# Jim Vandiver

Jim Vandiver (December 13, 1939 – June 18, 2015) was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who raced from 1968 to 1983. As an independent driver, he had limited financial resources but enjoyed a level of success that relatively few independent drivers had during the formative years of NASCAR.

## Career

Vandiver competed in 85 races with five finishes in the top-five, 24 top-ten finishes, 117 laps led out of 16529, and a total mileage count of 24247.8 miles. Over his career, he had a total of $167,703 in winnings earned on the track ($513,026.62 when adjusted for inflation).
At the 1972 Daytona 500, Vandiver finished third to winner A. J. Foyt. Vandiver is also the only undefeated ARCA driver at Talladega Superspeedway with victories in 1970 and 1975.
Most of Vandiver's earlier racers were done in Dodge vehicles. In his later career, he drove Oldsmobile and Chevrolet racecars.
He later operated Choice Trucks, a used truck dealership in Huntersville, North Carolina.
He was involved in the controversial 1969 Talladega 500, where he came in second place to Richard Brickhouse in a questionable finish. Both Vandiver and car owner Ray Fox Sr. were adamant that Brickhouse was a lap down because he had stopped to pit under the green flag (Vandiver only pitted under the Caution). Even after three hours of arguing the decision, Brickhouse was still made the winner of the event. Conspiracy theorists cite the difference in the Dodges as the determining factor since Vandiver was in an older Charger 500 and Brickhouse was in the brand new, winged Dodge Daytona.
Vandiver is known for an unusual exit to the 1973 Southern 500 in Darlington, South Carolina. He was due to be arrested for not showing up to divorce court for a child custody hearing, and had to figure out a way to avoid going to jail. His engine began running worse and worse so he waved goodbye to his pit crew and intentionally spun out his Dodge. To avoid the authorities seizing him on the track in front of the spectators, he ran across the track to escape and hitchhiked a ride to Charlotte, North Carolina in order to get home.

## Personal life and death

Vandiver was divorced and had four children; Emory, Rhett, Nicole and Shannon. Emory is a former softball player, Rhett also drives race cars, Nicole and Shannon are practicing lawyers in Davidson, North Carolina.
Vandiver's sister, Lillian, also raced - participating in the 1976 and 1977 Nascar DASH series.
On June 15, 2015, Vandiver was admitted to a Charlotte hospital for chest pains. He died three days later at the age of 75.

## Motorsports 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 |
| 1968 | Tom Vandiver | 1 | Chevy | MGR | MGY | RSD | DAY | BRI | RCH | ATL | HCY 22 | GPS | CLB | NWS | MAR | AUG | AWS | DAR | BLV | LGY | CLT | ASH | MGR | SMR | BIR | CAR | GPS | DAY | ISP | OXF | FDA | TRN | BRI | SMR | NSV | ATL | CLB | BGS | AWS | SBO | LGY | DAR | HCY | RCH | BLV | HBO | MAR | NWS | AUG | CLT | CAR | JFC | | | | | | 124th | 0 |
| 1969 | Fox Racing | 3 | Dodge | 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 | GPS | NCF | DAY | DOV | TPN | TRN | BLV | BRI | NSV | SMR | ATL | MCH | SBO | BGS | AWS | DAR | HCY | RCH | TAL 2* | CLB | | | CLT 43 | SVH | AUG | CAR | JFC | MGR | TWS | 96th | 24 |
| 1969 | Jim Lineberger | 13 | Chevy | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | MAR 10 | NWS | | | | | | | | | | | 96th | 24 | |
| 1970 | Fox Racing | 3 | Dodge | RSD | DAY 9 | DAY | DAY 38 | RCH | CAR | SVH | ATL 21 | BRI | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 46th | 519 |
| 1970 | Jim Vandiver | 31 | Dodge | | | | | | | | | | TAL 33 | NWS | CLB | DAR 35 | BLV | LGY | CLT 10 | SMR | MAR | MCH 6 | RSD | HCY | KPT | GPS | DAY 33 | AST | TPN | TRN | BRI | SMR | NSV | ATL 9 | CLB | ONA | MCH | TAL 9 | BGS | SBO | DAR | HCY | RCH | DOV | NCF | NWS | CLT 33 | MAR | | CAR 16 | | | | | | | | | | | | 46th | 519 | |
| 1970 | Bub Strickler | 58 | Chevy | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | MGR 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 46th | 519 |
| 1970 | Cecil Gordon | 97 | Chevy | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | LGY 14 | | | | | | | | | 46th | 519 | |
| 1971 | O. L. Nixon | 31 | Dodge | RSD | DAY | DAY 17 | DAY 6 | ONT | RCH | CAR | HCY | BRI | ATL 8 | CLB | GPS | SMR | NWS | MAR | DAR 5 | SBO | TAL 6 | ASH | KPT | CLT 11 | DOV | MCH | RSD | HOU | GPS | DAY | BRI | AST | ISP | TRN | NSV | ATL | BGS | ONA | MCH | TAL | CLB | HCY | DAR | MAR | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 48th | 553 |
| 1971 | Faustina Racing | 5 | Plymouth | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | CLT 42 | DOV | CAR | MGR | RCH | NWS | TWS | | | | | | | | | | 48th | 553 | |

