Stock-car veteran McGriff retires at 74

FONTANA, Calif. -- When Hershel McGriff began his stock-car racing career at the age of 18, America was recovering from World War II, Army was the National Collegiate football champion and stamps cost three cents apiece.

Fifty-seven years and hundreds of thousands of laps later, on a sunny Saturday afternoon in California, McGriff finished 22nd in the Pontiac Wide Track Grand Prix 200.

Then, he promptly called it quits.

“Well, I just retired,” said McGriff, whose 34 Winston West victories rank him first all time. “If I cannot keep up, be near the front, have fun and be comfortable -- which is how it has been -- then I think the time has come.”

McGriff, 74, began his career in 1945 at Portland (Ore.) Speedway, and was in the field for the inaugural Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. During his career, he has also competed in a stock car at LeMans, France, in Australia and Japan.

McGriff’s lone Winston West title came in 1986, when he won three races in eight starts. Overall, he finished in the top five eight times. Last season, he earned one top-five finish and posted a 13th place ranking in the final standings.

Saturday, he was riding along and saw the pack in his rearview mirror. Suddenly, as they stormed past him, the helplessness overtook him.

“That’s when I decided to retire,” he said. “I’ll keep busy with other work,” he said. “Things will not change that much for me.”