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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 13: (EDITOR’S NOTE: Image was processed using digital filters.) Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, looks on in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 2016 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
via Getty
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 13: (EDITOR’S NOTE: Image was processed using digital filters.) Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, looks on in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 2016 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Tragic news struck the NASCAR community recently, as former NASCAR driver, Buddy Arrington passed away on August 2. Arrington had just turned 84 a few days ago and his absence will be deeply felt. Although he had never won a Cup title in his career, Arrington was still an excellent driver. This was evident by his 103 Top 10 finishes over the span of his 25-year-long career in the top flight of stock car racing. When the news broke, Dale Earnhardt Jr led the tributes to the late driver.
I'm saddened to learn of the passing of Buddy Arrington, another of NASCAR's most famous independents – both for his unique style and his commitment to running Mopar products well into the 1980s. My condolences to Joey and the rest of the Arrington family.
— Brock Beard (@LASTCARonBROCK) August 3, 2022
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Drove a beautiful car too pic.twitter.com/ljIJ4739YK
— Brandon Wilcox (@wrandonbilcox) August 3, 2022
Man that one hurts, Buddy was a GOAT Independent of his era
— Colby Evans-ARCA/NASCAR S&P Cars (@StartAndParkCar) August 3, 2022
RIP Buddy! Always brought great looking race cars. 1st race car I ever saw in person. Was in his shop a few times and I’ve been in hospitals that weren’t as clean. Might never have had the fastest equipment but it was always as good as he could make it.
— Tommy Underwood (@TommyLUnderwood) August 3, 2022
Arrington is probably best known for being a top independent driver in the Cup Series. It is also worth mentioning that he often ran Mopar products and many insist that the cars he drove were beautiful. Dale Earnhardt Jr said, “One of the sports true independents. Buddy was always fun to watch. Like all the independents of his era you had to admire the effort and resourcefulness it took to compete.”
What else did NASCAR fans say about Buddy Arrington?
A few NASCAR fans had plenty of stories about the 84-year-old and how he raced in the Winston Cup era. According to some, he was well-known for keeping his workshops clean and immaculate. Normally, people would expect workshops to be a hive of activity with a large mess. However, it is said that under Arrington’s watch, it would be a hive of activity without the mess.
Was he the one famous for doing his own pit stops on occasion? Damn shame, what a Mopar legend. RIP
— RC Gartner (@rctothefuture) August 3, 2022
Before Dodge reentered NASCAR in 2001, Buddy Arrington drove the last Mopar-backed entry – a No. 67 Chrysler Imperial – in the 1985 Budweiser 400 at the Riverside Int'l Raceway, before Mopar pulled out of the sport.
Arrington was a dedicated Mopar man, may he R.I.P. #NASCAR https://t.co/yiMvgwSuuv
— Jonathan Fjeld (fee-yelled) (@Jonathan_Fjeld) August 3, 2022
As a kid growing up on NASCAR in the ‘80s, my favorite drivers were the independents, especially J.D. @JDMcDuffie1, Jimmy @MeansRacing52, and Buddy Arrington. Condolences to the Arrington family… https://t.co/4E8oZifZPM
— David Lerner (@davidpaullerner) August 3, 2022
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One of Virginia’s greatest hidden racing gems.
Rest In Peace, Buddy. https://t.co/djGTeErs6c
— Aubrey Simpson (@krunrailfan) August 3, 2022
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Runor also had it that on a few occasions, he would perform his own pit stops during races. One thing is for sure, Buddy Arrington will be missed in the community. In his very first NASCAR Winston Cup race, he stormed to eighth place at the Jacksonville Speedway. Meanwhile, his best career finish was third at the Talladega Superspeedway which came all the way back in 1979 for his own Arrington Racing team.
WATCH STORY: Dale Earnhardt Jr is All of Us as He Reacts to Heart-Rending Tragedy
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