Boasting a Racing Career Older Than NASCAR Itself, Hall of Famer Hershel McGriff Gets Showered With Love on His 96th Birthday

When we speak about NASCAR legacies, none comes close to that of Hershel McGriff. His career spanned almost 7 decades, not counting occasional gigs after retirement. McGriff started racing locally back in the 1940s when Richard Petty was still in high school! With a background like that, Hershel McGriff has raced with most of the world’s top drivers and has also competed in two 24 Hours of Le Mans!

Fast forward to 2023, and the Legend is living it up for his 96th birthday! After giving fans action-packed racing since the dawn time, McGriff’s heroics became a part of NASCAR annals after he was inducted into the Hall of Fame earlier this year! But how far back do McGriff’s shenanigans stretch?

No career comes close to Hershel McGriff’s longevity!

McGriff’s racing journey began when he would race locally in the Pacific Northwest during the early 1940s. If it wasn’t for McGriff’s love for his Oldsmobile 88, he would’ve never travelled across Oregon to take part in the Carrera Panamericana in May 1950. As fortune would favor the bold, McGriff and his teammate, Ray Elliott, defeated a 132-car competition lineup to cross the line first. McGriff would later drive the same Oldsmobile to the very first Southern 500.

The Southern 500 turned out to be McGriff’s turning point after NASCAR founder William H.G France befriended him owing to his superior driving style. France would grow so fond of McGriff that the latter would find a full-time seat in the sport with ease and won four premier series faces in 1954. He would go on to finish sixth in the championship that year despite competing in a select few races.

However, McGriff soon decided that the jam-packed lifestyle of NASCAR didn’t suit the family man, who moved back to his hometown to raise his family and run their business. McGriff found his forever home soon after in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West from 1954 to 2018, a series now known as the ARCA Menards West Series. McGriff made 271 appearances and won the elusive championship at age 58 in the year 1986.

McGriff would also grace a top 5 finish at the 1973 Daytona 500 along with two 24-Hour of Le Mans appearances – a stage many renowned drivers could only dream of driving on. McGriff would run his last NASCAR race in 2018 as a 90-year-old veteran of the sport. In a career that spanned a lifetime for most, McGriff gained popularity owing to his clean racing and a great mentorship to younger drivers.

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After taking a look at his esteemed career, it would come as no surprise that the American icon was greeted with love from fans across the world on his 96th birthday!

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The NASCAR community congratulate Mr McGriff whilst drooling over his historic career

Kicking things off with a bang, a fan celebrated Hershel McGriff’s 86th Birthday by sharing a dashing photo of the icon from back in the day. The fan added, “Happy 96th birthday to #HershelMcGriff. He’s the oldest #NASCAR driver to start a race at the age of 90, breaking his previous record, which was 84. He’s also an underrated what-if in NASCAR history.”

A fellow NASCAR writer also joined in to congratulate the man of the hour by sharing a fun fact about how long McGriff’s esteemed career spans. He shared, “Hershel McGriff turns 96 today 🎂 He’s raced against Ted Chamberlain, born in 1906, and Hailie Deegan, born in 2001. Practically everyone in NASCAR history has either raced against Hershel or raced against someone who has.”

Others were also quick to point out McGriff’s accolades whilst wishing him a healthy journey to that 100 mark. “Hershel McGriff, the highest-finishing racer still alive from the first Southern 500, is 96 today.” and another shared, “Happy Birthday, Hershel McGriff!! 🎂 Hershel McGriff finished 9th in the first Southern 500 in 1950. Sixty-eight years later, at age 90, he became the oldest driver to ever compete in a NASCAR-sanctioned race.”

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With mind-boggling facts crowding the Twitter space on the big man’s birthday, the community rejoiced and celebrated one of NASCAR’s oldest legacies. Will we ever see another just as glorious?