'Suitcase Jake' Elder – so named because he moved from team to team – was the crew chief behind David Pearson's back-to-back championships in 1968 and 1969, Mario Andretti's 1967 Daytona 500 win, and the first 13 races of Dale Earnhardt's 1980 championship season. His setups were legendary, and his gruff personality was pure garage folklore.
Elder died in 2010 at 73. Few crew chiefs ever matched his combination of championships and characters; he was as famous for his one-liners as his race cars.
At a Glance
- Born: November 22, 1936, Statesville, North Carolina
- Died: February 24, 2010, Statesville, North Carolina
- Age: 73
- Cause of death: Natural causes
Final Resting Place
West Lawn Memorial Park, China Grove, North Carolina.
Photo: Susan I. Grills via Find a Grave
From the Book
This profile is adapted from Legends at Rest: NASCAR Legends by Howard Wear.
Grave photo: Photo: Susan I. Grills via Find a Grave.