NASCAR has lost another jewel this year. Craftsman Truck Series veteran Shigeaki Hattori and Hendrick Motorsports director of communications Jon Edwards passed away earlier, in April 2025. Three months later, another bastion of the sport fell – and it was one of its strongest. Rex White, a 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, passed away on July 18th.

Who was Rex White? Looking back at NASCAR’s early icon

At the time of Rex White’s passing, the veteran racer was 95 years old. That should tell you how deeply entrenched his legacy is in NASCAR, a 76-year-old sport. He was NASCAR’s oldest living champion, having won the 1960 Cup Series championship. He competed at the top level of the sport from 1956 through 1964, winning 28 races and starting five Daytona 500s. White’s wins came in 233 starts. He had 110 top-five and 163 top-10 finishes when he retired from competition. He also snagged 36 pole positions when he raced in NASCAR.

NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame confirmed White’s death on Friday. No additional details were provided about this tragic loss to the sport.

The rise of Rex White: How a short-track racer became a NASCAR legend

The rise of a legend is always iconic. For Rex White, the rise was humble – he was born during the Great Depression and raised in Taylorsville, North Carolina. White contracted polio as a child, and that altered his walking style for the rest of his life. He had a weakened right leg due to that, but that hardly stopped him from pursuing his passion. By 6 years of age, he had learned how to drive using a neighbor’s truck. He had an early interest in cars and was working on the family Model T by the time he was 8.

But it was not before 1954, when Rex White was 25, that he bought his first car. In 1954, a relative of his wife helped him with the $600 needed to buy a 1937 Ford. He ran his first race in the Sportsman division at West Lanham Speedway in Maryland. White won the championship in his rookie season of the Sportsman division. A key element of his talent was short-track racing. This fell right in place with the times when short tracks dominated the NASCAR schedule.

That is why when White moved up to NASCAR, he oozed gold. He earned his first race victory in the sport after he led the final five laps of the 1958 season opener at Champion Speedway in Fayetteville, North Carolina. White won five more races in 1959, and in 1960, he clinched 6 victories in 44 starts en route to his lone championship title.

What made Rex White unique in the History of NASCAR?

Like every other racing legend, Rex White was unique to NASCAR’s history. For starters, his crippling condition of polio was no hindrance to him pursuing a racing career. The irony in that should be enough to enthral people, as racing requires a healthy usage of one’s legs. Besides that, his short-track racing resume is also appealing. White notched a career-high six victories at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, where NASCAR this year returned for the first time since 1971. He also won three times at North Wilkesboro Speedway and two times at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.

Breaking down Rex White’s legacy and impact on modern NASCAR?

Being one of NASCAR’s first racers to clinch a championship, Rex White had a profound impact on the now multi-billion-dollar sport. During his formative years, his reasons for having an interest in cars were very different, as he engaged in the moonshine-running business. White said, “I saw automobiles as transportation, not the symbol of an upcoming billion-dollar sport.” However, White contributed in other ways to the sport.

One of NASCAR’s top independent drivers, Rex White, had a knack for saving his equipment. He pushed to the front during the latter stages of a race. It was a game plan born of necessity, according to White. Winston Kelly, executive director for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, lauded White’s prowess. “Growing up on a North Carolina farm, Rex familiarized himself with all things mechanical and enjoyed driving anything with wheels. Rex was among NASCAR’s pioneers who remained very visible at tracks and industry events for years. He was a dedicated ambassador who enjoyed supporting any event or activity he was requested to participate in.”

NASCAR chairman Jim France reflected on White’s impact: “Rex epitomized the formative days of NASCAR — a true pioneer whose contributions helped shape the foundation of our sport. His hard work, dedication, and talent allowed him to make a living doing what he loved most — racing cars. He was the model of consistency — finishing in the top five in nearly half of his races — and dominated the short tracks.”

White laid the foundation and a blueprint for the future talents to follow and his journey will keep encouraging young drivers to achieve their dreams.