Two racing machines with tinges of light blue — one car and one truck — will carry the familiar red-outlined No. 34 at the end of October at NASCAR’s oldest track, Martinsville Speedway.
It’s all part of a three-day celebration honoring NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2015 Inductee Wendell Scott at his home track of Martinsville from Oct. 24-26. Scott, the trailblazing winner of more than 100 races throughout NASCAR’s ranks, will be officially enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame next January.
The car driven by David Ragan for Front Row Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the truck driven by Darrell Wallace Jr. for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will each sport special “throw back” paint schemes to honor Scott, the first African-American to win a race in NASCAR’s premier series.
Ragan’s No. 34 will be wrapped in a scheme reminiscent of the one Scott drove to victory at Jacksonville Speedway on Dec. 1, 1963 in what is today known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
“It’s going to be cool to honor Wendell Scott at his home track with his family,” said Ragan, one of three drivers to in the No. 34 in NASCAR’s top series. “I got to drive a tribute scheme for Ned Jarrett a while back, and it’s a tribute to the history of our sport that I get to honor Mr. Scott as an inductee, the last driver to win in the No. 34 before I did. I’m a fan of our sport’s history and have a real appreciation for it, so it’s special to be able to bring that paint scheme back for a weekend.”
Driving the No. 54 last October at Martinsville, Wallace became the first African-American driver since Scott to win in one of NASCAR’s three national series. This time around, Wallace’s truck will be affixed with the No. 34, a nod to Scott’s legacy.
“It’s an honor to run the No. 34 Toyota Tundra at Martinsville,” said Wallace, who has added wins this season at Eldora Speedway and Gateway Motorsports Park to his victory total. “I got my first win at Martinsville and the historical significance of that win and to be so close to Wendell Scott’s hometown was a really cool bonus to getting my first win. The Scott family has followed my career since I ran the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program for Rev Racing and I’ve kept a relationship with the family over the years. Thanks to Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Toyota and NASCAR for allowing me to run the No. 34 at Martinsville. I’m pumped to get back there and hope to get another victory.”
Adding to the celebration, Martinsville Speedway and the NHOF will host members of the Scott family during the race weekend and offer special Q&A opportunities for fans on-site.
“Wendell Scott faced numerous adversities throughout his racing career. At the end of the day though, he persevered and overcame all odds,” said Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway. “That perseverance serves as an inspiration today and as a testament to that, he was inducted to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”
Scott was the 1959 NASCAR Virginia Sportsman champion and won over 100 races at local tracks prior to starting his NASCAR premier series career. The Danville, Virginia native served three years in the U.S. Army during World War II where he honed his skills in the motor pool. In 13 years of NASCAR premier series competition, Scott made 495 starts (35th on the all-time list), accumulating 20 top-five and 147 top-10 finishes. He passed away in 1990, at the age of 69.
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