Wayne McGuire

Obituary

Wayne McGuire was a son of the late Ben F. McGuire and Ollie Cooper McGuire.

He was an auto mechanic and a retired Carter County Vocational School teacher, a Kentucky colonel, a member of Kentucky NASCAR, Retired Teachers Association and the First Church of Christ in Grayson. In addition to these accomplishments, Mr. McGuire was also a legend in the racing world.
The wide world of racing owes a lot to racing legend Wayne McGuire. In the 1950s and ‘60s, he stormed the world of Motorsports with his innovative and daring ways. The blue and white No. 41 turned the heads of the crowd and made other drivers scratch their heads, questioning, "How did he do that?" Throughout Wayne's short 15 years of racing, he accomplished more than most do in a lifetime.
A resident hailing from Gregoryville, Ky., Wayne built his first racecar in the winter of 1952, a ‘39 Chevy with a 6-cylinder GMC. At this point, Wayne knew he could defeat all odds and make a living doing what he loved — racing. During his first season of racing, Wayne not only won many races but also finished second in points for the Kentucky State Championship for NASCAR. This prosperous rookie year was just the beginning of his many accomplishments. In 1954 and 1955, the "Tiger on Wheels" no longer accepted second-place finishes, grasping consecutive wins of the Kentucky State Championship for NASCAR. Between the years of 1953 to 1957, No. 41 won 24 track and state championship races with his GMC 6 cylinder engine (one of the two engines he made famous — the Pontiac V-8 being the other). In 1957 alone, Wayne took the victory at 42 of the 72 races he ran while traveling across the East Coast stretching from New York to Florida. This winning streak continued, and from 1958 to 1967 he grasped 55 track and state championship races.
A threat at any large race, McGuire won no matter the track size, surface or level of competition. The crowd favorite, No. 41 grasped three big victories at the International 500 (also known as the U.S. Open 500) while breaking the track record twice with times of 14:46 in 1963 and 14:32 in 1965. (During this year he won by 13 laps). Wayne also had four top 10 finishes at the Oswego Classic between 1962 and 1966, including a controversial win in 1964. At this race McGuire was listed in second position because of a scoring error, although he had actually lapped the field.
Wayne won races across the East Coast in basically every state he traveled. He traveled more than most in his day making him the "Original Outlaw." Tracks that he won at in Ohio include Skyline, Atomic, Eldora, Portsmouth, Powell, Sandusky, Southern Ohio, Midvale, Dayton and Columbus Motor Speedway. In Kentucky he claimed victories at Louisville Fairgrounds, Corbin, Danville, Richmond and Middlesboro, just to name a few. The No. 41 car also was big in Indiana, winning at tracks such as Lawrenceburg, Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, and Indianapolis Raceway Park (which was the first race ever ran there). In West Virginia, Wayne won at West Virginia International Speedway in Ona, Huntington International Speedway, Parkersburg and Dunbar. The list of wins continues into the Tennessee region, including wins at Memphis Speedway, Chattanooga Speedway, Cleveland Speedway and 4-11 Speedway. In Pennsylvania he took the checkered flag at Hershey Speedway, Langhorn Speedway and Heidelberg. Some of his longest ventures outside of his Kentucky home include Oswego Speedway in New York and Gaffney Speedway, Anderson Speedway and Greenwood Speedway, all in South Carolina. The traveling Tiger on Wheels never quit, with wins at more than 40 tracks.
In 1960, McGuire built his most famous car, which he made so successful for approximately eight racing seasons. According to Open Wheel Magazine, he built … "Undoubtedly the winningest super modified in racing history with some 150 checkereds to its credit." — (April 1993). The car was build out of a mixture of parts, including a frame of 21/4-inch chrome moly tubing that weighed 175 pounds, a '36 Plymouth front axel with Ford spindles, and the steering was supplied from a '56 Chevrolet truck. Many car designers including Herman Wise copied this car that McGuire made famous. Wayne, being an innovator of his class and time, also was the first to experiment with tire stagger, which is still used today in dirt and asphalt racing. The No. 41 machine created many firsts in innovative ideas and the wing was no exception. After being developed by Jim Cushman, McGuire quickly caught on to the idea and made it his own. From a blacksmith's son to a master mechanic and great-minded racing engineer, Wayne McGuire made a living at the sport he loved.
Sadly Wayne's short yet successful career was ended on Aug. 13, 1967, after a wreck during hot laps at Earl Baltes' New Breaman Speedway. From the crash, the No. 41 Tiger on Wheels suffered severe head injuries, which unfortunately placed his racing career on permanent hold. Although Wayne's racing days were over, his legend, and his passion live on. Today Wayne is still admired and talked about by fans and drivers across the nation. The 80-year-old Grayson, Ky., resident still recalled his days of racing clearly, and although almost blind still held the spirit and knowledge of racing within him, sharing it with his family, friends and admirers.