Marcis wins Buddy Shuman Award
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
November 29, 2001
7:39 PM EST (0039 GMT)
NEW YORK -- Dave Marcis’ passion for the outdoors is as vivid as his commitment to NASCAR Winston Cup racing.
When he said his receipt Thursday of the Buddy Shuman Award for NASCAR Excellence meant more than a 12-point buck, he was speaking both literally and figuratively.
Marcis, a native of Wausau, Wis., interrupted a hunting trip in his home state to fly to New York after a last-minute call from John Glover of Champion Spark Plug, which sponsors the award that honors a significant lifetime contribution to the sport of NASCAR racing.
“I didn’t know anything about this,” said Marcis, who scrambled to find a plane ticket and came to New York without any dress clothes -- making an under the wire shopping trip. “I didn’t know what to expect and this is quite a shock.
“Champion Spark Plug has helped me my entire career. I asked (wife) Helen and she said, ‘I think you better go, for all they’ve done for you.’
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Dave Marcis accepts the Buddy Shuman Award.
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“I’m very familiar with the award and the people who have received it in the past. It’s been people that have built the sport, like Mr. Bill France Sr. and Bill (France) Jr. It’s a prestigious award and I’m proud to have it.”
The award met with the approval of the packed house, which gave Marcis a prolonged standing ovation.
“The award means a lot, when you see all the people throughout racing history who have done so much for the sport -- and then to watch Dave Marcis receive that award is special because he’s put so much of his life into this sport,” team owner Richard Childress said. “To see him take an honor like that, I thought was wonderful.”
Marcis came from Wisconsin to race with NASCAR in the late 1960s, when he decided he wanted to make his career in the sport. In his time he has raced for some of the biggest names in sport, such as Penske and Nord Krauskopf, made 759 career starts and won five times with 12 pole positions.
He finished second to seven-time champion Richard Petty for the 1975 championship and started 32 straight Daytona 500s, a streak that ended in 2000. Of late, Marcis has struggled to stay alive in the sport, but throughout his career he has done it his own way and has invested everything he has back into his operation, which has a modern home base as a result.
“He’s worked so hard at it,” said True Value International Race of Champions president Jay Signore, who has used Marcis as the chief test driver for the series, virtually since its inception. “All the years and all that hard work and we know it a little bit closer ‘cause he works just as hard in the IROC Series.
“He really takes that to heart, just like he does with his own race team. He’s like an unsung hero. He’s been a supporter to the NASCAR Series for many years. I enjoyed working with him when he drove for Penske (in the 1970s). He’s a hard, hard worker -- one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen in the sport.”
Marcis plans to race in the 2002 season opening Daytona 500 -- making it his final race. After that the status of Marcis Auto Racing is unknown, though the team owner would like to continue.
“I’m not really sure at the moment what we’re gonna do,” Marcis said, indicating Bill Jordan’s Realtree Camouflage would be on the car for Speedweeks. “I’m hoping someone’s gonna come along and have a sponsor they want to get involved and would like to talk to us about working with us -- maybe even someone who wants to do five or six races.
“I’m hoping to do some testing for Richard Childress and I’m still doing the IROC testing so hopefully there are some things out there cause I’d like to stay involved.”
That would be a comforting thought for a lot of NASCAR fans.
“It’s hard -- it hasn’t been easy but it’s been enjoyable,” Marcis said of his career. “I’ve had a job my entire life doing something that I really like and really enjoy. The NASCAR family has been a great family to be associated with.”
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