- Dave Marcis
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Dave Marcis Born March 1, 1941
Wausau, Wisconsin, United StatesNASCAR Sprint Cup Series career 883 races run over 35 years Best finish 2nd – 1975 Winston Cup Series season First race 1968 Daytona 500 (Daytona International Speedway) Last race 2002 Daytona 500 (Daytona International Speedway) First win 1975 Old Dominion 500 (Martinsville Speedway) Last win 1982 Richmond 400 (Richmond Fairgrounds) Wins Top tens Poles 5 222 14 Dave Marcis (born March 1, 1941 in Wausau, Wisconsin) is a retired driver on the NASCAR Winston Cup (now known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup) circuit whose career spanned five decades. Marcis won five times over this tenure, twice at Richmond, including his final win in 1982. Dave was most famous for two things: racing for his own team and racing while wearing wingtip shoes to absorb the heat in the car. He made the Daytona 500 every year from 1968 until 1999. The 2002 Daytona 500 was the last time Marcis raced in NASCAR.
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Career Overview
Marcis' career is notable in the history of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. While he is best known as the last of the non-factory supported independent owner drivers, he is also known as one of the top drivers of the 1970s. During his career, he drove for series championship car owners Nord Krauskopf and Rod Osterlund. Marcis retired in second place on the all time starts list with 883 behind Richard Petty. Ricky Rudd has since passed him for second on the list.[1] Marcis often owned/drove the #71 car. He finished 8 times in the Top 10 season long driver's points.
1970s
Marcis (#2) racing against Lennie Pond in 1978
Marcis finished as high as second in the season standing in 1975 driving Nord Krauskopf's K & K Dodge Charger in the first year for NASCAR's modern standard of calculating points. Despite driving for some of the top teams of the day, Marcis opted to field his own teams following his sudden departure from Osterland Racing after the 1978 season. Marcis was replaced by seven time champion Dale Earnhardt, who would begin his rookie campaign the following year. Former crew Harry Hyde once said of Marcis, "he had the talent to be a champion, if only he weren't so stubborn."
1980s
Marcis experienced moderate success as an owner driver during the 1980s. The highlight of Marcis' career as an owner-driver was winning at the old Richmond Fairgrounds in 1982 driving a very un-racable looking 81 Chevy Malibu.[2] Marcis was a lap down, but made up the lap when the race leader Joe Ruttman spun out and Marcis passed him.[2] All three drivers that were ahead of Marcis pitted and he assumed the lead as it began to rain.[2] The race was called complete as darkness set in, and Marcis was declared the winner.[2] Marcis described the win, "I wasn't praying for rain, but I told the guys when I got out of the car (during the break before the race was canceled) that if the good Lord wanted to help an independent, this was his chance."[2] "It was one of my greatest moments in racing," Marcis said. "I had even built my own engine for that race."[2] From that point Marcis' team gradually became less competitive as more well-funded teams found their way into the series. Marcis was occasionally known to moonlight for other car owners such as Larry Hedrick (later of Hedrick Motorsports). Often Marcis would still field his own car, usually with Jim Sauter behind the wheel.
1990s
1996 Dave Marcis in the Prodigy Internet, Chevy Monte Carlo at Pocono Raceway
1997 Realtree racecarDuring the twilight of his career Marcis landed the first major internet sponsor in Winston Cup, Prodigy Internet. This company would sponsor Marcis as an associate and primary sponsor between 1994 and 1996. Marcis was frequently the test driver for the Richard Childress GM Goodwrench #3 of his friend Dale Earnhardt during the prime of his career. This agreement with Childress was made by Marcis to help fund his own race team, but backfired because he rarely had the time to test his own equipment. Marcis finished out his career in the 2002 Daytona 500, a race he has competed in more than any other driver in history.
Marcis finished 16th in the 1994 inaugural Brickyard 400.
Marcis was a test driver for the IROC and the Nextel Cup series after his retirement from racing competition in early 2002. He currently resides with his wife in the Asheville, North Carolina area.
Career statistics
Year Starts Poles Wins Top 5's Top 10's Final Points Ranking 1968 10 00 00 00 02 34 1969 37 00 00 03 11 19 1970 47 00 00 07 15 09 1971 29 02 00 09 14 21 1972 27 00 00 05 11 15 1973 23 00 00 03 06 24 1974 30 00 00 06 18 06 1975 30 04 01 16 18 02 1976 30 07 03 09 16 06 1977 18 00 00 05 07 25 1978 30 00 00 14 24 05 1979 25 00 00 01 06 20 1980 31 00 00 04 14 09 1981 31 01 00 04 09 09 1982 30 00 01 02 14 06 1983 30 00 00 00 07 11 1984 30 00 00 03 09 13 1985 28 00 00 00 05 18 1986 29 00 00 01 04 17 1987 29 00 00 02 07 18 1988 29 00 00 00 02 19 1989 27 00 00 00 01 25 1990 29 00 00 00 00 21 1991 27 00 00 00 01 29 1992 29 00 00 00 00 29 1993 23 00 00 00 00 33 1994 23 00 00 00 01 36 1995 28 00 00 00 00 35 1996 27 00 00 00 00 38 1997 19 00 00 00 00 42 1998 13 00 00 00 00 45 1999 20 00 00 00 00 42 2000 11 00 00 00 00 46 2001 03 00 00 00 00 53 2002 01 00 00 00 00 82 Total 883 14 5 94 222 Avg.: 24.63 References
- ^ "2007 highlights". Ricky Rudd official website. 2007. http://www.rickyrudd.com/2007news14.html. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Grubba, Dale (2000). The Golden Age of Wisconsin Auto Racing. Oregon, Wisconsin: Badger Books. pp. 227–228. ISBN 1-878569-67-8.
Categories:- 1941 births
- American racecar drivers
- American Speed Association drivers
- International Race of Champions drivers
- Living people
- NASCAR drivers
- NASCAR owners
- People from Wausau, Wisconsin
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