- Grew up on a farm in Neshaminy, Pennsylvania
- Flew B-17s for the Army Air Force in WWII
- Flew for the Flying Tigers
- Driver, mechanic, crew chief for stock cars in 1950s and 1960s
- Won two Grand National (Winston Cup today) Championships
- Won Indy in 1960
- Worked in Ecuador for 30 years in oil drilling and gold mining
- Wrote for Popular Science and Circle Track magazines
Accreditations
- Founding Member and Director of Embry-Riddle University
- Honorary Doctorate in Aeronautical Engineering, Embry-Riddle Engineering
- Professor Emeritus, Daytona Beach Community College
- S.C.O.R.E Judge, for three years, one of ten judges picked to
examine annual alternate energy expo submissions from Amercian
colleges and universities, related to alternate energy
- Member of Society of Automotive Engineers
Patents & Inventions
- Variable Ratio Power Steering
- Hot Vapor Engine
- Silent Tire
- Smoketron Engine Testing Device
- Movable Race Track Crash Barrier
- Oil filling through oil filter
- Extended Tip Spark Plug
- Power brakes from residual power steering pressure
- Water bypass system for “V” engines
- Reverse cooling system
- Centrifuge Type Oil Refinery (Ecuador)
- Two Time NASCAR Mechanic of the Year
- Mechanical Achievements Awards – Indianapolis Motor Speedway &
Ontario Motor Speedway
- Engineering Award – Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Inventor of the Year – 1983
- Presents the Annual Smokey Yunick Lifetime Achievement Award
at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Hall of Fame Inductions
- National Racing Hall of Fame
- International MotorSports Hall of Fame
- Legends of Auto Racing Hall of Fame
- Stock Car Racing, Daytona Hall of Fame
- Darlington Motor Speedway Hall of Fame
- Legends of Performance – Chevrolet Hall of Fame
- TRW Mechanic Hall of Fame
- Living Legends of Auto Racing – 1997
- Stock Car Racing Magazine Hall of Fame
- Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame
- Voted #7 on list of Top 10 athletes of the Century
by Winston Salem Journal, Oct. 1999
- University of Central Florida, President’s Medallion Society
- Rotary Club of Oceanside – Daytona Beach
Race Record
- 1951-1954 – 39 Grand National Wins after 1954
- won Raleigh - August 20, 1955
- won Darlington - 1955
- won Palm Beach - December 11, 1955
- won Wilson, N.C. - March 18, 1956
- won Langhorne - September 23, 1956
- won Greensboro - April 28, 1957
- won Lancaster S.C. - June 1, 1957
- won Raleigh - July 4, 1957
- won Daytona Beach - February, 1958
- won Atlanta - July 4, 1959
- won Daytona Beach - February 12, 1960
- won Atlanta - July 31, 1960
- won Daytona Beach - February 24, 1961
- won Daytona Beach - February 26, 1961
- won Daytona Beach - February 10, 1962
- won Daytona Beach - February 16, 1962
- won Daytona Beach - February 18, 1962
- won Daytona Beach - February 22, 1963
39 + 18 = 57 Stock Car/Grand National races
one Indy race win - 1960
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