Bobby Norfleet

Last updated
Bobby Norfleet
Born (1958-07-07) July 7, 1958 (age 66)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish82nd (2000)
First race 2000 Line-X 225 (Portland)
WinsTop tens Poles
000

Robert Norfleet (born July 7, 1958) is an American former professional racing driver. He has raced motorcycles, drag cars, and in stock car racing, which included attempts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the ARCA Re/Max Series.

Contents

Racing career

NASCAR / 2000 controversy

In 2000, Norfleet announced he would field and drive his own team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, but was unable to come up with sponsorship. In an effort to help Norfleet, Brian France, who at the time was NASCAR Vice President, called a number of companies who were interested in sponsoring a NASCAR team, and even flew in some company executives, to see if they could work a deal and sponsor Norfleet so he could attempt races. [1] Norfleet came up with sponsorship from 40 Street Records and So So Def Records. Norfleet failed to qualify for his first race at Martinsville Speedway.

Norfleet made his NASCAR debut at the Portland International Raceway road course. He competed against Bill Lester in that race. Norfleet qualified 11 miles per hour slower than the pole speed, but made the race after 33 cars qualified for 34 spots. [1] He finished 32nd after he suffered handling problems. He was also black-flagged three times by NASCAR for not maintaining the required minimum speed. [2] By comparison, Lester ran the full race and finished 24th.

In the next race at Pikes Peak International Raceway, Norfleet's entry was denied by NASCAR officials, as he was not licensed to run tracks larger than a mile. NASCAR requires drivers to either show proficiency on shorter tracks, or have some experience on one mile and larger tracks in a lower series before they are allowed to race on larger tracks. [3] Norfleet claimed the decision was racially motivated, and people protested outside NASCAR's headquarters. [4] After failing to qualify for his next race at Evergreen Speedway, he stopped running NASCAR; he stated he intended to file suit over the issue, [2] though no suit was filed.

Post-racing career

Norfleet returned to NASCAR as a car owner in 2005. Bobby Norfleet Racing fielded the No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Mike Harmon in a Busch Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park, but the entry failed to qualify. Norfleet had announced his team would compete in the Busch Series and the NEXTEL Cup Series in 2006, but did not field an entry. [5]

Personal life

Norfleet's sister, Tessa "Dime" Norfleet, and brother, Lucas "Big Bod" Norfleet, are both known for their modeling and sports careers.

He also has a daughter named Tia who attempted to follow in her father's footsteps and reach NASCAR, but only competed in one race in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Tia became the first African American female to obtain a NASCAR license.

He currently resides on an estate in central New Jersey where he coaches young athletes and teaches them the lessons he learned in his brief career.[ citation needed ]

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Craftsman Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
YearTeamNo.Make123456789101112131415161718192021222324NCTCPtsRef
2000 Larry Norfleet34 Chevy DAY HOM PHO MMR MAR
DNQ
PIR
32
GTY MEM PPR EVG
DNQ
TEX KEN GLN MLW NHA NZH MCH IRP NSV CIC RCH DOV TEX CAL 82nd156 [6]

ARCA Re/Max Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Re/Max Series results
YearTeamNo.Make1234567891011121314151617181920212223ARMCPtsRef
2007 James Hylton Motorsports
with Carter 2 Motorsports
48 Dodge DAY USA NSH SLM KAN WIN KEN TOL IOW POC MCH BLN KEN POC NSH ISF MIL GTW DSF CHI SLM TAL
DNQ
TOL N/A- [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stacy Compton</span> American racing driver (born 1967)

Stacy Marshall Compton is a NASCAR former team owner and former driver. He is a former co-owner of Bobby Hamilton Racing-Virginia in the Craftsman Truck Series and is a former racing analyst for ESPN full-time. Before he ran in NASCAR, Compton was a successful short track racer in Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Labonte</span> American racing driver (born 1981)

Justin Labonte is a former NASCAR Busch Series driver. He is the son of two-time Winston Cup Series champion Terry Labonte, and the nephew of 2000 champion Bobby Labonte. He currently races on short tracks in North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Musgrave</span> American stock car racing driver

Theodore David Musgrave Sr. is an American former stock car racing driver.

Wayne Edwards is an American professional stock car racing driver. He has driven for numerous teams over the past eight years. He is not related to fellow stock car driver Carl Edwards despite having the same last name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Setzer</span> American stock car racing driver

Dennis Setzer is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He has driven in all three of NASCAR's top series, scoring eighteen wins in the Craftsman Truck Series, and two wins in the Xfinity Series.

