Curtis Turner, called 'the Babe Ruth of stock car racing,' won 17 Grand National races with a hard-charging style that made him one of the sport's first true characters. A wealthy timber magnate who flew his own planes to races, he was banned by NASCAR in 1961 for trying to unionize drivers, then reinstated in 1965.
On October 4, 1970, the twin-engine plane Turner was piloting crashed near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, killing him instantly. He was 46. Turner was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2016.
At a Glance
- Born: April 12, 1924, Floyd, Virginia
- Died: October 4, 1970, near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
- Age: 46
- Cause of death: Plane crash
Final Resting Place
Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Roanoke, Virginia.
Photo: S.G. Thompson via Find a Grave
From the Book
This profile is adapted from Legends at Rest: NASCAR Legends by Howard Wear.
Portrait: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Grave photo: Photo: S.G. Thompson via Find a Grave.