Dick May

Last updated
Dick May
BornRichard Shelton May
(1930-11-07)November 7, 1930
DiedJune 9, 2009(2009-06-09) (aged 78)
Retired1986
Modified racing career
Debut season1950
Car numberB29
Championships1
NASCAR Cup Series career
185 races run over 16 years
Best finish15th (1978)
First race 1970 Daytona 500 Qualifier #2 (Daytona)
Last race 1985 Northwestern Bank 400 (North Wilkesboro)
WinsTop tens Poles
080
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series career
First race 1967 Permatex 300 (Daytona) [1]

Richard Shelton May (November 7, 1930 June 9, 2009) was an American NASCAR driver who competed in 185 races in the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup Series between 1967 and 1985.

Contents

Racing career

May began his racing career at the St. Lawrence Valley Speedway in Canton, New York. [2] He spent much of his early career racing at the Watertown Speedway, New York, where he was 1962 Track Champion. [3]

Known as NASCAR’s pinch hitter, May was a coveted as a relief driver and hailed for his ability to qualify cars and avoid crashing, and some estimates put his total NASCAR appearances at over 500. [4] [5] In the 1975 running of the Mason-Dixon 500, May drove five different cars but did not finish the race. [6]

After retiring as a driver, NASCAR, worked as a NASCAR inspector until 2003. [2] [4] May was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame in 2007. [7]

Death

On June 9, 2009, May died following a long illness. [8]

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.)

Grand National Series

NASCAR Grand National Series results
YearTeamNo.Make123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748NGNCPtsRef
1970 Ron Ronacher67 Ford RSD DAY DAY
19
DAY
DNQ
RCH
25
CAR SVH
17
ATL BRI TAL
DNQ
NWS
DNQ
CLB
22
DAR
DNQ
BLV
23
LGY
15
CLT SMR
22
MAR
29
MCH RSD HCY KPT GPS DAY AST
20
TPN
25
TRN
24
BRI
DNQ
SMR NSV
18
ATL CLB
20
ONA MCH TAL BGS SBO DAR HCY RCH DOV
32
NCF NWS CLT
DNQ
MAR
DNQ
MGR
29
CAR LGY
30
44th551 [9]
1971 RSD DAY
26
DAY DAY
DNQ
ONT RCH
25
CAR
35
HCY BRI
21
ATL CLB
18
GPS SMR
20
NWS MAR DAR SBO
14
TAL ASH
6
KPT
14
CLT DOV
30
MCH
40
RSD HOU GPS
25
DAY NSV
29
32nd1090
Langley Racing 64 Ford BRI
29
Mercury AST
23
ISP
27
TRN
34
Doc Faustina5 Plymouth ATL
22
BGS ONA
Ralph Davis84 Dodge MCH
32
DAR
25
MAR CLT
Ford TAL
27
CLB HCY
Ulrich Racing 40 Ford DOV
19
CAR MGR RCH NWS TWS

