Bobby Isaac

Robert Vance Isaac (August 1, 1932 – August 14, 1977) was an American stock car racing driver. Isaac made his first NASCAR appearance in 1961, and quickly forged a reputation of one of the toughest competitors of the 1960s and 1970s. He was most famously associated with driving Nord Krauskopf's red No. 71 K&K Insurance Dodge Charger. Isaac was NASCAR's Grand National Series champion in 1970. Isaac abruptly retired from full-time top-level competition in 1973 and died of a heart attack during a late model race at Hickory Motor Speedway in 1977. For his achievements, Isaac was named as one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers and inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Bobby Isaac
Born	Robert Vance Isaac (1932-08-01)August 1, 1932 Catawba, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	August 14, 1977(1977-08-14) (aged 45) Hickory, North Carolina, U.S.
Cause of death	Heart attack due to heat exhaustion
Achievements	1970 Grand National Series champion Holds Cup Series record for most poles in a season (20 poles in 1969)
Awards	1969 Grand National Series Most Popular Driver National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame (1979) International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1996) Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) NASCAR Hall of Fame (2016) Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
NASCAR Cup Series career
308 races run over 14 years
Best finish	1st (1970)
First race	1961 World 600 qualifier No. 1 (Charlotte)
Last race	1976 World 600 (Charlotte)
First win	1964 Daytona 500 qualifier No. 2 (Daytona)
Last win	1972 Carolina 500 (Rockingham)
Wins Top tens Poles 37[1] 170[1] 48[1]
NASCAR Grand National East Series career
8 races run over 2 years
Best finish	30th (1973)
First race	1972 Hickory 276 (Hickory)
Last race	1973 Buddy Shuman 100 (Hickory)
First win	1972 Albany-Saratoga 250 (Malta)
Last win	1972 Coalminers 200 (Lonesome Pine)
Wins Top tens Poles 4 6 4
Statistics up to date as of April 17, 2013.

Early life

Isaac grew up on a farm near Catawba, North Carolina, the second-youngest of nine children. He finished school after the sixth grade, which led to the incorrect rumor that he could neither read nor write.^[2]

NASCAR career

Isaac's No. 71 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

He began racing full-time in 1956, but it took him seven years to break into the Grand National division. Isaac won the championship in 1970 driving the No. 71 Dodge Charger Daytona sponsored by K&K Insurance. His crew chief was Harry Hyde. Isaac and Hyde took the car to Talladega in November and set a closed-course speed record.

Isaac won 37 races in NASCAR's top series during his career, including 11 in his championship season, and started from the pole position 49 times. Isaac currently holds the NASCAR record for most poles in a single season, with 20 in 1969. In 1970 he turned a 201.104 mph lap at Talladega, a record that stood until 1983.

Isaac dropped out of the 1973 Talladega 500 mid-race in an impulsive decision which surprised his pit crew and the team owner. "I wasn't afraid I was going to wreck...I don't have anything to prove to myself or to anybody else. I know how it feels to win and lose. I know how it feels to be a champion. And now I know how it feels to quit. It just entered my mind at that moment," Isaac said. "I decided to quit and that was that. (Team owner) Bud Moore didn't know I had quit until after the race. I didn't know about (Larry) Smith at that time." (Larry Smith was the first fatality at Talladega Superspeedway, which happened earlier in the race).^[3] Isaac did not participate in any further 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup races after Talladega, and the presumption by sports commentators in late 1973 was that he was retiring from the sport.^[4]

Ultimately, Isaac did return to NASCAR racing as a driver from 1974 through 1976, on a reduced schedule.

Land speed records

Isaac also made his mark outside of NASCAR.^[5][6] In September 1971, he went to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and set 28 world speed records, some of which still stand.^[5][6]

Awards

Bobby Isaac was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 1979, and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1996. In 1998 NASCAR honored Isaac as one of its 50 greatest drivers. On May 20, 2015, Isaac was announced as a member of the 2016 induction class to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Death

On Saturday night, August 13, 1977, while running fourth, Isaac pulled out of the Winston 200 late model sportsman race at Hickory Motor Speedway with 40 laps left, and called for a relief driver, collapsing on pit road of heat exhaustion. Weather reports for the area that day showed temperatures which had reached 91 °F (33 °C) at mid-afternoon, and were still around 80 °F (27 °C) at the time of Isaac's collapse.^[7] Though Isaac was revived briefly at the hospital and was conversing with friends, he later died from a heart attack caused by heat exhaustion, at 12:45 a.m. on August 14, 13 days after his 45th birthday.^[8][9]

Details of Isaac's pit lane collapse on the night of his death were given to reporters by friend and former racing driver Ned Jarrett. Jarrett asserted at that time that the reason Isaac left the 1973 Talladega 500 was because he "had heard a voice that told him to quit".^[9]

