Justin Fox and his brother Austin stopped by Entrance Row Motorsports on Monday to take a look at the automotive that may pay tribute to their nice grandfather.
“It was superior,” Justin advised NBC Sports activities. “I do know my dad’s very excited for it. My brother is. Our complete household is simply actually excited. It’s a thrill second to see it come to life and the way good they made it.”
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In a sport that celebrates household, the patriarch of 4 generations who’ve labored in NASCAR shall be celebrated on a automotive pushed by a third-generation racer.
Todd Gilliland’s No. 34 automotive for Entrance Row Motorsports pays tribute to Ray Fox, a mechanical wizard in racing and early nominee to the NASCAR Corridor of Fame, in Sunday’s Cup race at Darlington Raceway as a part of the game’s throwback weekend.
Justin Fox, the fourth technology of his household in NASCAR, gained’t simply be an observer within the occasion however a participant. He’s the rear tire changer on Gilliland’s automotive.
His involvement within the sport goes again to Ray Fox, who was a mechanic, automotive proprietor and later a NASCAR official. Fox constructed the engine within the automotive that Fireball Roberts gained with within the 1955 race on the Daytona seaside course. Fox joined Carl Kiekhafer’s group in 1956. He helped lead the group to win 22 of the season’s first 26 races and was chosen because the mechanic of the yr that season.
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Junior Johnson’s 1960 Daytona 500 win got here in a automotive Fox constructed. Fox was a automotive proprietor from 1962-74. His automobiles gained 16 instances, together with 9 instances with Johnson. Fox’s group additionally gained the 1964 Southern 500 with Buck Baker as driver.
Fox retired within the early Seventies however returned to the game in 1990 as NASCAR’s engine inspector, a task he held till he retired at age 80 in 1996.
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His son, Ray Fox II, labored for years at Robert Yates Racing. Ray Fox III began with the Robert Yates Racing in 1988 and stayed there till the group closed in 2007. He labored for 3 totally different groups earlier than becoming a member of Group Penske in 2012. He gained a Cup title in 2018 with Joey Logano. He presently serves because the automotive chief for Ryan Blaney’s group at Group Penske. Justin Fox made his Cup debut as a tire changer final July at Pocono with the Wooden Brothers and is with Entrance Row Motorsports and Todd Gilliland’s group this season.
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The thought to honor Ray Fox got here from Justin after a gaggle textual content asking the group for throwback strategies.
Gilliland, whose grandfather and father raced, mentioned it is a particular scheme for him.
“It positively provides me extra of a appreciation for it,” Gilliland mentioned due to the household ties. “ … I believed it was becoming additionally in Darlington’s seventy fifth yr of working, going again to type of the place it began for that racetrack was actually cool.”
Whereas Justin Fox knew lots of the tales about his nice grandfather, he’s discovered extra about him in researching paint schemes to contemplate for Gilliland’s automotive.
One which stands out is how he bought David Pearson to drive for him in seven races in 1962.
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“The story my dad advised me, he discovered David Pearson roofing,” Justin mentioned. “So he pulled him off the roof of a home and mentioned, ‘Hey, I would like you to drive for me.’”
Justin hopes that the eye across the automotive this weekend will assist revive curiosity in Ray Fox and assist result in being inducted into the NASCAR Corridor of Fame some day.
“It could imply lots,” Justin mentioned. “ … It could simply present his laborious work and what all he needed to do with a view to get my household to the place we’re right this moment.”
Sunday, shortly earlier than the engines fireplace, Justin shall be there in entrance of of the automotive that honors his nice grandfather with different relations for footage to seize the particular second.
