Ask NASCAR legend Hershel McGriff and he’d probably tell you that age is just a number. On Saturday the 90-year-old became the oldest person to ever race is a NASCAR event when he got behind the wheel of the No. 4 car in the K&N Pro Series West event at the Tucson Speedway in Arizona.
Hershel McGriff becomes oldest person to start a NASCAR race at age 90
Age is just a number.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The race was a birthday present to McGriff from Bill McAnally Racing, and the 90-year-old relished getting behind the wheel again after a stress test from NASCAR confirmed he was medically cleared to race. McGriff first started racing in 1950, and won four races in 1954. He retired in 2002 after notching an impressing 31 career Top 10 finishes, all at the spry age of 74.
McGriff didn’t just race on Saturday, he was also asked to play the national anthem for the crowd — which he did on his trombone. McGriff finished 18th in the race, but it was never about where he’d cross the checkered flag, but the fact he started the race at all.
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