Ray Elder

Raymond Marvin Elder (August 19, 1942 – November 24, 2011)^[1] was an American professional stock car racing driver. He competed in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Winston West Series.

Ray Elder
Ray Elder
Born	Raymond Marvin Elder (1942-08-19)August 19, 1942 Caruthers, California, U.S.
Died	November 24, 2011 (2011-11-25) (aged 69) Caruthers, California, U.S.
Awards	West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2002 - Inaugural Class) NASCAR Winston West Series champion (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975)
NASCAR Cup Series career
31 races run over 12 years
Best finish	48th (1969)
First race	1967 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside)
Last race	1978 Los Angeles Times 500 (Ontario)
First win	1971 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside)
Last win	1972 Golden State 400 (Riverside)
Wins Top tens Poles 2 16 0
ARCA Menards Series West career
240 races run over 14 years
Best finish	1st (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975)
First race	1966 Race 2 (Stockton)
Last race	1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 200 (Riverside)
First win	1966 Ascot Park 200 Lappers (Ascot Park)
Last win	1978 Winston Petaluma 100 (Petaluma)
Wins Top tens Poles 47 189 44
Statistics up to date as of March 5, 2025.

Elder participated primarily in west coast races at Riverside International Raceway and Ontario Motor Speedway from 1967 to 1978. He won races at Riverside in 1971 and 1972 driving for Fred Elder.^[2] Elder won 47 races in the NASCAR Winston West Series, which is the second most all time. He won six NASCAR Western series championships: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, and 1975.^[3]

Winning the 1971 Motor Trend 500 race would essentially make him the first winner in NASCAR's "modern" history.

Elder graduated from Caruthers High School, earning Central California All-Star honors in football.^[4] His family owned a 240-acre farm about 15 miles southwest of Fresno, and he was joined on his pit crew by his brother and father.^[4]

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	NGNC	Pts	Ref
1967	Elder Racing	96	Dodge	AUG	RSD 36	DAY	DAY	DAY	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	CLT	CAR	AWS						115th	106	[5]
1968				MGR	MGY	RSD 30	DAY	BRI	RCH	ATL	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	CLB	BGS	AWS	SBO	LGY	DAR	HCY	RCH	BLV	HBO	MAR	NWS	AUG	CLT	CAR	JFC						96th	-	[6]
1969				MGR	MGY	RSD 7	DAY	DAY 8	DAY 10	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 6	48th	433	[7]
1970				RSD 24	DAY	DAY 6	DAY 11	RCH	CAR	SVH	ATL	BRI	TAL	NWS	CLB	DAR	BLV	LGY	CLT	SMR	MAR	MCH	RSD 19	HCY	KPT	GPS	DAY	AST	TPN	TRN	BRI	SMR	NSV	ATL	CLB	ONA	MCH	TAL	BGS	SBO	DAR	HCY	RCH	DOV	NCF	NWS	CLT	MAR	MGR	CAR	LGY							53rd	246	[8]
1971				RSD 1*	DAY	DAY	DAY	ONT 7	RCH	CAR	HCY	BRI	ATL	CLB	GPS	SMR	NWS	MAR	DAR	SBO	TAL	ASH	KPT	CLT	DOV	MCH	RSD 2	HOU	GPS	DAY	BRI	AST	ISP	TRN	NSV	ATL	BGS	ONA	MCH	TAL	CLB	HCY	DAR	MAR	CLT	DOV	CAR	MGR	RCH	NWS	TWS 46							NA	0	[9]

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	Elder Racing	96	Dodge	RSD 4	DAY	RCH												RSD 1	TWS	DAY	BRI	TRN	ATL	TAL	MCH	NSV	DAR	RCH	DOV	MAR	NWS	CLT	CAR	TWS	52nd	902.25	[10]
		96W					ONT 5	CAR	ATL	BRI	DAR	NWS	MAR	TAL	CLT	DOV	MCH
1973		96		RSD 3	DAY 18	RCH	CAR	BRI	ATL	NWS	DAR	MAR	TAL	NSV	CLT	DOV	TWS	RSD 36	MCH	DAY	BRI	ATL	TAL	NSV	DAR	RCH	DOV	NWS	MAR	CLT	CAR				58th	-	[11]
1974				RSD 34	DAY	RCH	CAR	BRI	ATL	DAR	NWS	MAR	TAL	NSV	DOV	CLT	RSD	MCH	DAY	BRI	NSV	ATL	POC	TAL	MCH	DAR	RCH	DOV	NWS	MAR	CLT	CAR			95th	2.27	[12]
		96W																															ONT 36
1975		95		RSD 13	DAY	RCH	CAR	BRI	ATL	NWS	DAR	MAR	TAL	NSV	DOV	CLT																			50th	372	[13]
		96W															RSD 4	MCH	DAY	NSV	POC	TAL	MCH	DAR	DOV	NWS	MAR	CLT	RCH	CAR	BRI	ATL	ONT 25
1976		96		RSD 4	DAY	CAR	RCH	BRI	ATL	NWS	DAR	MAR	TAL	NSV	DOV	CLT	RSD 4	MCH	DAY	NSV	POC	TAL	MCH	BRI	DAR	RCH	DOV	MAR	NWS	CLT	CAR	ATL			58th	320	[14]
	Ray Hill	32	Plymouth																														ONT DNQ
1977	Dave Hill			RSD	DAY	RCH	CAR	ATL	NWS	DAR	BRI	MAR	TAL	NSV	DOV	CLT	RSD 32	MCH	DAY	NSV	POC	TAL	MCH	BRI	DAR	RCH	DOV	MAR	NWS	CLT	CAR	ATL	ONT DNQ		106th	67	[15]
1978			Dodge	RSD 34	DAY	RCH	CAR	ATL	BRI	DAR	NWS	MAR	TAL	DOV	CLT	NSV	RSD 6	MCH	DAY	NSV	POC	TAL	MCH	BRI	DAR	RCH	DOV	MAR	NWS	CLT	CAR	ATL	ONT 40		66th	254	[16]

