David Pearson - a NASCAR legend

When I was a kid, NASCAR was a wild ride, and one of the drivers from back in the day was the legendary David Pearson. I've been thinking a lot about Pearson in recent times becomes my favorite driver, Jeff Gordon, has an outside chance of reaching Pearson's phenomenal second-place spot on the all-times wins list. No one is ever going to reach Richard Petty's 200 win-mark, but Pearson's 105 wins is possible. I'm hoping Gordon hangs in there long enough to pass Pearson, but it'll take a lot of work.

105 wins. Wow! That's a lot, and it makes me curious to learn more about Pearson. I remember him from my young days when I followed NASCAR, but I was more into Mario Andretti than I was the racing itself or any of the other drivers. So, who is David Pearson?

Pearson is a Southerner, born in 1934 in South Carolina. He made his racing debut in the early 50's and started racing the major circuit in 1960, winning the Rookie of the Year Award. That would be just the beginning as the Pontiac driver would make his mark over the two decades. By the time he retired, Pearson had won the Cup three times. Not only is he in a number of Hall of Fames for various race tracks, but in 1998, he was named by a special NASCAR panel as one of "The 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time." Around the same time, Sports Illustrated asked their own panel of NASCAR insiders for their opinion on who the top drivers of the century were. Pearson topped the list.

Aside from Pontiac, Pearson drove at various times for Dodge and Ford. It really didn't matter what manufacturer he was racing for, as he was often the victor. He's won an incredible number of pole positions, a whopping 113 putting him second on the all-time list. Being fast was his forte. It was Pearson who became the first man to break the 190mph barrier while qualifying at Talladega in 1969.

The intriguing thing about David Pearson is that, except for three seasons, he didn't race the full circuit. The three times he did run all events, he won the championship. That makes a person wonder about his place among the giants of NASCAR. When you look at the stats, it's amazing to see that Pearson's winning percentage is actually better than the king of NASCAR - Richard Petty. Pearson made 574 starts with 105 wins, giving him a winning percentage of over 18% compared to Petty's 17%. What if Pearson had run full seasons like Petty? Talk about some huge 'what if' questions!

Regardless, Pearson's presence in NASCAR was major and he's not likely to be forgotten. I'm hoping Gordon can catch him, but if he does, it will be one incredible feat. Pearson placed himself upon a perch that just may not ever be toppled.