Jim Vandiver (December 13, 1939June 18, 2015) was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who raced from 1968 to 1983. As an independent driver, he had limited financial resources but enjoyed a level of success that relatively few independent drivers had during the formative years of NASCAR.

Career Vandiver competed in 85 races with five finishes in the top-five, 24 top-ten finishes, 117 laps led out of 16529, and a total mileage count of 24247.8 miles. Over his career, he had a total of $167,703 in winnings earned on the track ($ when adjusted for inflation).

At the 1972 Daytona 500, Vandiver finished third to winner A. J. Foyt. Vandiver is also the only undefeated ARCA driver at Talladega Superspeedway with victories in 1970 and 1975.

Most of Vandiver's earlier racers were done in Dodge vehicles. In his later career, he drove Oldsmobile and Chevrolet racecars.

Vandiver later operated Choice Trucks, a used truck dealership in Huntersville, North Carolina.

Vandiver was involved in the controversial 1969 Talladega 500, where he came in second place to Richard Brickhouse in a questionable finish. Both Vandiver and car owner Ray Fox Sr. were adamant that Brickhouse was a lap down because he had stopped to pit under the green flag (Vandiver only pitted under the Caution). Even after three hours of arguing the decision, Brickhouse was still made the winner of the event. Conspiracy theorists cite the difference in the Dodges as the determining factor since Vandiver was in an older Charger 500 and Brickhouse was in the brand new, winged Dodge Daytona.

Vandiver is known for an unusual exit to the 1973 Southern 500 in Darlington, South Carolina. He was due to be arrested for not showing up to divorce court for a child custody hearing, and had to figure out a way to avoid going to jail. His engine began running worse and worse so he waved goodbye to his pit crew and intentionally spun out his Dodge. To avoid the authorities seizing him on the track in front of the spectators, he ran across the track to escape and hitchhiked a ride to Charlotte, North Carolina in order to get home.

Personal life and death Vandiver was divorced and had four children; Emory, Rhett, Nicole and Shannon. Emory is a former softball player, Rhett also drives race cars, Nicole and Shannon are practicing lawyers in Davidson, North Carolina.

Vandiver's sister, Lillian, also raced - participating in the 1976 and 1977 NASCAR DASH series.

On June 15, 2015, Vandiver was admitted to a Charlotte hospital for chest pains. He died three days later at the age of 75.

Motorsports 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 Pts Ref 1968 Tom Vandiver 1 Chevy 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 124th 0 1969 Fox Racing 3 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 CLT SVH AUG CAR JFC MGR TWS 96th 24 Jim Lineberger 13 Chevy MAR NWS 1970 Fox Racing 3 Dodge RSD DAY DAY DAY RCH CAR SVH ATL BRI 46th 519 Jim Vandiver 31 Dodge TAL NWS CLB DAR BLV LGY CLT SMR MAR MCH RSD HCY KPT GPS DAY AST TPN TRN BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB ONA MCH TAL BGS SBO DAR HCY RCH DOV NCF NWS CLT MAR CAR Bub Strickler 58 Chevy MGR Cecil Gordon 97 Chevy LGY 1971 O. L. Nixon 31 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 48th 553 Faustina Racing 5 Plymouth CLT DOV CAR MGR RCH NWS TWS

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 1972 O. L. Nixon 31 Dodge RSD DAY RCH ONT CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS TAL CLT MCH NSV DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR TWS 31st 2514.35 Bill Strong 51 Chevy MAR A. J. Cox 81 Dodge DOV MCH RSD TWS DAY BRI TRN ATL TAL 1973 O. L. Nixon 31 Dodge RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV CLT DOV TWS RSD MCH DAY BRI ATL DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR 31st 2508.85 J. Marvin Millis 4 Dodge TAL NSV 1974 O. L. Nixon 31 Dodge RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY BRI NSV ATL POC TAL MCH DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR ONT 40th 71.4 1975 John Keselowski 99 Dodge RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI 30th 1228 Elder-Ranier 31 Dodge ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH DAR DOV NWS MAR CLT RCH CAR BRI ATL ONT 1976 RSD DAY CAR RCH BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 87th 124 1977 RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL NWS DAR BRI MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 90th 103 1978 O. L. Nixon 89 Chevy RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL DOV CLT NSV RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 81st 131 1979 Olds RSD DAY CAR RCH ATL NWS BRI DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI CLT NWS CAR ATL ONT 62nd 225 Elder-Ranier 9 Chevy DAR RCH DOV MAR 1980 O. L. Nixon 89 Olds RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR ATL ONT 52nd 328 1983 Gordon Racing 24 Chrysler DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV BRI CLT RSD POC MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL RSD 88th 88

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1970 Ray Fox Dodge 17 38 1971 O. L. Nixon Dodge 32 6 1972 8 3 1973 18 28 1974 6 27 1975 John Keselowski Dodge 34 35 1977 Elder-Ranier Dodge 19 20 1978 O. L. Nixon Chevrolet 24 38 1979 Oldsmobile 39 41 1980 40 37

References

External links