Former NASCAR driver James Massey passed away Friday, Aug. 21, 2015 at Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington, North Carolina.
Massey, 85, made 51 starts in what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, earning 12 top-five and 28 top-10 finishes.
During his seven-year tenure in NASCAR, Massey drove for several teams, including Petty Enterprises and Wood Brothers Racing. Both of his career-best runner-up finishes came with the legendary Wood Brothers organization and both came at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
In 1957 he finished second to Bob Welborn while driving a No. 11 Ford for the Stuart, Va.-based organization. Three years later, in 1960, he finished second to Richard Petty while piloting the team’s familiar No. 21 entry.
Massey earned one career pole, in 1958, at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway while driving for car owner A.L. Bumgarner.