# Coo Coo Marlin

Clifton Burton "Coo Coo" Marlin (January 3, 1932 – August 14, 2005) was an American NASCAR Winston Cup driver who spent 14 years in the series.

## Local track history

Marlin earned a name for himself at the short tracks in Tennessee and Alabama, running against Red Farmer, Bobby Allison, and Donnie Allison. He was a four-time track champion at Nashville Speedway USA (now Music City Motorplex).
Marlin was a speedway favorite with a lot of kids during the 1960s. He drove a fire-engine red 1964 Chevrolet Impala, No. 711, and was the first real "hero" to many youngsters. During this time, he and his racing "nemesis," Charlie Binkley No. 125, continuously thrilled audiences with their often tense finishes. Marlin was always available for photos and autographs in the pits after a race. His brother, Jack Marlin, was also a crowd favorite.

## Grand National and Winston Cup career

Marlin advanced to part-time rides on the NASCAR Grand National circuit, starting with one race in 1966 and three in 1967. He ran more of the schedule as the series changed from Grand National to Winston Cup, but he never competed in more than 23 races in any season. He never won a race in his 165 Winston Cup starts from 1966 to 1980, but he had nine top 5 and 51 top 10 finishes, with many of those starts in a car numbered 14. However, in 1973, Marlin won a non points race, with one of the Duel races at Daytona that year.

## Death

Marlin died in his hometown of Columbia, Tennessee, on August 14, 2005, of lung cancer at the age of 73.

## Son's use of number 14 as memorial

Shortly after Marlin's death, his son Sterling was in negotiations with MB2 Motorsports to drive the team's second car for 2006. The team was unable to retain the No. 10 (which was to be used by Evernham Motorsports for 2006), so MB2 was looking for a new number. A still-grieving Sterling found the No. 14 available (ppc Racing's defunct Nextel Cup team had been the last to use it) and had MB2 request the No. 14, which was granted. It was run to honor his father during his year and a half with the team until his unexpected release from Ginn Racing mid-way through the 2007 season, after the team merged with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. The No. 14 is now run by Chase Briscoe, his owner and former driver Tony Stewart who chose the number for his own race team in honor of AJ Foyt, a childhood hero of his.

## Motorsports career results
### NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

#### Grand National Series

NASCAR Grand National Series results :
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | NGNC | Pts |
| 1966 | Gray Racing | 97 | Ford | AUG | RSD | DAY | DAY | DAY | CAR | BRI | ATL | HCY | CLB | GPS | BGS | NWS | MAR | DAR | LGY | MGR | MON | RCH | CLT | DTS | ASH | PIF | SMR | AWS | BLV | GPS | DAY | ODS | BRR | OXF | FON | ISP | BRI | SMR | NSV 8 | ATL | CLB | AWS | BLV | BGS | DAR | HCY | RCH | HBO | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | | | | | | 95th | 360 |
| 1967 | Charlie Hughes | 04 | Chevy | AUG | RSD | DAY 13 | DAY | DAY 50 | AWS | BRI | GPS | BGS | ATL | CLB | HCY | NWS | MAR | SVH | RCH | DAR | BLV | LGY | CLT | ASH | MGR | SMR | BIR | CAR | GPS | MGY | DAY | TRN | OXF | FDA | ISP | BRI | SMR | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 88th | 680 |
| 1967 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 04 | Chevy | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSV 17 | ATL | BGS | CLB | SVH | DAR | HCY | RCH | BLV | HBO | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | AWS | | | | | | | | 88th | 680 |
| 1969 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 07 | Chevy | MGR | MGY | RSD | DAY | DAY | DAY | CAR | AUG | BRI | ATL | CLB | HCY | GPS | RCH | NWS | MAR | AWS | DAR | BLV | LGY | CLT | MGR | SMR | MCH | KPT 22 | GPS | NCF | DAY | DOV | TPN | TRN | BLV | BRI 30 | NSV 7 | SMR | ATL 13 | MCH | SBO | BGS | AWS | DAR 31 | HCY | RCH | TAL 10 | CLB | MAR | NWS | CLT 39 | SVH | AUG | CAR | JFC | MGR | TWS | 52nd | 375 |
| 1970 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 07 | Chevy | RSD | DAY 24 | DAY | DAY 18 | RCH | CAR | SVH | ATL 9 | BRI 9 | TAL 10 | NWS | CLB | DAR | BLV | LGY | CLT 30 | SMR | MAR | MCH 31 | RSD | HCY | KPT | GPS | DAY 34 | AST | TPN | TRN | BRI | SMR | NSV 6 | ATL 15 | CLB | ONA | MCH 17 | TAL 14 | BGS | SBO | DAR | HCY | RCH | DOV | NCF | NWS | CLT 34 | MAR | MGR | CAR | LGY | | | | | | | 38th | 876 |
| 1971 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 07 | Chevy | RSD | DAY | DAY 13 | DAY 20 | ONT | RCH | CAR | HCY | BRI | ATL 15 | CLB | GPS | SMR | NWS | MAR | DAR | SBO | TAL 39 | ASH | KPT | CLT | DOV | MCH 27 | RSD | HOU | GPS | DAY 31 | BRI 14 | AST | ISP | TRN | NSV 25 | ATL 34 | BGS | ONA | MCH 33 | TAL 42 | CLB | HCY | DAR | MAR | CLT | DOV | CAR 38 | MGR | RCH | NWS | TWS | | | | | | | 49th | 527 |

