Cup Series legend Dave Marcis was reportedly met with a troubling discovery when he returned from a hometown trip earlier this week. He learned that his North Carolina home had been burglarized. His close friend and Talladega radio host, Johnny Ponder, took to social media to reveal details about what happened.
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Ponder reported that Marcis was visiting his hometown of Wausau, Wisconsin, when burglars broke into his Arden, North Carolina home and stole a number of memorabilia items. Knives, guns, and jewelry, many of them customized, are reportedly among the items missing. The timing of the incident also made Ponder suspect that the people behind this crime had previous knowledge of Marcis’ trip to his hometown.
“If you hear of anyone trying to sell suspicious items, please let me know here on FB. If you see something, say something! One of the Guns had is name and his car laser engraved on it. If you live anywhere near the Asheville area or anywhere even several hundred miles away, please contact me or suspect something. He needs all the help he can get,” Ponder said on Facebook.
Another user, named Tim Walker, said on his own Facebook that one of the things stolen from Marcis’ house was a gold Rolex, which Team Penske owner Roger Penske gifted to his wife Helen. He reported that a gold-plated Henry gun with Marcis’ name inscribed on it was also missing.
The news comes as yet another shock to the NASCAR community, as just months earlier, another legend, Greg Biffle’s home got burglarized too.
On January 7, close to midnight, an intruder stole $30,000 in cash, two firearms, NASCAR mementos, and several gold and silver coins from the late-great legend’s estate in Mooresville.
What was even more tragic was the fact that this happened less than a month after Biffle and his family died in a plane crash while traveling to Florida for Christmas. In August, the authorities in Iredell County were successfully able to identify a suspect — 44-year-old Terrell Williams of Stone Mountain, Georgia.
Warren Campbell, chief of Iredell County, revealed how Williams got caught. He said, “He [Williams] used plenty of alias names. One of the mistakes he made up here was that he purchased a vehicle. I think he sort of got confused with which name he was using. He was very efficient at what he did, and this is not something that just started last month.”
So far, there has been no word from authorities regarding the burglary at Marcis’ home. However, with his famous friends now helping spread the news, the incident is likely to draw further attention, while authorities work to determine exactly what happened.
Marcis, now 85, had a decorated Cup Series career, competing in 883 races, winning five, and finishing runner-up in the 1975 championship. He also competed in 30 races for Roger Penske’s team between 1972 and 1974, helping establish himself in the Cup Series while working not only as a driver but also as something of a mechanic, gaining valuable R&D experience during those early years. He returned to drive part-time for Penske’s team in 1977, further strengthening his relationship with “The Captain,” who later gifted Helen the Rolex.
However, the majority of Marcis’ career was spent driving for his own team, Marcis Auto Racing. He drove the No. 71 car from 1979 until 2002, when he retired following his final start in the Daytona 500.