Butch Lindley was a short-track ace who won back-to-back NASCAR Sportsman Division championships in 1977 and 1978, plus six Busch Series races. The Greenville native was one of the Southeast's most feared weekly racers.
On April 13, 1985, Lindley crashed at DeSoto Speedway in Florida, suffering a severe brain-stem injury when his head hit the wall. He spent five years in a coma before dying in 1990 at 42 – one of the longest, saddest declines in racing history.
At a Glance
- Born: March 25, 1948, Greenville, South Carolina
- Died: June 6, 1990, Greer, South Carolina
- Age: 42
- Cause of death: Complications from head injuries sustained in a 1985 racing crash
Final Resting Place
Springwood Cemetery, Greenville, South Carolina.
Photo: from Howard Wear's collection
From the Book
This profile is adapted from Legends at Rest: NASCAR Legends by Howard Wear.
Portrait: from Howard Wear’s collection. Grave photo: Photo: from Howard Wear's collection.