Red Farmer Explained

Red Farmer
Birth Name:	Charles Farmer
Birth Place:	Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Birth Date:	15 October 1932
Achievements:	1969, 1970, 1971 NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division Champion 1956 NASCAR Winston Modified Tour Champion
Awards:	Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame (2002) International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2004) NASCAR Hall of Fame (2022) Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
Total Cup Races:	36
Years In Cup:	13
Best Cup Pos:	50th (1968)
First Cup Race:	1953 untitled race (Daytona Beach)
Last Cup Race:	1975 Talladega 500 (Talladega)
Cup Wins:	0
Cup Top Tens:	3
Cup Poles:	0
Total Busch Races:	2
Years In Busch:	1
Best Busch Pos:	72nd (1992)
First Busch Race:	1992 Fram Filter 500k (Talladega)
Last Busch Race:	1992 Kroger 200 (IRP)
Busch Wins:	0
Busch Top Tens:	0
Busch Poles:	0
Total Arca Races:	34
Years In Arca:	21
Best Arca Pos:	23rd (1985)
First Arca Race:	1969 Daytona ARCA 300 (Daytona)
Last Arca Race:	2004 Southern Illinois 100 (DuQuoin)
First Arca Win:	1970 Nashville 200 (Nashville)
Last Arca Win:	1988 ARCA 500K (Talladega)
Arca Wins:	3
Arca Top Tens:	22
Arca Poles:	0
Updated:	July 30, 2023

Charles "Red" Farmer (born October 15, 1932) is an American professional stock car racing and dirt track racing driver. He currently competes part-time in 602 Crate Dirt Late Models in the No. F97 Ford Mustang for his own team. He is a member of the Alabama Gang.

Racing career

His first race was at Opa-locka Speedway near Miami, Florida in a 1934 Ford in 1948. He became famous as a member of the Alabama Gang and he considered his hometown to be Hueytown, Alabama. Estimates of Farmer's career victories range from 700 to 900 victories, most occurring in the late 1950s and early 60's. He raced 36 NASCAR Cup Series races from 1953 to 1975. He won numerous championships at local tracks. Before racing in the Grand National series, he raced modified stock cars in the northeast. He was one of the first to transition from the modified series to the early Grand National Series.^[1] He was the NASCAR National Late Model Sportsman champion (later Xfinity Series) for three consecutive years from 1969 to 1971. Farmer's best finish in NASCAR's top division was fourth at both the 1972 Talladega 500, and the 1968 Middle Georgia 500 near Macon, Georgia. He entered so few Cup races because he was content to run primarily in the Late Model Sportsman Series. He was named NASCAR's most popular driver four times. Farmer raced in the white and gold number 97 car. In the mid-60's, however, Farmer raced a white, gold, and red Ford Fairlane, number F-97.

He was Davey Allison's crew chief in the Busch Series.

Farmer has retained his skills as a driver in spite of his age. He competed in two Busch Grand National races in 1992, and the season opening ARCA event at Daytona in 1993. In June 2005, at age 72, Farmer turned heads in winning a heat over current NASCAR Sprint Cup stars, and finished 8th in the feature during the Sprint Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway, owned by Tony Stewart.

As of 2022, Farmer still regularly competes in a late model at Talladega Short Track,^[2] a 1/3 mile oval dirt track in Eastaboga, Alabama located near the Talladega Superspeedway.^{[3] [4]} His grandson, Lee Burdett, also races there.