Daytona 500

Year	Team	Manufacturer	Start	Finish
1969	Elder Racing	Dodge	16	10
1970			12	11
1973	Elder Racing	Dodge	15	18

Winston West Series

NASCAR Winston West 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	Pos.	Pts	Ref
1966	Elder Racing	96	Dodge	RSD	S99 5	ASP 1*	ASP 8	DCS 4	POR 5	ASP 2	OSS 17	VSP 3	S99 2	ASP 4	AMP 14	POR 1	SGB	CSF 15																2nd	2534	[17]
1967				AMP 4	SGB 12	RSD 17	CSP 13	SHA 9	SAL 13	POR 7	ASP 1*	SGB 9	OSS 2*	ASP 6	ACF 3	MED 2	SAL 2	JBA 11	YAK 3	EVG 2*	ASP 1	CSP 11												2nd	2888	[18]
1968				RSD 15	ASP 1*	FRE 2	VSP 18	ASP 1*	AMP 2	DCS 3	POR 2	EVG 15	EUG 5	MED 5	OSS 4	TCR 1*	YAK 7	EVG 8	RAS 3	BKS 1	S99 5	CSP 1*	SGS 5											2nd	1049	[19]
1969				RSD 7	CSF 5	SGB 18	SON 1*	EVG 4	TCR 13	YAK 12	DCS 4*	SAL 2	JBA 2	OSS 2	SGS 2	SON 11*	YAK 9	EVG 3	CPR 8*	POR 2*	SMS 4	SGB 1*	TWS 6											1st	1060	[20]
1970				RSD 24	ASP 1*	SGB 2	CSF 16	RSD 19	YAK 3	EVG 2	JBA 1*	CRS 4*	OSS 8*	SGS 2	MED 2*	SAL 3	SPS 3	TCR 1	WSP 5	S99 5	ASP 2	SGB 1*												1st	1024	[21]
1971				RSD 1	ONT 7	OSS 2	SJS 3	CRS 2	S99 2	ASP 1*	RSD 2	SAL 3	SPS 20	SKA 2	USP 1	POR 2	LSP 2	MED 2	DCS 2*	CRS 1*	OSS 3	SGS 1*	BKS 1*	CSP 1*	EVG 1*	IFS 21	YAK 1*	SGB 21	TWS 46					1st	1471	[22]
1972				RSD 4		SJS 10	S99 6	SMN 1	TCR 3	YAK 2	EVG 1*		MED 2	POR 5	IFS 5		SPS 4	LSP 4	WSP 6	SKA 2*	RAS 4	CRS 12*	OSS 12	SGS 13	CSP 4	BKS 6	EVG 1*	USP 1*	YAK 8	POR 6	ASP 7	WCR 1*	SMN 2	1st	3108.5	[23]
		96W			ONT 5							RSD 1
		98														MER 1*
1973		96		AMP 1*	MAD 5	S99 2	AUR 7*	KFS 3	CBS 3	USP 4	POR 20	SPS 1	WER 1*	SGS 10		OSS 2	CSP 1*	BKS 3	LAG 22	EVG 13	WSP 2	YAK 2	POR 21	AMP 7										3rd	1618.5	[24]
	Kranzler Racing	4	Chevy												CAJ 7
1974	Elder Racing	96	Dodge	RSD 34	AMP 5	S99 3		COR 1*	SBP 15	ASP 19*	RSD	WER 1	WSP 3	SPS 5*	STA 5	USP 3	POR 3	MED 12*	EUG 2	CBS 2	CAJ 1	CRS 3	ASP 1*	AMP 1	CSP 2*	EVG 4	YAK 5	POR 4	SGB 5	ASP 18				1st	1942	[25]
			Chevy				MSP 14
		96W	Dodge																												ONT 36
1975		95		RSD 13																														1st	1327.5	[26]
		96			LAG 4	MSP 5	ASP 2	RSD 4	ASP 1	USP 3	POR 2	EVG 1*	SMS 1	CRS 3	CSP 3	ASP 14	EVG 1*	YAK 5	POR 6	MSP 1*
		96W																			ONT 25
1976		96		RSD 4	RSD 4	EVG	WSP	USP	POR	SHA	SGS	EVG	YAK	POR	LAG																			NA	0	[27]
	Ray Hill	32	Plymouth													ONT DNQ
1977	Dave Hill			RSD	LAG	ONT	SJS	MMR	ASP	RSD 32	SGS	YAK	EVG	WSP	USP	POR	AAS	CRS	ASP	SHA	POR	ONT DNQ	PHO 11											34th	209	[28]
1978			Dodge	RSD 34	AAS 7	S99 7	SHA 21	PET 1*	MMR 2	RSD 6	IFS 3	YAK 12*	WSP 6	LSP 8	EVG 9	POR 5	CRS 1	ASP 18	SON 18	SHA 12	CBS 6	YAK 13	OSS 5	ONT 40	PHO 7									4th	953	[29]
1983	Elder Racing	96	Dodge	S99	SON	RSD	YAK	EVG	SHA	RSD 16	CPL	RSD	PHO																					NA	0	[30]

Award

• Elder was inducted into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.^[31]
• He was inducted in the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in its first class in 2002.^[3]