Phil Barkdoll

Infobox NASCAR driver


Name = Phil Barkdoll
Birthdate = birth date and age|1937|9|7
Best_Cup_Pos = 45th - 1989 (Winston Cup)
First_Cup_Race = 1984 Winston 500 (Talladega)
Last_Cup_Race = 1992 Pepsi 400 (Daytona)
Years_In_Cup = 9
Total_Cup_Races = 23

Phil Barkdoll (born September 7, 1937) is a former NASCAR owner-driver from Phoenix, Arizona who only ran at two tracks in his entire career: Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

NASCAR career

Barkdoll campaigned part-time on the NASCAR circuit from 1984 to 1997. He has provided a ride for other drivers at other tracks. Phil began racing in 1984, with his first race coming in the 1984 Winston 500. After starting 16th, Phil finished a disappointing 35th after losing an engine on the 60th lap.

In 1987, Barkdoll had a spectacular accident heading into the tri-oval on the fourth lap during one of the Twin 125 mile qualifying races for the Daytona 500. He got airborne, flipped across the track and into the fence before sliding to a halt on his wheels.

In 1988, Phil was yet involved in another spectacular accident at Daytona, this time in the Daytona 500 itself. Coming off Turn 4 on the 106th circuit, Phil slightly tapped Richard Petty, which sent Petty tumbling down the track before being t-boned by Brett Bodine.

On the 144th lap of the 1989 Daytona 500, Phil took yet another wild ride. Barkdoll's Oldsmobile slid into the dirt embankment on the backstretch, and Phil's car ended up on his side.

In 1990, Phil campaigned a second car which was driven by Stan Barrett (Stanton Barrett's father) for the Daytona 500 and Phil Parsons during the Winston 500 and The Winston.

Phil had yet more trouble at the 1991 Daytona 500, and he went for a wild spin off Turn 4 and the car lifted off the ground and blew out the windshield. This time Phil landed on all four wheels and finished a respectable 20th.

Barkdoll's final Winston Cup points paying start came in 1992 in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona. Phil finished 28th, four laps off the pace.

In 1993, Phil was diagnosed with cancer, and Stanley Smith drove his car in the Twin 125's at Daytona. Smith was eliminated in a first lap wreck with Steve Kinser, and did not make the field.

In 1994, Phil Barkdoll was back, but did not make the Daytona 500.

In 1995, Barkdoll had a strong run in the second qualifier in his #73 Ford, but it ended in a crash coming off turn 2.

Barkdoll's last attempt at Daytona as a driver was in 1997. That year, he qualified 25th fastest on pole qualifying day in his #73 Chevrolet. That speed was fast enough to earn the 38th starting position after he failed to finish in the top 15 of his Twin 125. However, SABCO Racing's #42 Bellsouth Chevrolet for Joe Nemechek failed to qualify for the race. Team owner Felix Sabates bought Barkdoll's #73 for Nemechek, leaving Barkdoll on the sidelines, but richer as a result.

Car owner

Barkdoll owned the car that he drove in most of the Winston Cup races that he competed in during his career (with the exception of the 2 races in 1985 that his car was owned (officially) by Helen Rae Smith and his car was called the Helen Rae Special). In addition, he fielded cars for drivers such as Ken Bouchard, Jim Sauter, Mike Wallace, Joe Ruttman, and Morgan Shepherd.

In 1998, Barkdoll fielded a car in the Daytona 500 sponsored by longtime sponsor X-1R Performance with Mike Wallace behind the wheel. The team raced into the 500 and finished 23rd, 1 lap down.

In 1999, Barkdoll fielded his #73 with sponsorship from Three Stooges Beer at the Daytona 500 for the final time. Unfortunately, his driver, Ken Bouchard, was unable to qualify for the race.

Phil also works as an auctioneer.

External links

* [http://web.archive.org/web/19980523144717/www.nascar.com/winstoncup/drivers/BarkP01/ Phil Barkdoll at NASCAR online]
* [http://www.racing-reference.info/driver?id=barkdph01 Driver's statistics at racing-reference.info]
* [http://www.racing-reference.info/owner?id=barkdph01 Owner's page at racing-reference.info]