Rex White, the 1960 NASCAR Cup Series champion and one of the sport’s most accomplished drivers of the late 1950s and early 1960s, has died at the age of 95. White had been NASCAR’s oldest living champion.
A native of Taylorsville, N.C., White grew up poor during the Great Depression, with his family using their Model T to run moonshine in order to make ends meet. White suffered from polio as a child that led to his right leg becoming withered, contributing to a somewhat diminutive stature 5-foot-4 stature compared to his peers in the early days of stock car racing as well as a resilient mentality that would be the foundation of his adult life.
“Most of the lessons I have learned have stayed with me all my life,” White said in his autobiography “Gold Thunder,” when speaking of his childhood illness. “The biggest one was how to conquer fear.”
After dropping out of school, White moved to the Washington, D.C. area, where he eventually found work at a service station. He would get his start in racing at Lanham Speedway in Maryland, where in 1952 he took on work as an unpaid crew member for NASCAR Modified champion Frankie Schneider. He then began racing himself after purchasing a Ford Model T, and by 1956 had made his debut in NASCAR’s Grand National division (now the Cup Series). His career took off in 1958 when he moved to Spartanburg, S.C., pairing up with renowned mechanic Louis Clements. White won his first Grand National race in the season opener at Fayetteville, then followed it up with another win at Weaverville before breaking out with five wins in 1959.
White’s career peaked in 1960, when he won six times with a staggering 25 top fives and 35 top 10s in 40 starts to handily win the Grand National championship. He would follow his championship up with seven wins in 1961 and eight in 1962, giving him a total of 28 wins in five seasons — more than any other driver in that time period, including other NASCAR legends such as Lee & Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, Fireball Roberts and more.
After going winless in 25 races in 1963, White ran just six Grand National races in 1964 before retiring from racing, citing financial difficulties. Despite a relatively short career, White’s mark of 28 career victories remains tied for 31st on NASCAR’s all-time wins list. He would go on to own an automobile dealership and trucking company in the Atlanta area, and remained active as a NASCAR alumni long into his life.
“Rex epitomized the formative days of NASCAR — a true pioneer whose contributions helped shape the foundation of our sport,” NASCAR chairman and CEO Jim France said in a statement. “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. On behalf of NASCAR and the France family, I want to offer our condolences to the friends and family of Rex White.”
White was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers for the sport’s 50th Anniversary in 1998, an honor he earned again when he was included in sport’s list of 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023. In 2015, White was named to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, long after previous inductions into others such as the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame and Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.
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