Farmer's house, race shop, race hauler, and dirt late model were damaged by a tornado on March 25, 2021.^[5]

Awards

His accolades are numerous, being a member of five halls of fame. Farmer was named one of the 50 Greatest Drivers in NASCAR history in 1998. He was a member of the first Class of Inductees into the Talladega-Texaco Walk Of Fame. When the International Motorsports Hall of Fame inducted Farmer, they had to waive their rule of 5 years of retirement – they figured he never would retire. Red Farmer was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2022.^[6]

Helicopter crash

On July 12, 1993, Farmer was a passenger in a helicopter crash at Talladega Superspeedway that took the life of NASCAR Winston Cup driver Davey Allison, which occurred as Allison was attempting to land the aircraft in a nearby parking lot. The two were en route to the track in order to watch David Bonnett (son of fellow Alabama Gang driver Neil Bonnett) drive in a practice session.^[7] Farmer suffered a broken collarbone and fractured ribs in the crash.^[8]

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		Pts	Ref
1953	Sikes Motors	48	Hudson	PBS	DAB 45	HAR	NWS	CLT	RCH	CCS	LAN	CLB	HCY	MAR	PMS	RSP	LOU	FFS	LAN	TCS	WIL	MCF	PIF	MOR	ATL	RVS	LCF	DAV	HBO	AWS	PAS	HCY	DAR	CCS	LAN	BLF	WIL	NWS	MAR	ATL																				176th	13	^[9]
1956	J. M. Fitzgibbons	C97	Chevy	HCY	CLT	WSS	PBS 15	ASF	DAB 36	PBS 17	WIL	ATL	NWS	LAN	RCH	CLB	CON	GPS	HCY	HBO	MAR	LIN	CLT	POR	EUR	NYF	MER	MAS	CLT	MCF	POR	AWS	RSP	PIF	CSF	CHI	CCF	MGY	OKL	ROA	OBS	SAN	NOR	PIF	MYB	POR	DAR	CSH	CLT	LAN	POR	CLB	HBO	NWP	CLT	CCF	MAR	HCY	WIL	154th	-	^[10]
1960	Long-Lewis	88	Ford	CLT	CLB	DAY 20	DAY	DAY 56	CLT	NWS	PHO	CLB	MAR	HCY	WIL	BGS	GPS	AWS	DAR	PIF	HBO	RCH	HMS	CLT	BGS	DAY	HEI	MAB	MBS	ATL	BIR	NSV	AWS	PIF	CLB	SBO	BGS	DAR	HCY	CSF	GSP	HBO	MAR	NWS	CLT	RCH	ATL													131st	120	^[11]
1962	Frank Rhoads	23	Ford	CON	AWS	DAY	DAY 11	DAY 40	CON	AWS	SVH	HBO	RCH	CLB	NWS	GPS	MBS	MAR	BGS	BRI	RCH	HCY	CON	DAR	PIF	CLT	ATL	BGS	AUG	RCH	SBO	DAY	CLB	ASH	GPS	AUG	SVH	MBS	BRI	CHT	NSV	HUN	AWS	STR	BGS	PIF	VAL	DAR	HCY	RCH	DTS	AUG	MAR	NWS	CLT	ATL				90th	360	^[12]
1965		26	Ford	RSD	DAY	DAY	DAY 36	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		104th	208	^[13]
1967	Ben Arnold	76	Ford	AUG	RSD	DAY	DAY 14	DAY 42	AWS	BRI	GPS	BGS	ATL	CLB	HCY	NWS	MAR	SVH	RCH	DAR	BLV	LGY	CLT	ASH	MGR	SMR	BIR	CAR	GPS	MGY	DAY	TRN	OXF	FDA	ISP	BRI	SMR	NSV	ATL	BGS	CLB	SVH	DAR	HCY	RCH	BLV	HBO	MAR	NWS											54th	2546	^[14]
	Gray Racing	97	Ford																																															CLT 31	CAR 11	AWS
1968	Long-Lewis	97	Ford	MGR 4	MGY 29	RSD	DAY 43	BRI	RCH	ATL 30	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 34	CLB	BGS	AWS	SBO	LGY	DAR	HCY	RCH	BLV	HBO	MAR	NWS	AUG	CLT 26	CAR 31	JFC								50th	407	^[15]
1969	Donald Brackins	2	Chevy	MGR	MGY 20	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			92nd	31	^[16]
1971	Giachetti Brothers Racing	44	Ford	RSD	DAY	DAY 10	DAY 32																																																					NA	-	^[17]
		46						ONT 40	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

