Rene Charland (November 13, 1928 – September 30, 2013), nicknamed "the Champ", was an American stock car racing driver. He was a four-time champion of the NASCAR National Sportsman Division, now known as the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Racing Career Early Career Charland was born in Chicopee, Massachusetts on November 13, 1928Remillard, Jason. "Auto racing legend Rene Charland, of Agawam, dies at 84". October 1, 2013. Springfield, MA: The Republican Accessed 2013-10-03. and made his home in Agawam.Boggie, Tom. "Four-time NASCAR champ Charland dies". October 2, 2013. Schenectady, NY: The Daily Gazette. Accessed 2013-10-03. His racing career began in 1949 at Riverside Park Speedway in Massachusetts. He was part of a group of Northeastern racers called "the Eastern Bandits" who dominated the asphalt tracks of New England before moving over to the New York tracks in the 1950s and to the Mid-Atlantic and South to compete in NASCAR competition.

Championship Years In 1962, Charland won his first championship in the NASCAR National Sportsman Division, now the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, which came with $666.00 in prize money. He won the title again the following three years,"Past Sportsman Champions". February 25, 1968. Daytona Beach, FL: Daytona Beach Morning Journal, page 8C. Accessed 2013-10-03. and finished third in the series' 1966 standings despite missing half of the season due to an injury suffered at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. His run of four straight championships gave Charland the nickname "the Champ", a name he became better known by than his given name, which was pronounced "REE-nee".

Charland also competed in the NASCAR Grand National Series, running nine races between 1964 and 1971, including the 1966 Daytona 500, posting a best career finish of third at Fonda Speedway in 1966.Rene Charland - NASCAR Sprint Cup Results. Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Accessed 2013-10-03.

Charland was estimated as having won over 700 races during his career. He claimed his last track championship at Fonda Speedway in 1970, despite changing rides when his car owner refused to compete at certain venues.

Charland was an inductee into the New England Antique Racers Hall of Fame, the New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame and the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame. In his later years Charland suffered from dementia, and died on September 30, 2013, in a nursing home in Amsterdam, New York.

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 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 Pts Ref 1964 Bernard Alvarez 10 Ford CON AUG JSP SVH RSD DAY DAY DAY RCH BRI GPS BGS ATL AWS HBO PIF CLB NWS MAR SVH DAR LGY HCY SBO CLT GPS ASH ATL CON NSV CHT BIR VAL PIF DAY ODS OBS BRR ISP16 GLN LIN BRI NSV MBS AWS DTS ONA CLB BGS STR DAR HCY RCH ODS HBO MAR SVH NWS CLT HAR AUG JAC 119th 160 1965 Julian Buesink 03 Ford RSD DAY DAY DAYDNQ PIF ASW 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 108th 192 Gary Weaver 10 Ford CLT38 HBO Herman Beam 1 Ford CAR39 DTS 1966 Ed Ackerman 03 Ford AUG RSD DAY DAY33 DAY50 CAR BRI ATL HCY CLB GPS BGS NWS MAR DAR LGY MGR MON RCH CLT DTS ASH PIF SMR AWS BLV GPS DAY ODS BRR OXF15 FON3 ISP24 BRI SMR NSV ATL CLB AWS BLV BGS DAR HCY RCH HBO MAR NWS CLT CAR 77th 794 1971 John Keselowski 62 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 AST31 ISP TRN NSV ATL BGS ONA MCH TAL CLB HCY DAR MAR CLT DOV CAR MGR RCH NWS TWS NA -

References

External links

Rene Charland with race car