| The story of Bobby Isaac is a classic rags-to-riches | | | | Ralph Earnhardt himself. "I got to know some of the |
| story. He grew up on a farm near Catawba, North | | | | drivers, but not well enough for them to let me have |
| Carolina and was the second youngest of nine | | | | a car," he commented later. In 1964, at Daytona, |
| children. By the time Isaac was 6 years old, both his | | | | Bobby Isaac took the win over Petty and Pardue. |
| parents had died and he was pretty much on his | | | | That season he had 19 starts and 7 top-tens. |
| own. He quit school after sixth grade, which led to a | | | | In 1969 Bobby was able to take 20 poles in a single |
| rumor that he couldn't read or write, which wasn't | | | | season. That's a NASCAR record that's hard to beat. |
| true. At age 12 he went to work in a sawmill. He | | | | (There are currently 36 races on the schedule.) In |
| saved his money until he could buy his first pair of | | | | 1970, Bobby's career was heating up and by the |
| shoes. | | | | second to the last race of the season he had |
| At 17 Isaac discovered his love for racing. He was | | | | secured the cup championship. Also in 1970, he set a |
| living with his sister and her husband when he saw his | | | | world record on a closed-course; he circled the track |
| first race at the new track in Hickory, NC. He wasted | | | | at 201.104 mph, which beat Buddy Baker's previous |
| no time and bought a '37 Ford. He headed straight | | | | record of 200.447 mph. In 1976 Bobby Isaac drove |
| for the track but crashed on the second lap of the | | | | his final Winston Cup race for Banjo Matthews. |
| race. Undaunted, he was back on the track in no | | | | In 1977 during a Late Model Sportsman race at |
| time. In 1956 he began racing full-time but didn't race | | | | Hickory, Bobby suddenly pulled his car off the track. |
| the Grand National circuit until seven years later. | | | | He had suffered a heart attack and died en route to |
| In 1958 Bobby hooked up with Ralph Earnhardt. | | | | a local hospital. Bobby Isaac also made his mark at |
| During that season he raced against some of the | | | | the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and set 28 world |
| best in the game like Ned Jarrett, David Pearson, and | | | | speed records, many of which still exist today. |