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	NGNC	Pts	Ref
1961	Rex Lovette	27	Pontiac	CLT	JSP	DAY	DAY	DAY	PIF	AWS	HMS	ATL	GPS	HBO	BGS	MAR	NWS	CLB	HCY	RCH	MAR	DAR	CLT 18	CLT	RSD	ASP	CLT	PIF	BIR	GPS	BGS	NOR	HAS	STR	DAY	ATL	CLB	MBS	BRI	NSV	BGS	AWS	RCH	SBO	DAR	HCY	RCH	CSF	ATL	MAR	NWS	CLT	BRI	GPS	HBO											158th	-	[10]
1963	Bondy Long	90	Plymouth	BIR	GGS	THS	RSD	DAY	DAY 22																																																									20th	12858	[11]
		99								DAY DNQ	PIF 11	AWS 6	HBO 20				AUG 7	RCH	GPS 16	SBO	BGS			CLB 21	THS												ASH 16
			Ford											ATL 20	HCY	BRI 27						MAR 21	NWS 8			DAR 21	ODS	RCH	CLT 11	BIR	ATL 11	DAY 16	MBS 18	SVH	DTS	BGS		OBS 5	BRR 9	BRI 11	GPS 5	NSV 14	CLB 3	AWS 18	PIF 14	BGS	ONA	DAR 11	HCY	RCH	MAR	DTS	NWS	THS
	Smokey Yunick	13	Chevy																																																				CLT 31	SBO	HBO	RSD
1964	Nichels Engineering	26	Dodge	CON	AUG	JSP	SVH	RSD	DAY	DAY 1	DAY 15	RCH	BRI 27	GPS	BGS	ATL 2	AWS	HBO	PIF	CLB	NWS	MAR	SVH	DAR 27	LGY	HCY	SBO	CLT 25	GPS	ASH	ATL 7	CON	NSV	CHT	BIR	VAL	PIF	DAY 2	ODS	OBS	BRR 17	ISP	GLN	LIN	BRI 23	NSV	MBS	AWS	DTS	ONA				DAR 20					MAR 7			CLT 27				18th	13252	[12]
	Louis Weathersbee	45	Plymouth																																																CLB 11	BGS	STR		HCY 26	RCH 17	ODS	HBO		SVH 13	NWS
	Owens Racing	5	Dodge																																																												HAR 4	AUG 2	JAC 17
1965	Nichels Engineering	35	Dodge	RSD	DAY	DAY	DAY	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 32	NWS 34	CLT	HBO	CAR 21									75th	980	[13]
	Junior Johnson & Associates	26	Ford																																																							DTS 2*
1966				AUG 2	RSD 29	DAY	DAY 7	DAY 21	CAR 37	BRI 23	ATL 29	HCY 3	CLB	GPS	BGS	NWS	MAR	DAR	LGY	MGR	MON	RCH	CLT	DTS	ASH	PIF	SMR	AWS	BLV	GPS	DAY	ODS	BRR	OXF	FON	ISP	BRI	SMR	NSV	ATL	CLB	AWS	BLV	BGS	DAR	HCY	RCH	HBO	MAR	NWS	CLT															53rd	3438	[14]
	Owens Racing	5	Dodge																																																	CAR 30
1967	K&K Insurance Racing	71	Dodge	AUG	RSD	DAY 11	DAY	DAY 19	AWS	BRI	GPS	BGS	ATL 5	CLB	HCY	NWS	MAR	SVH	RCH				CLT 11	ASH	MGR	SMR	BIR	CAR 16	GPS	MGY	DAY 5	TRN	OXF	FDA	ISP				ATL 33	BGS	CLB	SVH	DAR 6	HCY	RCH	BLV	HBO	MAR	NWS	CLT 2	CAR 36	AWS														14th	19698	[15]
		37																		DAR 8	BLV	LGY
	King Enterprises	53	Dodge																																	BRI 32	SMR	NSV
1968	K&K Insurance Racing	37	Dodge	MGR 16	MGY 3	RSD 7			RCH 13			GPS 2	CLB 1*																																																					2nd	3373	[16]
		71					DAY 36	BRI 5		ATL 8	HCY 3*			NWS 3	MAR 16	AUG 1*	AWS 2	DAR 7	BLV 2	LGY 2	CLT 5	ASH 3	MGR 2	SMR 14	BIR 2	CAR 24	GPS 22	DAY 8	ISP 6	OXF 5	FDA 4	TRN 16	BRI 4	SMR 22	NSV 4	ATL 2	CLB 11	BGS 3	AWS 2	SBO 3	LGY 3	DAR 33	HCY 2*	RCH 6	BLV 1*	HBO 11	MAR 5	NWS 7	AUG 4	CLT 9	CAR 17	JFC 9*
1969				MGR 17	MGY 4	RSD 38	DAY	DAY 1*	DAY 30	CAR 7	AUG 3*	BRI 14*	ATL 23	CLB 1*	HCY 1*	GPS 1*	RCH 27	NWS 23	MAR 23	AWS 1*	DAR 26	BLV 1*	LGY 4*	CLT 5	MGR 1*	SMR 1*	MCH 28	KPT 11*	GPS 1*	NCF 10	DAY 29	DOV	TPN	TRN 3*	BLV 17	BRI 2	NSV 2	SMR 19	ATL 33	MCH 6	SBO 1*	BGS 2*	AWS 1*	DAR	HCY 1*	RCH 3	TAL 4	CLB 1	MAR 6	NWS 3	CLT 41	SVH 1*	AUG 1*	CAR 16	JFC 1*	MGR 3	TWS 1									6th	3301	[17]
1970				RSD 29	DAY 2	DAY	DAY 5	RCH 4	CAR 14	SVH 2	ATL 28	BRI 17	TAL 2	NWS 2	CLB 3	DAR 3	BLV 1*	LGY 1*	CLT 7	SMR 1*	MAR 1*	MCH 5	RSD 16	HCY 1*	KPT 8	GPS 1*	DAY 9	AST 17	TPN 1*	TRN 19	BRI 3	SMR 2	NSV 1*	ATL 35	CLB 1*	ONA 10	MCH 4	TAL 2	BGS 3	SBO 2	DAR 2	HCY 1*	RCH 4	DOV 6	NCF 3	NWS 1	CLT 5	MAR 4	MGR 2*	CAR 7	LGY 23															1st	3911	[18]
1971				RSD 4	DAY	DAY 11	DAY 10	ONT 4	RCH 2	CAR 2	HCY	BRI	ATL 5	CLB	GPS 1*	SMR	NWS 13*	MAR 3	DAR 25	SBO 13*	TAL	ASH	KPT 1*	CLT 32	DOV 4	MCH 2	RSD	HOU	GPS	DAY 1*	BRI	AST	ISP	TRN	NSV	ATL 33	BGS	ONA	MCH 39	TAL	CLB	HCY	DAR 4	MAR 1*	CLT 2	DOV 3	CAR 5	MGR	RCH	NWS	TWS 49															23rd	1819	[19]

