Clifton 'Coo Coo' Marlin made 165 Winston Cup starts as a Tennessee independent, nearly pulling off a stunning upset win at Charlotte in 1973. He was better known as the father of Sterling Marlin, whom he mentored into a two-time Daytona 500 champion.
Marlin died of lung cancer in 2005 at 73 in his hometown of Columbia, Tennessee, where he had been a fixture of the local racing scene for decades.
At a Glance
- Born: January 3, 1932, Columbia, Tennessee
- Died: August 14, 2005, Columbia, Tennessee
- Age: 73
- Cause of death: Lung cancer
Final Resting Place
Rose Hill Cemetery, Columbia, Tennessee.
From the Book
This profile is adapted from Legends at Rest: NASCAR Legends by Howard Wear.