Elmo Langley won two Grand National races as a driver in the 1960s, but he became far better known as NASCAR's pace car driver, leading the field to green for years in the sport's most visible ceremonial role.
In 1996, while driving the pace car during a NASCAR exhibition test at Suzuka, Japan, Langley suffered a fatal heart attack behind the wheel at 68 – dying, quite literally, in the driver's seat.
At a Glance
- Born: August 21, 1928, Lonesome Pine, Virginia
- Died: November 21, 1996, Suzuka, Japan
- Age: 68
- Cause of death: Heart attack
Final Resting Place
Sunset Memory Gardens, Mint Hill, North Carolina.
Photo: Sarah Ferguson via Find a Grave
From the Book
This profile is adapted from Legends at Rest: NASCAR Legends by Howard Wear.
Grave photo: Photo: Sarah Ferguson via Find a Grave.