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	NWCC	Pts	Ref
1972	K&K Insurance Racing	71	Dodge	RSD 3	DAY 33	RCH 3	ONT 45	CAR 1	ATL 3	BRI 2	DAR 28	NWS 3*	MAR 19*	TAL 2	CLT 23	DOV 14	MCH 26	RSD 21	TWS 5	DAY 27	BRI 18	TRN 2*	ATL 31	TAL 42	MCH 3	NSV 27	DAR 40	RCH	DOV						19th	5050.85	[20]
	Donlavey Racing	98	Ford																											MAR 35	NWS
	Matthews Racing	27	Chevy																													CLT 28	CAR 36	TWS
1973	Bud Moore Engineering	15	Ford	RSD 27	DAY 2	RCH 4	CAR 30	BRI 15	ATL 2	NWS 28	DAR 33	MAR 3	TAL 26	NSV 7	CLT 4	DOV 29	TWS 32	RSD 33	MCH	DAY 39	BRI 22	ATL 35	TAL 13	NSV	DAR	RCH	DOV	NWS	MAR	CLT	CAR				26th	3352.4	[21]
1974	Matthews Racing	27	Chevy	RSD	DAY 8	RCH	CAR	BRI 2	ATL																										33rd	152.94	[22]
	Donlavey Racing	90	Ford							DAR 33	NWS
	Ellington Racing	28	Chevy									MAR 25	TAL	NSV	DOV				DAY 6	BRI	NSV	ATL 34	POC	TAL 8	MCH	DAR 37	RCH	DOV	NWS 6	MAR
		29														CLT 33	RSD	MCH
	K&K Insurance Racing	17	Dodge																												CLT 32	CAR	ONT
1975	Ellington Racing	28	Chevy	RSD	DAY	RCH	CAR 29	BRI	ATL	NWS	DAR	MAR	TAL	NSV	DOV																				48th	405	[23]
	Norris Reed	83	Chevy													CLT 35	RSD	MCH	DAY	NSV	POC	TAL	MCH	DAR	DOV	NWS	MAR
	Puro Racing	75	Mercury																									CLT 37	RCH
	Ed Gibson	3	Chevy																											CAR 7	BRI 23	ATL 30	ONT
1976	Howard & Egerton Racing	6	Chevy	RSD	DAY	CAR 6	RCH	BRI	ATL	NWS	DAR	MAR	TAL	NSV	DOV																				114th	49	[24]
	Neil Castles															CLT 38	RSD	MCH	DAY	NSV	POC	TAL	MCH	BRI	DAR	RCH	DOV	MAR	NWS	CLT	CAR	ATL	ONT

Daytona 500

Year	Team	Manufacturer	Start	Finish
1963	Bondy Long	Plymouth	DNQ
1964	Nichels Engineering	Dodge	4	15
1966	Junior Johnson & Associates	Ford	14	21
1967	K&K Insurance Racing	Dodge	23	19
1968			11	36
1969			2	30
1970			3	5
1971			2	10
1972			1	33
1973	Bud Moore Engineering	Ford	10	2
1974	Matthews Racing	Chevrolet	3	8