Don MacTavish

Donald Charles MacTavish
Born	August 22, 1942
Died	February 22, 1969(1969-02-22) (aged 26)
Cause of death	Severe traumatic impact from crash in the 1969 Permatex 300.
Achievements	1966 NASCAR National Sportsman Series Champion
Awards	2001 New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame inductee

Donald Charles MacTavish (August 22, 1942 – February 22, 1969) started his racing career at the age of 15 racing in nearby Norwood, Massachusetts at the Norwood Arena. He quickly earned popularity for driving demolition derby cars, and appeared on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. He competed in more than 100 Sportsman Car Series races on the East Coast. In 1963 he progressed to NASCAR’s Sportsman Division and in 1966 he won the NASCAR National Sportsman Division Championship, a precursor to today's Nationwide Series, by beating out Ralph Earnhardt among others.

In the late 1960s MacTavish set his sights on competing in NASCAR's top series, The Grand National Series (now Sprint Cup Series). On February 22, 1969 MacTavish made his debut at the Daytona International Speedway, driving the number 5 1966 Mercury Comet in the Permatex 300 Sportsman (now Nationwide series) race. On lap 9 of the race, his vehicle tangled with a car driven by Bob James. Out of control, MacTavish's car hit the outside crash wall at a point where a metal guard rail covered an opening in the wall. The impact with the butt end of the concrete sheared off the whole front of the car, up to the firewall; its engine was thrown 100 feet from the wreck. The Mercury then spun around and wound up facing oncoming cars in the middle of the track surface, with MacTavish completely exposed in the drivers seat. It was then struck by Sam Sommers. At the speed the cars were traveling, it would have been impossible for Sommers to avoid contact. This second impact severed MacTavish's legs completely off and sent his car bouncing into the grass on the inside of the track. MacTavish was pronounced dead at the spot of the accident.[1]

Three months after his death the first annual 100-lap "Don MacTavish Memorial Race" was organized at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. Race-winner Richie Evans was presented the winner's trophy by Mrs. Dorothy MacTavish and Miss Marcia MacTavish, mother and sister of the late driver for whom the event was named.

Each year the American Canadian Tour racing series awards one driver with the prestigious MacTavish Award at their annual year-end Banquet of Champions. The award is given for outstanding contribution in the field of stock car racing and named in honor of MacTavish for his contributions to New England racing. Past recipients of the award have included Bill France, Sr. (1969) and Ken Squier (1972).

In 2001 MacTavish was posthumously inducted into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame.

See also

• List of NASCAR fatal accidents
• List of Daytona International Speedway fatalities

External links

• Video of Tragic Crash-WARNING-Graphic Material

Persondata
Name	Mactavish, Don
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 22, 1942
Place of birth	Dover, Massachusetts
Date of death	February 22, 1969
Place of death	Daytona Beach, Florida