#### Winston Cup Series

NASCAR Winston Cup Series results :
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | NWCC | Pts |
| 1972 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 14 | Chevy | RSD | DAY 25 | RCH | ONT | CAR | ATL 12 | BRI 6 | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL 35 | CLT 28 | DOV 24 | MCH | RSD | TWS 3 | DAY 4 | BRI 22 | TRN | ATL 29 | TAL 16 | MCH 34 | NSV 26 | DAR 10 | RCH | DOV 36 | MAR 11 | NWS 30 | CLT 34 | CAR 27 | TWS 7 | 25th | 3852.9 |
| 1973 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 14 | Chevy | RSD | DAY 29 | RCH | CAR 14 | BRI 7 | ATL 6 | NWS | DAR | MAR | TAL 6 | NSV 6 | CLT 33 | DOV 35 | TWS 28 | RSD | MCH 11 | DAY 38 | BRI 27 | ATL 30 | TAL 40 | NSV 3 | DAR 7 | RCH | DOV 6 | NWS 11 | MAR 23 | CLT 19 | CAR 10 | | | | 22nd | 4233.89 |
| 1974 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 14 | Chevy | RSD | DAY 4 | RCH | CAR 24 | BRI 10 | ATL 28 | DAR 19 | NWS | MAR 12 | TAL 7 | NSV 9 | DOV | CLT 38 | RSD | MCH 13 | DAY 18 | BRI 12 | NSV 28 | ATL 9 | POC | TAL 35 | MCH 11 | DAR 29 | RCH 18 | DOV 25 | NWS 11 | MAR 22 | CLT 22 | CAR 12 | ONT | | 22nd | 581.66 |
| 1975 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 14 | Chevy | RSD | DAY 17 | RCH | CAR 26 | BRI | ATL 7 | NWS | DAR 5 | MAR | TAL 5 | NSV 3 | DOV 6 | CLT 40 | RSD | MCH 12 | DAY 34 | NSV 26 | POC 7 | TAL 5 | MCH 35 | DAR 39 | DOV 31 | NWS 12 | MAR 29 | CLT 42 | RCH 9 | CAR 10 | BRI 7 | ATL 8 | ONT | | 20th | 2584 |
| 1976 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 14 | Chevy | RSD | DAY 21 | CAR 8 | RCH | BRI | ATL 6 | NWS | DAR | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT | RSD | MCH 13 | DAY 6 | NSV 8 | POC | TAL 34 | MCH 12 | BRI | DAR 8 | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT 32 | CAR 10 | ATL 30 | ONT DNQ | | 28th | 1412 |
| 1977 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 14 | Chevy | RSD | DAY 4 | RCH | CAR | ATL 8 | NWS | DAR | BRI | MAR | TAL 8 | NSV 8 | DOV | CLT 12 | RSD | MCH | DAY 13 | NSV 11 | POC | TAL 40 | MCH | BRI | DAR 26 | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT 12 | CAR | ATL 10 | ONT | | 34th | 1004 |
| 1978 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 14 | Chevy | RSD | DAY 26 | RCH | CAR | ATL 39 | BRI | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL 41 | DOV | CLT | NSV 22 | RSD | MCH | DAY 38 | NSV | POC | TAL 26 | MCH | BRI | DAR 30 | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT 7 | CAR | ATL 10 | ONT | | 36th | 765 |
| 1979 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 14 | Chevy | RSD | DAY 9 | CAR | RCH | ATL 38 | NWS | BRI | DAR | MAR | TAL 10 | NSV | DOV | CLT 30 | TWS | RSD | MCH | DAY 25 | NSV | POC | TAL 29 | MCH | BRI | DAR 36 | RCH | DOV | MAR | CLT | NWS | CAR | ATL | ONT | 33rd | 613 |
| 1980 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | 14 | Chevy | RSD | DAY QL$^†$ | RCH | CAR | ATL | BRI | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL 11 | NSV | DOV | CLT | TWS | RSD | MCH | DAY 14 | NSV | POC | TAL 37 | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | NWS | MAR | CLT | CAR | ATL | ONT | 54th | 303 |
| $^†$ - Qualified but replaced by Sterling Marlin ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

##### Daytona 500

| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
| 1967 | Charlie Hughes | Chevrolet | 27 | 50 |
| 1970 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | Chevrolet | 40 | 18 |
| 1971 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | Chevrolet | 26 | 20 |
| 1972 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | Chevrolet | 3 | 25 |
| 1973 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | Chevrolet | 4 | 29 |
| 1974 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | Chevrolet | 31 | 4 |
| 1975 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | Chevrolet | 35 | 17 |
| 1976 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | Chevrolet | 10 | 21 |
| 1977 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | Chevrolet | 13 | 4 |
| 1978 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | Chevrolet | 16 | 26 |
| 1979 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | Chevrolet | 37 | 9 |
| 1980 | Cunningham-Kelley Racing | Chevrolet | QL$^†$ | QL$^†$ |
| $^†$ - Qualified but replaced by Sterling Marlin |||||