Divisive NASCAR Team Owner Who Was the Unsung Revolutionary the Sport Needed Before Other Luminaries Took Centre-Stage

There always comes a time in the evolution of every sport when one name changes its history and shapes its future. The same happened with stock racing. Timely and massive contributions by a number of people lead to changes that resulted in the formalization of stock car racing. One such name in the world of NASCAR is Carl Kiekhaefer.

Kiekhaefer was an electrical engineer by degree, an industrialist by profession, and an inventor by passion. Being highly ambitious, he tasted success in business very early in his life. His reed valve invention in the 1940s transformed two-cycle outboard motors, and his Kiekhaefer Aeromarine company prospered as a result.

Kiekhaefer’s entry into NASCAR

Kiekhaefer’s journey with NASCAR began when he first arrived at Daytona with a C-300 for a race in 1955, with Chrysler having built a powerful car featuring a Hemi engine. He was not welcomed warmly by all as he was seen as a millionaire able to afford his team, driving cars that others could not.

He hired Tim Flock to drive and gained his first victory at the Beach & Road course, on the very first attempt. With standard transmissions for the racing, Flock won a record on 19 poles and the second Grand National championship driving the C-300. Next year, Kiekhaefer hired Buck Baker, a bus driver, who won the 1956 championship while driving Chrysler and Dodge entries.

Behind Kiekhaefer’s foray into NASCAR

Kiekhaefer entered the races as a part of a research and development exercise as he wanted to place V-8 engines on boats with the propeller at the back, to be called sterndrives. He had the money and resources he needed and he spared no expenses, giving NASCAR a new standard of professionalism. Carl was the first to style his drivers with custom driving suits and convey multi-car entries to the track. He initiated the concept of a corporate sponsor, bringing in his own line of outboard motors under the name Mercury. At Daytona, Charlie Scott made history by entering the Grand National for the first time.

Things really started to flourish after Kiekhaefer arrived at NASCAR which gave the opportunity to its founder Bill France to speed up the other factories. Amongst all the 200 patents of Kiekhaefer, the invention of paper filament air filters for carburetors led to competing on dirt tracks. He used to work 24×7 at his factories prior to the races as massive success was his only vision.

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With time, he shut other manufacturers out, but it did not go well with Bill and he changed the rules for the races. Kiekhaefer had to quit racing and decided to refocus on building the sterndrives, eventually buying a large number of engines from his competitor Chevrolet. For his contributions to the sport, he was inducted into the National Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1980.

Though it all began with his own personal intentions to experiment with his inventions and brands, it definitely added value to NASCAR. With all the contributions from Carl Kiekhaefer, be it technical or branding, he did give NASCAR the very makeover and level-up it required then.  

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