Cotton Owens

Cotton Owens wore two hats in NASCAR -- as a driver who won nine Cup Series races in the 1950s and 1960s, and as a team owner whose cars were driven by some of the biggest names in the sport. The Spartanburg, South Carolina native earned his reputation on the track first, with a driving style forged on the rough dirt ovals of the Southeast. As a Modified division standout before moving to the Cup Series, Owens proved himself in the most demanding conditions short-track racing could offer. His transition from driver to owner was seamless, as his deep understanding of race cars and racecraft translated into building competitive equipment for others. Owens prepared cars for David Pearson during some of the Silver Fox's finest seasons, contributing to the dominance that defined the late 1960s. His mechanical expertise was legendary in the garage, where he was recognized as one of the finest car builders of his generation. Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012, Cotton Owens represents the dual-threat competitors who built NASCAR from the ground up -- men who could drive the car fast and then climb underneath it to make it faster still.

Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference