End of the NASCAR road for Donlavey
The 78-year-old NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey is expected to shut down his operation after a 52-year career in stock car racing. He did not have the funds to run his Donlavey Racing Ford in last weekend's Winston Cup race at Infineon Raceway (Sears Point), but is trying to scrape enough money together to compete at Daytona next month for the last time
"If I have to quit this game, I want to do it where I started," said Donlavey, who drove his first race at Daytona when the cars still raced on the beach.
Last season he refused sponsor Hills Brothers Coffee's demand to move his base from Richmond, Virginia, to the centre of NASCAR activity in Charlotte, North Carolina. HBC acrimoniously withdrew its support and took driver Hut Stricklin to Bill Davis Racing.
But Donlavey has always cared more about racing than money, and will be remembered for giving so many drivers and crewmen a start in the industry. Indeed, he won only one race in 1980 with driver Jody Ridley.
"I've had a good time," said Donlavey, "I have met so many nice people that, if I had to trade the people I met for money, there wouldn't be enough money to go around."
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