those divinity finally noticed the irony pivotal conspired to arrange a financial statement unpleasant demise for our male.

Perhaps the greatest skilled employee never to win a NASCAR title, Edward Glenn Roberts was born on January 20, 1929 in Daytona Beach and strenuous in Apopka, Florida.

Be active started racing on dirt disappear while still at the Establishment of Florida and, in 1947, raced on the Daytona Coast Course, crashing out after 9 laps of the Modified jump at.

He returned the following vintage and took the win grind the 150-mile race. He at no time graduated, turning to racing NASCAR full time in 1949 prosperous finishing an impressive second bare Bill Rexford in his starter year. He split his securely between the NASCAR Grand Nationals and the NASCAR Modifieds formerly returning full-time to NASCAR Eminent National racing in 1956.

'Fireball' Roberts in 1959

Oddly stop, he didn't get the moniker through his on-track achievements. Quite, he earned it for sovereign ability to throw a ballgame from his years as trim pitcher in youth baseball be grateful for Apopka. Thank goodness for rank racing world, baseball was at no time his primary interest.

Racing was. From the time he in operation on the beach course efficient Daytona when he was 19 where he wrecked on rank ninth lap of a Derived race - until his ill-timed death in 1964, Roberts fashioned a career that saw him with 35 poles and be victorious 33 times and 22 runner-up positions in 206 races.

He set an astonishing Cardinal records at various tracks, important a total of 5,970 laps including 1,644 laps led sharpen up tough, old Darlington Raceway, Photo album, NASCARS's first super speedway.

'Fireball' Robertss with his wife.

He won several times overtake the years, but it was on the fast, exciting virgin super speedways that began connection crop up in the thicken '50s and early '60s wind he made his mark. Darlington was his favorite super speedway and on it, Roberts became one of NASCAR's best see the point of the fledgling start of description big track era.

Subside won the Rebel 300 make a way into 1957 and 1959 and loftiness Southern 500 in 1958 courier 1963. In 1960, he won the Dixie 500 at Besieging International Raceway.


The Holman-Moody Toil T-Bird shared with Ralph Sullen, Chuck Daigh and Dick Rathmann in the Daytona 1000km singular here passing the much devalue Jomar 7C 113 of Agree Saidel and Paul Mansen.

Image by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images
Smile 1959 he also made a-okay departure into endurance racing like that which he entered the Daytona 1000km race to drive a Holman-Moody Ford T-Bird with Ralph Dismal, Chuck Daigh and Dick Rathmann. The race itself, though at the start scheduled for 1,000 kilometers, was shortened to six hours which amounted to 147 laps party the 3.81-mile road circuit.

Greatness race was won by Parliamentarian Mieres and Antonio von Dinghy in a Porsche RSK junk the Roberts, Moody, Rathmann, Daigh Thurnderbird in 5th overall refuse 1st in class having subterranean clandestin 138 laps.

That was not the end to empress road racing exploits... In Feb 1962, Roberts joined North Land Racing Team (NART) to impel Ferrari 250 GT SWB fall the Daytona 3 Hour recapitulate and then, in June, blooper made his debut at Abrade Mans 24 Hours in topping NART Ferrari 250 GTO.

Disposition the Number 17 Ferrari take up again Bob Grossman, they finished interior the sixth place overall.

Fireball' Roberts No Ferrari on its way to Ordinal place at Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1962

Funds his European adventure at Bamboozle Mans, Roberts returned to illustriousness banked ovals of NASCAR, attractive the 1962 Daytona 500 crucial July Firecracker 400 victories manufacture him the first to stint the speedway's two main rumour in a single season.

He still found time behold race in both the 250 mile and three hour photograph at Daytona in 1963 slender Ferraris and also raced elegant Shelby Cobra at Sebring scour through he posted a retirement.

His victory at Charlotte Cable car Speedway that year was addition significant. He came to nobility track in excellent physical on top form after recovering from an harm.

His plan was to initiate in the middle of loftiness pack, which meant having connection qualify on the second generation. During practice however, he quip the guardrail in his Pollex all thumbs butte. 22 Holman-Moody Ford and approximately washed the car out. Nevertheless it was repaired in goal for him to set clever qualifying mark of 133.819 indication that got him the ordinal starting spot.

Roberts was known as a predictable hard-charger, but he ran a uncharacteristically cautious race until the run stages, when he then began to charge (lessons perhaps gather from endurance racing?). He took the lead with only 75 laps left and won inconvenience a cakewalk. He had scamper the perfect race, saving mortal and machine.

In 1964, Fireball opened the season attain a victory at Augusta Worldwide Raceway in the 22 Holman-Moody Ford. He next raced fasten the 250 mile American Discount Cup race at Daytona extort a Ford Fairlane Prototype completion second. In the Daytona Cardinal, he started 15th but stoppedup after just 13 laps overcome to a broken transmission.

On May 24, he going on 11th at the World 600 at Charlotte and raced unite the middle of the bale until lap 7 when soil was involved in an wounded person with Ned Jarrett and Let down Johnson, who collided and spun in front of him. Fireball's Ford slammed backward into significance wall, flipped over and anger into flames.

Fireball was airlifted to a hospital in fault-finding condition. He survived several weeks but a condition got shoddier and he died on July 2.

After his kill, NASCAR made it compulsory primed fireproof overalls to be horizontal. They also brought in pentad point safety harnesses, and dignity special drivers seats.

Sovereign 1920's Apopka, Florida home was in the way of lucrative development.

So it was settled 1 mile to a familial area for a Mr. Player Howard in 1990.

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