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	Long-Lewis	97	Ford	RSD	DAY 30	RCH	ONT 41	CAR	ATL 31	BRI	DAR	NWS	MAR	TAL 39	CLT	DOV	MCH	RSD	TWS	DAY	BRI	TRN	ATL	TAL 4	MCH	NSV	DAR	RCH	DOV	MAR	NWS	CLT	CAR	TWS	63rd	749.5	^[18]
1973				RSD	DAY 32	RCH	CAR	BRI	ATL	NWS	DAR	MAR	TAL 32	NSV	CLT	DOV	TWS	RSD	MCH	DAY	BRI	ATL	TAL 32	NSV	DAR	RCH	DOV	NWS	MAR	CLT	CAR				72nd	-	^[19]
1974				RSD	DAY DNQ	RCH	CAR	BRI	ATL	DAR	NWS	MAR	TAL 27	NSV	DOV	CLT	RSD	MCH	DAY	BRI	NSV	ATL	POC	TAL 23	MCH	DAR	RCH	DOV	NWS	MAR	CLT	CAR	ONT		76th	5.22	^[20]
1975				RSD	DAY QL^†	RCH	CAR	BRI	ATL	NWS	DAR	MAR	TAL 37	NSV	DOV	CLT	RSD	MCH	DAY	NSV	POC	TAL 44	MCH	DAR	DOV	NWS	MAR	CLT	RCH	CAR	BRI	ATL	ONT		96th	83	^[21]
^† – Qualified for Bob Burcham

Daytona 500

Year	Team	Manufacturer	Start	Finish
1960	Long-Lewis	Ford	39	align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;"	56
1962	Frank Rhoads	Ford	23	align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;"	40
1965		Ford	42	align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;"	36
1967	Ben Arnold	Ford	28	align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;"	42
1968	Long-Lewis	Ford	30	align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;"	43
1971	Giachetti Brothers Racing	Ford	22	align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;"	32
1972	Long-Lewis	Ford	18	align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;"	30
1973			23	align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;"	32
1974			align=center colspan=2 style="background:#FFCFCF;"	DNQ
1975			align=center colspan=2 style="background:#FFFFFF;"	QL

Busch Series

ARCA Re/Max Series

(key) (

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

ARCA Re/Max 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		Pts	Ref
1985	Corvin Racing	97	Chevy	ATL	DAY 3	ATL	TAL 3	ATL	SSP	IRP	CSP	FRS	IRP	OEF	ISF	DSF	TOL									59th	-	^[23]
1986	White Racing	97	Buick	ATL	DAY	ATL	TAL 24	SIR	SSP	FRS	KIL	CSP	TAL 23	BLN	ISF	DSF	TOL	MCS	ATL							59th	-	^[24]
1987		99		DAY 37	ATL																					49th	-	^[25]
		97				TAL 3	DEL	ACS	TOL	ROC	POC	FRS	KIL	TAL 10	FRS	ISF	INF	DSF	SLM	ATL
1988				DAY 2	ATL																					54th	-	^[26]
	Allison Racing	28	Buick			TAL 1*	FRS	PCS	ROC	POC	WIN	KIL	ACS	SLM	POC	TAL 27	DEL	FRS	ISF	DSF	SLM	ATL
1989				DAY 8	ATL	KIL	TAL 25	FRS	POC	KIL	HAG	POC	TAL 30	DEL	FRS	ISF	TOL	DSF	SLM	ATL						52nd	-	^[27]
1990	Ragan Racing	97	Ford	DAY 7	ATL	KIL	TAL DNQ	FRS	POC	KIL	TOL	HAG	POC													69th	-	^[28]
		74												TAL 4	MCH	ISF	TOL	DSF	WIN	DEL	ATL
1991	Compton Racing		Ford	DAY 42	ATL	KIL	TAL	TOL	FRS	POC	MCH	KIL	FRS	DEL	POC	TAL	HPT	MCH	ISF	TOL	DSF	TWS	ATL			117th	-	^[29]
1992		69		DAY	FIF	TWS	TAL 6	TOL	KIL	POC	MCH	FRS	KIL	NSH	DEL	POC	HPT	FRS	ISF	TOL	DSF	TWS	SLM	ATL		125th	-	^[30]
1993	Allison Racing	97	Ford	DAY 28	FIF	TWS	TAL	KIL	CMS	FRS	TOL	POC	MCH	FRS	POC	KIL	ISF	DSF	TOL	SLM	WIN	ATL				113th	-	^[31]
2002	ML Motorsports	97	Pontiac	DAY	ATL	NSH	SLM	KEN	CLT	KAN	POC	MCH	TOL 34													52nd	540	^[32]
		75												SBO 23	KEN	BLN 32	POC	NSH	ISF 32	WIN	DSF 4	CHI	SLM	TAL	CLT
2004	ML Motorsports	97	Chevy	DAY	NSH	SLM	KEN	TOL	CLT	KAN	POC	MCH	SBO	BLN	KEN	GTW	POC	LER	NSH	ISF 5	TOL	DSF 10	CHI	SLM	TAL	68th	400	^[33]

