Bob Welborn

Joe Robert "Bob" Welborn ( born May 5, 1928 in Denton, North Carolina, † February 11, 1997 ) was an American NASCAR driver. He was a master of the NASCAR Convertible Division in the years 1956, 1957 and 1958 and is one of the drivers who were in 1998 as NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers, one of the 50 greatest drivers of NASCAR, select.

Career

The well-known by the nickname "Bob" Welborn began his NASCAR career in 1952, in which he took part in three races of the Grand National Division, now the Sprint Cup. Also in the season 1953 he was again active in the Grand National and drove eleven races. He finished two of these races in the top five and six in the top 10. In 1955, he drove almost every race of the season and came up in 25 of the 32 races in which he took part, in the top -10 finish. In the driver's overall standings, it was enough for fourth place.

1956 Welborn started in the newly formed NASCAR Convertible Division, where he drove almost every race of the season. This meant that he participated only in very few races in the Grand National Division. In the Convertible Division he fell due to its continuity. He finished almost every race in the top 10 and won the championship sovereign. The years 1957 and 1958 were similar and Welborn also won in these two years the title. In the NASCAR Convertible Division Season 1959, he no longer competes in all races, as he refocused more on the Grand National, so he had no chance at the title. At the end of the season 1959, the series was canceled due to the lack of interest. Welborn was the best driver in the short history of the race series.

In the following years, Welborn focused on the Grand National Division, in which he in previous years due to its use in the Convertible Division very few races, of which he was driving, however, some won. His first victory in 1957, he learned at the Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville Speedway. The race is still known today as the Subway 500 in the racing calendar. In the last years of his career he was not able to continue our success. Wilborn finished his career as a NASCAR driver on July 21, 1964 the Lincoln Speedway.

He died on 11 February 1997. In 1998 he was named as one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers, one of the 50 greatest drivers of NASCAR, select.