#### 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 | O. L. Nixon | 31 | Dodge | RSD | DAY 3 | RCH 28 | ONT 51 | CAR 3 | ATL 32 | BRI 17 | DAR 16 | NWS 26 | | TAL 36 | CLT 40 | | | | | | | | | | MCH 36 | NSV | DAR 8 | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT 33 | CAR 30 | TWS | 31st | 2514.35 |
| 1972 | Bill Strong | 51 | Chevy | | | | | | | | | | MAR 32 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 31st | 2514.35 |
| 1972 | A. J. Cox | 81 | Dodge | | | | | | | | | | | | | DOV 22 | MCH | RSD | TWS | DAY | BRI | TRN | ATL | TAL | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 31st | 2514.35 | |
| 1973 | O. L. Nixon | 31 | Dodge | RSD | DAY 28 | RCH | CAR 7 | BRI | ATL 10 | NWS | DAR | MAR | TAL 8 | NSV | CLT 6 | DOV | TWS | RSD | MCH | DAY 32 | BRI | ATL | | | DAR 27 | RCH | DOV | NWS | MAR | CLT 17 | CAR 32 | | | | 31st | 2508.85 |
| 1973 | J. Marvin Millis | 4 | Dodge | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | TAL 35 | NSV | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 31st | 2508.85 |
| 1974 | O. L. Nixon | 31 | Dodge | RSD | DAY 27 | RCH | CAR | BRI | ATL | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL 16 | NSV | DOV | CLT 8 | RSD | MCH | DAY 35 | BRI | NSV | ATL | POC | TAL 33 | MCH | DAR 15 | RCH | DOV | NWS | MAR | CLT 39 | CAR | ONT | | 40th | 71.4 |
| 1975 | John Keselowski | 99 | Dodge | RSD | DAY 35 | RCH | CAR | BRI | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 30th | 1228 |
| 1975 | Elder-Ranier | 31 | Dodge | | | | | | ATL 26 | NWS | DAR | MAR | TAL 27 | NSV | DOV | CLT 15 | RSD | MCH | DAY 14 | NSV | POC | TAL 33 | MCH | DAR 4 | DOV | NWS 9 | MAR 8 | CLT 23 | RCH 27 | CAR 8 | BRI | ATL 28 | ONT | | 30th | 1228 |
| 1976 | Elder-Ranier | 31 | Dodge | RSD | DAY | CAR | RCH | BRI | ATL | NWS | DAR | MAR | TAL 13 | NSV | DOV | CLT | RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | ATL | ONT | | 87th | 124 |
| 1977 | Elder-Ranier | 31 | Dodge | RSD | DAY 20 | RCH | CAR | ATL | NWS | DAR | BRI | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT | RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | ATL | ONT | | 90th | 103 |
| 1978 | O. L. Nixon | 89 | Chevy | RSD | DAY DNQ | RCH | CAR | ATL | BRI | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL | DOV | CLT 27 | NSV | RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | ATL | ONT | | 81st | 131 |
| 1979 | O. L. Nixon | 89 | Olds | RSD | DAY 41 | CAR | RCH | ATL | NWS | BRI | DAR | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT 19 | TWS | RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | BRI | | | | | CLT 34 | NWS | CAR | ATL | ONT | 62nd | 225 |
| 1979 | Elder-Ranier | 9 | Chevy | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | DAR 28 | RCH | DOV | MAR | | | | | | | | 62nd | 225 |
| 1980 | O. L. Nixon | 89 | Olds | RSD | DAY 37 | RCH | CAR | ATL | BRI | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL 39 | NSV | DOV | CLT 8 | TWS | RSD | MCH | DAY 25 | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | NWS | MAR | CLT | CAR | ATL | ONT | 52nd | 328 |
| 1983 | Gordon Racing | 24 | Chrysler | DAY | RCH | CAR | ATL 39 | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | BRI | CLT 21 | RSD | POC | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | ATL | RSD | | 88th | 88 |

##### Daytona 500

| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
| 1970 | Ray Fox | Dodge | 17 | 38 |
| 1971 | O. L. Nixon | Dodge | 32 | 6 |
| 1972 | O. L. Nixon | Dodge | 8 | 3 |
| 1973 | O. L. Nixon | Dodge | 18 | 28 |
| 1974 | O. L. Nixon | Dodge | 6 | 27 |
| 1975 | John Keselowski | Dodge | 34 | 35 |
| 1977 | Elder-Ranier | Dodge | 19 | 20 |
| 1978 | O. L. Nixon | Chevrolet | 24 | 38 |
| 1979 | O. L. Nixon | Oldsmobile | 39 | 41 |
| 1980 | O. L. Nixon | Oldsmobile | 40 | 37 |