Winston Cup Series

NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
YearTeamNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031NWCCPtsRef
1972 Bob Davis84 Dodge RSD DAY
DNQ
RCH ONT
DNQ
CAR MCH
25
NSV DAR RCH 44th1195.75 [9]
J.C. Crews53 Ford ATL
35
BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV
27
MCH
18
Langley Racing 64 Ford RSD
10
J.C. Crews53 Plymouth TWS
20
DAY BRI TRN ATL TAL
Doc Faustina5 Plymouth DOV
DNQ
MAR NWS CLT CAR TWS
1973 Walter Ballard 35 Mercury RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL
21
NSV CLT DOV TWS RSD MCH DAY BRI ATL TAL 71st566.05
Earl Brooks 08 Ford NSV
28
MAR
DNQ
CLT CAR
Bill Hollar 29 Mercury DAR
32
RCH
24
DOV NWS
1974 Gray Racing 19 Mercury RSD
14
77th5.32
Travis Tiller46 Dodge DAY
DNQ
RCH CAR BRI ATL DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV CLTl RSD
Gray Racing 19 Chevy MCH
QL
DAY BRI NSV ATL POC
Langley Racing 64 Ford TAL
18
MCH DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR ONT
1975 Frank Warren 79 Dodge RSD DAY
QL
41st631
McDuffie Racing 70 Chevy RCH
20
CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV
Ed Negre 8 Dodge DOV
35
CLT RSD MCH
Gray Racing 19 Chevy DAY
23
NSV
Marcis Auto Racing 2 Dodge POC
17
TAL
Hiram Handy33 Chevy MCH
19
DAR
8
CAR
17
BRI
21
ATL ONT
Donlavey Racing 90 Ford DOV
37
NWS MAR CLT RCH
1976 Hiram Handy33 Chevy RSD DAY
38
CAR
16
RCH BRI ATL NWS DAR
15
MAR TAL NSV DOV 25th1719
Don Robertson25 Chevy CLT
21
RSD MCH
14
DAY
27
NSV
21
POC
18
TAL
19
MCH
16
BRI
16
RCH
19
DOV
17
MAR
17
NWS
20
CLT CAR
30
ATL
DNQ
ONT
G.C. Spencer 49 Dodge DAR
28
Harold Miller91 Chevy ATL
32
1977 Alfred McClure57 Ford RSD DAY
DNQ
RCH CAR ATL NWS DAR BRI MAR TAL NSV DOV
16
CLT
21
RSD MCH DAY NSV POC
24
27th1324
Don Robinson25 Chevy TAL
17
MCH
Gray Racing 19 Chevy BRI
24
RCH
19
DOV
20
MAR
14
NWS
20
CAR
14
Bill Champion 10 Ford DAR
31
Alfred McClure57 Chevy CLT
13
Rod Osterlund 98 Chevy ATL
32
ONT
1978 Alfred McClure57 Ford RSD DAY
18
CLT
13
POC
11
DAR
38
CLT
8
15th2936
Wawak Racing 74 Chevy RCH
29
CAR
17
ATL
Gray Racing 19 Chevy BRI
12
DAR
36
NWS
18
MAR
28
TAL
23
DOV
21
NSV
18
RSD
21
MCH
19
DAY
16
NSV
18
TAL
16
MCH
11
BRI
25
ATL
19
ONT
31
Ed Negre 8 Dodge RCH
15
Hagan Racing 92 Chevy DOV
10
CAR
11
Gray Racing 19 Buick MAR
17
NWS
25
1979 Alfred McClure57 Ford RSD DAY
DNQ
POC
28
CLT
17
NWS 30th1390
Gray Racing 19 Chevy CAR
20
RCH ATL
24
NWS
21
BRI
27
MAR
30
TAL
20
NSV BRI
21
MAR
25
Bill Hollar 99 Chevy DAR
33
CAR
26
Gray Racing 19 Buick DOV
11
CLT
Nelson Oswald09 Olds TWS
30
RSD MCH DAY
Don Satterfield58 Chevy NSV
29
Billie Harvey 87 Olds TAL
41
MCH
Ron Spohn65 Ford DAR
34
RCH
Don Satterfield58 Olds DOV
34
John Kennedy 0 Chevy ATL
41
ONT
1980 Frank Warren 79 Dodge RSD
32
CAR
19
ATL 32nd1323
Alfred McClure57 Ford DAY
DNQ
Gray Racing 19 Chevy RCH
20
POC
29
MCH
19
CAR
16
ATL ONT
Ulrich Racing 40 Chevy BRI
16
DOV
7
CLT
Bill Hollar 99 Chevy DAR
24
NWS
15
MAR
20
TAL
DNQ
NSV
17
DOV
24
NWS
29
MAR
Brooks Honda 82 Dodge TAL
15
CLT
17
Gray Racing 19 Buick TWS
16
RSD MCH DAY TAL
10
Arrington Racing 77 Dodge NSV
30
Nelson Oswald09 Buick BRI
26
DAR
26
RCH
1981 Brooks Honda 8 Dodge RSD DAY
DNQ
RCH CAR DAR
19
RCH 38th754
Junior Miller79 Olds ATL
24
BRI NWS DAR MAR
Thomas Racing 25 Dodge TAL
9
NSV DOV
Ulrich Racing 40 Buick CLT
25
DOV
25
MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL
DNQ
RSD
Rahmoc Enterprises 75 Buick TWS
16
RSD MCH
Gray Racing 19 Buick DAY
31
NSV POC TAL
15
MCH
36
BRI
1982 Jim Stacy Racing 04 Buick DAY
Wth
RCH 55th247
Ulrich Racing 40 Buick BRI
30
ATL
DNQ
CAR
13
DAR
20
NWS
DNQ
MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT POC RSD DOV
23
NWS CLT MAR CAR
Bailey Racing 36 Pontiac ATL
20
Gordon Racing 24 Buick MCH
19
DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI
Gray Racing 19 Buick DAR
15
RCH ATL
37
RSD
1983 Reeder Racing02 Buick DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR
21
NWS MAR TAL NSV 64th191
Beahr Racing35 Ford DOV
33
BRI CLT RSD POC MCH
DNQ
DAY NSV DAR
23
RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR
22
ATL RSD
Jeff Halverson13 Buick POC
33
TAL MCH BRI
1984 Beahr Racing35 Ford DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV
28
CLT RSD POC MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV
19
MAR CLT NWS CAR
16
ATL RSD 48th300
1985 DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR
22
61st185
Bahre Racing 25 Buick NWS
25
MAR TAL DOV CLT RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD
– Qualified for Henley Gray. · – Qualified but replaced by Ed Negre
Daytona 500
YearTeamManufacturerStartFinish
1970 Ron Ronacher Ford DNQ
1971 DNQ
1972 Bob Davis Dodge DNQ
1974 Travis Tiller Dodge DNQ
1975 Frank Warren Dodge QL
1976 Hiram Handy Chevrolet 3838
1977 Alfred McClure Ford DNQ
1978 2518
1979 DNQ
1980 DNQ
1981 Brooks Honda Dodge DNQ
1982 Jim Stacy Racing Buick Wth
- Qualified but replaced by Ed Negre

References

  1. "Career Results by Series". The Third Turn. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  2. 1 2 Dick May Interview. RacersReunion (Oral history interviews). Myrtle Beach SC. April 4, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2023 via YouTube.
  3. Stoodley, Dave (2003). The Legends of Watertown Speedway. Speedway Press. p. 9. ISBN   9780967743844.
  4. 1 2 "Dick May". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  5. "Dick May, NASCAR relief driver extrodanaire". Autosport Forums. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  6. goNASCARgo
  7. DIRT Motorsports Archived 2011-01-01 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Former area driver May dies". Watertown Daily Times. NY. 2009-06-11. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  9. 1 2 "Dick May – NASCAR Cup Series Statistics". Racing-Reference. Retrieved March 24, 2023.