By racing in the 2002 Daytona 500!
(Courtesy of MarcisRacing.com)
The 2002 Daytona 500 was his last NASCAR Winston Cup Series race
Dave Marcis bid farewell to Winston Cup racing with these words of wisdom: ``You just don't never know.''
The wing-tip-wonder finished next-to-last in his finale at the Daytona 500. A blown was the culprit. Dave said that a food wrapper got stuck on the grill & the water temp rose quickly where he "probably scorched a cylinder pretty bad"-(there was a lot of trash on the track)
After 882 starts, including 33 at the 500, what's next for the 60-year-old Wisconsin native?
``I've got some hunting trips planned with some friends that I'm looking forward to,'' Marcis said.
Despite the disappointing finish, Marcis broke a tie with Richard Petty for most Daytona 500 starts. He trails only Petty (1,177) in career starts.
``Richard is just a super guy and good friend, and it was an honor to share the record with him,'' Marcis said. ``But it felt good to break it, too.''
Marcis retires with five career NASCAR victories, none since 1982.
He finished a strong 7th place in his Gatorade Twin 125 lap qualifier.
When asked how he felt about his performance he said-
"FANTASTIC, FANTASTIC!"
He then went on to say "This is for my fans, my employees, my family,
RealTree & especially to the memory of Dale Earnhardt".
Dave's First Winston Cup Event - 1968 Daytona 500 (Last race = 2002 Daytona 500)
He Has scored 5 Winston Cup Victories.
Has earned 93 Top 5 finishes, 221 Top 10 finishes and 14 Pole positions.
Finished 2nd in Winston Cup Points in 1975.
Finished 2 seasons in the Top 5 and 6 seasons in the Top 10 in Winston Cup Points.
Has started in 881 Winston Cup events (including the 2002 Daytona 500).
Currently has the most starts of ANY ACTIVE Winston Cup driver...and second only to Richard Petty in all-time Winston Cup starts!
Holds the
record for the most consecutive
starts in the Daytona 500 with
32
(He missed the 2000 500 which I was at :(
Primary test driver for the IROC series (International Race of Champions)
Became the 8th driver in NASCAR history to top $1 Million in career winnings and the 9th driver to top $2 Million in career winnings.
Total career winnings to date exceed $6.5 Million dollars.
Has raced more miles in Winston Cup events at Daytona, Talladega and Michigan than any other driver.
Member of the Darlington Record Club: 1972 AMC Matador / 1976 Dodge
Favorite motto: "We have done so much, with so little, for so long, that now we can do almost anything with nothing".
Hobbies: Fishing and Hunting
Contact information:
Marcis Auto Racing
PO Box 645
Skyland, NC
28776