5 Drivers who had no business competing in NASCAR
5 Drivers who had no business competing in NASCAR
By: Brian H Cotnoir
Thousands of drivers have made starts in NASCAR across its history. The best drivers in NASCAR go on to have long and prosperous careers, some drivers are late bloomers, some drivers' careers come quickly, and other drivers show a lot of potential early on in their career but fail to find success in the top Series (I.E. NASCAR Busts). Then there are drivers that make you go "how the hell did this person every get a ride in NASCAR?". Well, here are five drivers that made many fans wonder the same thing.
1.) John Wes Townley
The son of Zaxby's restaurants Co-Owner, John Wes Townley career only existed because of sponsorship from his father's business. Townley drove for some of the best teams in NASCAR, Roush Fenway, Richard Childress Racing, and Red Horse Racing. Townley struggled on the track, and his high frequency of wrecks on track led some fans to dub him "John Wrecks Weekly". Townley was so bad that despite bringing in sponsorship dollars from his family's business he was still dropped by Richard Childress Racing for wrecking too much. He was so bad that he and his father had to start their own race team--Athenian Motorsports--in order to run full-time in NASCAR. In the NASCAR Xfnity Series, he had a career average finish of 25th place. During a 2014 race at Phoenix, Townley wrecked his truck at the start of the race before he even managed to cross the start-finish line.
Townley's sole highlight in NASCAR was when he shocked the racing world winning his only race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 2015. Townley passed away in 2021 after he attacked his ex-wife and new boyfriend with a hatchet. He would be shot and killed in self-defense by his ex-wife's boyfriend.
2.) Kevin Conway
Kevin Conway won the 2010 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year by default (he had no other competition that season) and only raced in 28-of-the-36 races that season. Conway drove for Front Row Motorsports and Robby Gordon Motorsports. He was sponsored that season by Extenze, but unfortunately Extenze sponsorship checks bounced, and Conway lost his ride with both teams. In 31 career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, Conway had an average career finish of 33.6, with a career best finish of 14th at the 2010 Coke Zero 400.
3.) Bobby Norfleet
Bobby Norfleet only made one start in NASCAR, and it was nothing to celebrate. Norfleet attempted to make his debut in the NASCAR Truck Series in early 2000 but struggled to find sponsorship. Then NASCAR Vice President, Brian France, actually reached out to several top business Executives trying to help Norfleet find sponsorship. Norfleet's failed to qualify for his first race at Martinsville, and then at the next race qualified 33rd at Portland International Raceway. He finished 32nd and was actually black flagged three times for failing to maintain minimum speed. Norfleet was not allowed to qualify for a race at Pikes Peak Raceway later that season, NASCAR claimed it was because Norfleet's NASCAR license did not allow him to run on tracks larger than one mile in length. Bobby Norfleet, who is African American, claimed the decision by NASCAR to not allow him to run at Pikes Peak Raceway was racially motivated, but no such evidence has ever surfaced. Norfleet only attempted to qualify for one more race in the Truck Series at Evergreen Speedway, which he again failed to qualify for.
4.) L.W. Wright
The Most Infamous driver who had no business running in NASCAR had to be L.W. Wright. Earlier this year, we finally learned the real identity of the so-called "D.B. Cooper of NASCAR" as Larry Wright. Wright, through some fast talking and financial swindling managed to start one NASCAR Cup Series Race at Talladega in 1982. Wright qualified 36th and only lasted 13 laps before wrecking out of the race. As soon as Wright pulled off the track, he disappeared, and shortly after it was discovered that many of the checks he had written for tires, entry fees, and even his car, were bad and would bounce. No one ever knew what happened to L.W. Wright, until April of 2022.
5.) Korbin Forrister
The first time I remember seeing Korbin Forrister was during the 2015 Eldora Dirt Derby, where he spun out on his own three times during the race! The following, while practicing at his home track of Atlanta Motor Speedway, Forrister spun out coming out on pit road and was almost taken out by another competitor on track! In 57 starts across seven seasons, Forrister's average finish was 23rd place.
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