May 21, 1924 - June 7th, 2012
Born: Union, SC
Hometown: Spartanburg, SC

Everett "Cotton" Owens & his wife Dot were Honorary Members & Proud Supporters of the Historic Speedway Group

One of NASCAR's True Pioneers - "King Of The Modifieds"

Achievements:

1953-1954 Nascar Modified Tour Champion
1957 Daytona Beach Road Course Winner

April 2, 1961 Race Winner at Orange Speedway (formally Occoneechee Speedway)

1966 Grand National Series Championship Car Owner (David Pearson)

(1970) Prepared first Race Car to run 200 mph in a Nascar sanctioned event at Talladega
with Buddy Baker driving a 1969 Dodge Charger

**Cotton Owens built a winning Race Car for the Legendary Elvis Presley. The King of Rock & Roll
drove a Cotton Owens Racing Dodge in his 1968 file "Speedway" which co-starred Nancy Sinatra**

*Won Nascar's first live televised race*

 Awards:

(1970) National Motorsports Press Associations Hall of Fame Inductee
Member Nascar Mechanics Hall of Fame
(1996) Recipient of the "Car Owner's of the 1960's Award by the Old Timers Racing Club
(1998) Named one of Nascars 50 Greatest Drivers
(2000) Presented with the Smokey Yunich Award for Lifetime Achievement in Auto Racing
(2006) Recipient of the "Order of the Palmetto", the highest Civilian Honor awarded by the Governor of SC.
(2006) Recipient "Pioneer" Living Legends of Auto Racing
(2008) Occoneechee-Orange Speedway (Historic Speedway Group) Hall of Fame Inductee
(2008) International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee
(2009) South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee
(2010) Recipient of the "Car Owner's of he 1960's Award by the Old Timers Racing Club
(2013) Nascar Hall of Fame Inductee

Nascar Career Stats:

15 Years  160 Races (Driver)  ---  (Car Owner) 405    
Best Finish  2nd (1959)
First Race  1950 Daytona Beach Road Course
Last Race  1964 Orange Speedway (formally Occoneechee Speedway) Hillsborough, NC
1st Win  February 17, 1957 Daytona Beach Road Course
Last Win  1964 Capitol City 300 (Richmond)
Wins:  9 (Driver)  38 (Owner)
Top 5's:  52
Top 10's:  84
Poles: 10 (Driver)  33 (Owner)


Cotton Owens Drivers:

Pete Hamilton, Charlie Glotzbach, Buddy Baker, David Pearson, Marty Robbins, Benny Parsons, 
Bobby Johns, Ralph Earnhardt, Marvin Panch, Fireball Roberts, Junior Johnson, G.C. Spencer,
Billy Wade, Earl Balmer, Bobby Isaac, Jim Paschal, Larry Thomas, Mario Andretti, Bobby Allison,
Darel Dieringer, Ray Hendrick, Sam McQuagg, Al Unser, James Hylton, Sam Posey, Dick Brooks, Pete Gregg

    

Photographic Tribute

Most of all photographs are courtesy of private collections from drivers and family.

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