NASCAR Hall of Famer Connects the Dots Between Dale Earnhardt and Bubba Wallace With His Eternal Record-Breaking Career

The rigors of competition, both physical and mental, are endured by all sportspersons in elite sports. But motorsport racing is a different beast altogether. Leaving the associated risks aside, NASCAR takes a massive toll on the body considering the amount of G-force exerted on the driver’s body for hours, weeks, and years on a stretch.

While racing or practicing at mind-blowing speeds, a NASCAR driver feels up to 3Gs of force at turns. In simple terms, a 160-pound driver would feel 480 pounds of force on the turns. Too much G-force is known to cause disorientation and dizziness. Furthermore, the temperature inside a car can reach up to 120F, and to be able to bear it for upwards of 3 hours requires superhuman endurance. Drivers, therefore, tend to quit the sport once their body is unable to handle the severe conditions.

But for some, the love for racing far exceeds the comfort and convenience of retirement. Foremost among them is Hershel McGriff. The 95-year-old from Oregon has been a long-time competitor in the Winston West Series (now known as the K&N Pro Series West). He won the series in 1986 and is also a 4-time Grand National Series winner.

McGriff’s entry into NASCAR is a fascinating story. The veteran began racing in 1945 after the end of the Second World War. As he won the first Carrera Panamericana in 1950, he befriended Bill France Sr, the founder of NASCAR, and France asked him to compete in NASCAR. McGriff agreed and was part of the first races at Daytona, Darlington, Raleigh, and Detroit. Ever since, he had been racing in NASCAR up until 2018, when he finally sought retirement at the age of 90.

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No six degrees of separation between McGriff and NASCAR

During a career that spanned more than many people live to be, he raced with virtually every legend NASCAR has produced. As McGriff turned 95 on December 14, a Twitter user pointed out a staggering effect that the driver’s long career has had.

The tweet essentially means that legends of the past like Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, and Jimmie Johnson are related by a common thread to current fan favorites like Bubba Wallace, Kyle Busch, and Chase Elliott—Hershel McGriff! Fans unaware of the connection were very amazed to hear about it.

Here are some of their reactions:

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It is difficult to find a professional in any sport, not just NASCAR, who has had such a phenomenally long career. There certainly aren’t too many like McGriff, nor can there be.