Robert Laurence Wawak (September 4, 1939 – April 17, 2004) was an American NASCAR driver from Villa Park, Illinois. He made 141 Grand National/Winston Cup Series starts, with fourteen top-ten finishes.Driver's statistics at racing-reference, Retrieved September 13, 2007

Racing career

Local racing Wawak began drag racing as a teenager. He raced in his first stock car race at around 1958 at Mance Park Speedway in Hodgkins, Illinois. He raced regularly at the O'Hare Stadium in Schiller Park, Illinois. He competed in both the cadet (sportsman) and late model divisions."Bobby Wawak" ; Stan Kalwasinski; ChicagolandAutoRacing.com; Retrieved September 13, 2007

In 1974, Wawak was the late model stock car champion at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, Indiana. He competed at the track in 1973 and 1974, winning fourteen features at that half mile asphalt track in his 1971 Ford Torino. He won 21 total races (including preliminary events) in 1974.

National touring series

USAC Wawak competed on the USAC stock car circuit in 1965. He made six races with a sixth place finish in one event during his rookie season. He finished eighteenth in the final USAC standings that year. Wawak did not return to USAC racing until 1969 and would compete on a limited basis into the early 1970s.

NASCAR Wawak made occasional NASCAR starts before 1976. His first start was in the 1965 Southern 500 at Darlington Speedway. He started 27th, and finished 36th with engine problems. Wawak made fourteen NASCAR starts in 1967.

Wawak most successful year was 1976, when he finished 22nd in the points. His highest career finish was a sixth-place finish in the final race of the season at Ontario.

The fuel line on Wawak's car came loose on the third lap of the 1977 Daytona 500, and the fire came into the car's cockpit. Wawak jumped from the car while it was still moving (and slammed into the inside wall moments later), held up his burnt hands, and ran to the infield care center. "It was like sitting in front of a blow torch," Wawak said later. He made six more starts that year.

Wawak continued racing in NASCAR, and made 96 more NASCAR starts. His career ended when he crashed in the first qualifier for the 1988 Daytona 500, Wawak suffering a fractured vertebra and detached retinas. Randy LaJoie raced in one race in his car in 1988, and Mike Potter raced three races in 1990.

After his NASCAR career ended, Wawak helped Hendrick Motorsports with their show cars.

In media Wawak appeared in NASCAR Thunder 2004 as an unlockable driver in a car numbered 36.

Death Wawak died at the age of 64, on April 17, 2004. He was survived by his wife Stevi and his two daughters.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Grand National Series NASCAR Grand National Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 Pts Ref 1965 Wawak Racing 4 Mercury RSD DAY DAY DAY PIF AWS RCH HBO ATL GPS NWS MAR CLB BRI DAR LGY BGS HCY CLT CCF ASH HAR NSV BIR ATL GPS MBS VAL DAY ODS OBS ISP GLN BRI NSV CCF AWS SMR PIF AUG CLB DTS BLV BGS DAR HCY LIN ODS RCH MAR NWS CLT HBO CAR DTS 117th 116 1967 Wawak Racing 92 Plymouth AUG RSD DAY DAY DAY AWS BRI GPS BGS ATL CLB HCY NWS MAR SVH RCH DAR BLV LGY CLT ASH MGR SMR BIR CAR GPS MGY DAY OXF FDA ISP BRI ATL BGS CLB SVH DAR HCY RCH BLV HBO MAR NWS CLT CAR AWS 31st 9078 Dodge TRN SMR NSV 1968 77 Plymouth MGR MGY RSD DAY BRI RCH ATL HCY GPS CLB NWS MAR AUG AWS DAR BLV LGY CLT ASH MGR SMR BIR CAR GPS DAY ISP OXF FDA TRN BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB BGS AWS SBO LGY DAR HCY RCH BLV HBO MAR NWS AUG CLT CAR JFC NA- 1969 73 Dodge MGR MGY RSD DAY DAY DAY CAR AUG BRI ATL CLB HCY GPS RCH NWS MAR AWS DAR BLV LGY CLT MGR SMR MCH KPT GPS NCF DAY DOV TPN TRN BLV BRI NSV SMR ATL MCH SBO BGS AWS DAR HCY RCH TAL CLB MAR NWS CLT SVH AUG CAR JFC MGR TWS 80th 60 1971 Wawak Racing 75 Dodge RSD DAY DAY DAY ONT RCH CAR HCY BRI ATL CLB GPS SMR NWS MAR DAR SBO TAL ASH KPT CLT DOV MCH RSD HOU GPS DAY BRI AST ISP TRN NSV ATL BGS ONA MCH TAL CLB HCY DAR MAR CLT DOV CAR MGR RCH NWS TWS 76th 93

Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Pts Ref 1976 Gwinn-Wawak 36 Chevy RSD DAY CAR RCH BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 22nd 2062 26 CLT RSD 1977 36 RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL NWS DAR BRI MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD 45th 522 32 DAY Wawak Racing 74 Chevy MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI CAR ATL ONT Gray Racing 19 Chevy DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT 1978 Wawak Racing 74 Chevy RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL DOV CLT NSV RSD MCH DAY NSV BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT ONT 38th 680 Greg Heller 85 Ford POC TAL MCH Richard Childress Racing 31 Chevy CAR ATL 1979 Wawak Racing 74 Olds RSD DAY CAR RCH ATL NWS 46th 376 Chevy BRI DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR ATL ONT 1980 RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR NSV DOV RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR ATL ONT 25th 1742 Dodge TAL Buick CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR 1981 94 RSD DAY RCH CAR NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD 31st 1212 Pontiac ATL BRI 1982 Buick DAY RCH BRI ATL CAR CLT POC RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI CLT MAR CAR 31st 1002 Chevy DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV DAR RCH DOV NWS ATL RSD 1983 Buick DAY 36th 825 74 RCH CAR ATL DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV BRI MCH POC MCH BRI Chevy CLT RSD POC DAY NSV TAL DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD 1984 DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD 47th 307 Jimmy Means Racing 52 Pontiac POC Wawak Racing 74 Buick MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR ATL RSD 1985 Chevy DAY RCH ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL DOV CLT RSD POC DAY 32nd 1226 Buick CAR MCH POC MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD Gray Racing 54 Chevy TAL 1986 Wawak Racing 74 Chevy DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI CLT RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD 43rd 480 Buick DAR NWS MAR TAL DOV 1987 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL CLT DOV POC RSD MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR RSD ATL 39th 638 77 DAR NWS BRI MAR TAL 1988 57 DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR PHO ATL NA -

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1977 Gwinn-Wawak Chevrolet DNQ 17 42 1978 Wawak Racing Chevrolet DNQ 1979 Olds 30 21 1981 Wawak Racing Buick DNQ 1982 28 32 1983 DNQ 1984 Chevrolet DNQ 1985 26 13 1986 DNQ 1987 DNQ 1988 DNQ

ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Pts Ref 1981 94 Olds DAY DSP FRS FRS BFS TAL FRS COR NA 0 1983 Wawak Racing 74 Buick DAY NSV TAL LPR LPR ISF IRP SSP FRS BFS WIN LPR POC TAL MCS FRS MIL DSF ZAN SND NA 0 1986 Churchill Motorsports 11 Chevy ATL DAY ATL TAL SIR SSP FRS KIL CSP TAL BLN ISF DSF TOL MCS ATL 119th - 1987 Wawak Racing 77 Chevy DAY ATL TAL DEL ACS TOL ROC POC FRS KIL 60th - 74 TAL FRS ISF INF DSF SLM Bryan Waters 77 Chevy ATL 1988 Wawak Racing 74 Chevy DAY ATL TAL FRS PCS ROC POC WIN KIL ACS SLM POC TAL DEL FRS ISF DSF SLM ATL 132nd -

References

External links