External links

• • Alabama Gang website
• Talladega Walk of Fame

Notes and References

1. Web site: Early Modified racer of Alabama's Red Farmer Old race cars, Racing car model, Stock car racing. 2020-07-08. Pinterest. en.
2. Web site: NASCAR legend Red Farmer has a prescription for what ails short tracks. Demmons. Doug. September 26, 2013. The Birmingham News. 5 July 2013.
3. Web site: Talladega Short Track - Track Information. 5 July 2013. 4 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180704200849/http://www.talladegashorttrack.com/trackinfo.html. dead.
4. Web site: 1970 Nashville ARCA 200 winner Red Farmer Still at the Controls. ARCA. January 3, 2016.
5. Web site: Red Farmer's house, hauler and race car damaged in Alabama tornado (Photos). Shane. Walters. RacingNews.co. 25 March 2021 .
6. Web site: Red Farmer NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee. 2021-11-15. Nascar Hall of Fame. en-US.
7. Web site: Siano. Joseph. Davey Allison, Stock-Car Driver, Dies at 32 After Helicopter Crash. The New York Times. 5 July 2013. July 14, 1993.
8. Hinton. Ed. Requiem For A Racing Man. Sports Illustrated. 5 July 2013. July 26, 1993.
9. Web site: Red Farmer – 1953 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
10. Web site: Red Farmer – 1956 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
11. Web site: Red Farmer – 1960 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
12. Web site: Red Farmer – 1962 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
13. Web site: Red Farmer – 1965 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
14. Web site: Red Farmer – 1967 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
15. Web site: Red Farmer – 1968 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
16. Web site: Red Farmer – 1969 NASCAR Grand National Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
17. Web site: Red Farmer – 1971 NASCAR Winston Cup Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
18. Web site: Red Farmer – 1972 NASCAR Winston Cup Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
19. Web site: Red Farmer – 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
20. Web site: Red Farmer – 1974 NASCAR Winston Cup Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
21. Web site: Red Farmer – 1975 NASCAR Winston Cup Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
22. Web site: Red Farmer – 1992 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results. Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. November 29, 2014.
23. Web site: Red Farmer – 1985 ARCA Talladega SuperCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
24. Web site: Red Farmer – 1986 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
25. Web site: Red Farmer – 1987 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
26. Web site: Red Farmer – 1988 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
27. Web site: Red Farmer – 1989 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
28. Web site: Red Farmer – 1990 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
29. Web site: Red Farmer – 1991 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
30. Web site: Red Farmer – 1992 ARCA SuperCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
31. Web site: Red Farmer – 1993 ARCA Hooters SuperCar Series Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
32. Web site: Red Farmer – 2002 ARCA Re/Max Series Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.
33. Web site: Red Farmer – 2004 ARCA Re/Max Series Results. Racing-Reference. January 27, 2019.