The NASCAR community will honor pioneer Wendell Scott, whose first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start came 57 years ago, this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Scott was the first African-American driver to win a premier series race. A trailblazer, Scott is recognized during the first race weekend of March, which coincides with his first start — March 4, 1961. NASCAR has created an original commemorative decal that is available to be placed as a B-post decal on all national series vehicles.
Scott made 495 starts during his career and posted 147 top-10 finishes before retiring in 1973. Scott died in 1990. He won in NASCAR’s top national touring series on Dec. 1, 1963, on a 1-mile dirt track in Jacksonville, Florida.
Scott was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.