Chad Chaffin is an American former stock car racing driver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake Feese</span> American racing driver

Blake Feese is a second-generation American auto racing driver. He competed in USAC before joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2004 and 2005 as a development driver, racing in ARCA and the NASCAR Busch Series for the team. After being released from that deal, he drove in those two series as well as the NASCAR Truck Series part-time with a number of other teams through 2011.

Chase Montgomery is an American professional stock car racing driver. He currently owns a small business and continues to pursue a racing career. He lives in Wilson County, Tennessee. He is now married and a father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Green (racing driver)</span> American stock car racing driver

Mark Green is an American professional stock car racing driver. He is the brother of drivers, Jeff Green and David Green.

Ryan Hemphill is a former NASCAR driver from Apollo, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Harmon (racing driver)</span> American racing driver (born 1958)

Michael Joseph Harmon is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 74 Chevrolet Camaro for CHK Racing. In the past, he drove in the NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series, finishing 8th in points in 1997.

Jason Anthony Jarrett is an American race car spotter for 23XI Racing, JR Motorsports, and On Point Motorsports. A former driver in the NASCAR Busch Series and ARCA Racing Series, he has not driven in competition since 2005. Jarrett is the son of 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett and the grandson of two-time champion Ned Jarrett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Wimmer</span> American racing driver

Chris Wimmer is an American professional stock car racing driver. He has raced mostly in short track competition and as high as the NASCAR Busch Series. Wimmer competed in the ASA Midwest Tour where he finished as high as second in his final season (2013). He has run a more limited schedule of touring events since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erik Darnell</span> American racing driver

Erik Louis Darnell is an American professional stock car racing driver. He is the grandson of former USAC and NASCAR driver Bay Darnell, who also started three NASCAR races. Darnell formerly drove for Roush Fenway Racing, joining the team in 2005 after being a co-winner on the Discovery Channel program Roush Racing: Driver X, along with David Ragan.

Bobby Dotter is a former professional stock car racing driver. His father, Bob Dotter, is a three-time champion of the Automobile Racing Club of America. Dotter has made 209 starts in the NASCAR Busch Series, posting 42 top-tens and four poles. In 2000, Dotter began running in the NASCAR West Series for Gene Christensen, winning four races and the Most Popular Driver Title. He finished second in points.

Andrew Miles Hillenburg is an American former professional stock car racing driver and current team owner and track owner. His race team, Fast Track Racing, fields multiple cars in the ARCA Menards Series and formerly fielded entries in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He is credited with reviving the North Carolina Speedway, now known as Rockingham Speedway, after the track lost its NASCAR dates starting in 2005.

Ron Barfield Jr. is an American former stock car racing driver. He raced in all of the major NASCAR series: Winston Cup, Busch Series, and Craftsman Truck Series, but did not win a race. He is a former protégé of Bill Elliott.

Rich Woodland Jr. is an American former stock car racing driver. He competed in the NASCAR Winston West Series in the mid 1990s, and also made two starts in NASCAR's premier Winston Cup Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Hansen (racing driver)</span> American stock car racing driver

Scott Hansen is an American stock car driver from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Now retired, Hansen primarily competed in the American Speed Association. He raced for several years in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Busch Series.

Richard Gonzalez is an American professional stock car racing driver who competed in one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in 2004 and a number of ARCA Re/Max Series races from 2004 to 2007. He became the first Hispanic-American driver to compete in ARCA and NASCAR.

References

  1. 1 2 The Race Card – Summer 2000
  2. 1 2 "Black Driver May Sue For Right To Race". Motor Racing Network . May 25, 2000. Archived from the original on March 10, 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  3. "Nascar Claims Foul". Hartford Courant . Hartford, CT. May 26, 2000. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  4. "'I've played their game': Norfleet not allowed to attempt to qualify for truck race". CNN Sports Illustrated . May 23, 2000. Archived from the original on May 11, 2001. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  5. "Race 2 Win: Sam's Town 250 - Mike Harmon Notes". Archived from the original on 2006-01-04. Retrieved 2006-06-19.
  6. "Bobby Norfleet – 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  7. "Bobby Norfleet – 2007 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved January 30, 2019.

Sources