Countdown: W. Virginia

It's the "almost heaven" about which John Denver sang in Country Roads. Its timber built the country and its coal powered the railroads which moved it.

West Virginia almost ended up being Westsylvania when plans for a new state were bandied about during the Revolutionary War. Instead, West Virginia broke away from Virginia during the formation of the Confederacy and was admitted into the Union on June 20, 1863.

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Home of the New River Gorge Bridge, the Greenbrier hotel and Green Bank Telescope, West Virginia is more than mountains and mines.

Myra's Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier. Coalwood's Homer Hickam helped man reach the moon and back. Other native West Virginians include Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson, baseball's George Brett and Steve Yeager, gymnast Mary Lou Retton, singer Kathy Mattea and actors Don Knotts and Peter Marshall.

Basketball star Jerry West -- "Mr. Clutch" -- went from a high school phenom in Chelyan to All-American status at West Virginia and then an NBA all-star.

NASCAR premier series has visited one West Virginia track -- and a handful of drivers from the Mountaineer State have reached the highest level of the sport.

Best behind the wheel

• Rodney Combs, Lost Creek

Rodney Combs was born in Ohio, lived in North Carolina and retired to Florida, but somewhere along the way he ended up in a little town on I-79 south of Morgantown.

The former track champ at Tri-County and Florence speedways, Combs is the answer to an unusual trivia question: Which driver was a teammate to both Dale Earnhardt and Tim Richmond?

Combs made his Cup debut in the 1982 Atlanta Journal 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, starting 28th in Jim Stacy's Buick and winding up ninth, one spot better than another rookie -- Mark Martin.

Combs would run in 54 more Cup races and never break the top 10 again, although he was 11th at Bristol in 1988. At Rockingham that year, Combs was called on to run a Richard Childress research and development car, lasting only four laps before parking it.

Starting in 1994, Combs started a four-year stretch running a Busch Series car for Petty Enterprises. During that time, Combs collected 11 top-10s, finishing 11th in the standings in 1995.

In addition, Combs made six Craftsman Truck Series starts.

Rodney Combs finished 11th in the season-opening Busch Series race at Daytona in 1997. Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Combs was one of the founders of the Richard Petty Driving School, and has worked as a spotter for the Rick Hendrick team in recent years.

Other noteworthy drivers from West Virginia

• Bud Harless, Gilbert: Finished eighth at High Point in 1955, his best in 28 starts

• Pop McGinnis, Huntington: Raced from 1952-70; had two top-fives in 13 starts during 1953 season

• Arden Mounts, Gilbert: Six top-10s over a four-year span, beginning in 1953

• Johnny Patterson, Hutchinson: Finished second in the 1952 Southern 500, driving H.B. Ranier's Hudson

• Junior Spencer, Hamlin: Made 21 starts in 1965 with a best of fifth at Birmingham

We wish ...

Basketball star Hot Rod Hundley had become a NASCAR driver.

The two-time All-American at West Virginia was Cincinnati's top pick of the 1957 NBA Draft. After six years in the league, including one All-Star appearance, Hundley became a broadcaster.

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Gone but not forgotten

West Virginia International Speedway, Huntington: Once owned by TV's Dick Clark, the .4375-mile oval hosted four Grand National races between 1963 and 1971. Fred Lorenzen won the first one -- and Richard Petty lapped the field at least twice in each of the next three races.

A word from our sponsor

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