Francis Affleck Explained

Francis Affleck
Birth Date:March 4, 1950
Birth Place:Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
Death Place:Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida, USA
Death Cause:Racing accident
Total Busch Races:3
Years In Busch:1
Best Busch Pos:66th (1984)
First Busch Race:1984 Goody's 300 (Daytona)
Last Busch Race:1984 Dixie Cup 200 (DARLINGTON)
Busch Wins:0
Busch Top Tens:0
Busch Poles:0

Francis Archibald Affleck (March 4, 1950  - February 7, 1985) was a Canadian race car driver.

Career

He raced late model NASCAR as a hobby when he was living in the Montreal, Quebec suburb of Greenfield Park. He continued racing in NASCAR late models at local tracks and ARCA when he moved to Charlotte in 1977.[1]

In practice for the ARCA 200 race at Daytona International Speedway on February 7, 1985 while travelling at an estimated 195 miles per hour, Affleck got his car sideways between turns 1 and 2, went airborne, and barrel-rolled end-over-end at least 7 or 8 times. The protective window netting on his car failed and Affleck was thrown partially out of his car and sustained head and neck injuries after being pinned under his Ford. Affleck's crash also changed the way that the protective window nettings are constructed on both NASCAR and ARCA cars to this day. Francis Affleck became the first ARCA driver to be fatally injured at the Daytona International Speedway in its then 26-year history, and the first driver to be killed at the track since Ricky Knotts in 1980.[2]

Affleck was the eldest of five children of Bill and Velma Affleck.[3] He was survived by Kathleen, his wife of 15 years, and two sons.[3]

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.)

Busch Series

ARCA Talladega SuperCar Series

(key) (

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

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Motorsport Memorial - Francis Affleck . Motorsport Memorial . August 14, 2019.
  2. Web site: Affleck Killed in Daytona Practice. February 8, 1985. Los Angeles Times. March 19, 2013 . Los Angeles.
  3. News: Montreal Gazette . Car goes out of control flips over at 300 km/h . 1.
  4. Web site: 1984 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results . Racing-Reference . November 23, 2017.
  5. Web site: 1985 ARCA Talladega SuperCar Series Results . Racing-Reference . November 23, 2017.