Curtis Turner

Curtis Turner
Curtis Turner
	Turner's 1967 Daytona 500 racecar
Born	April 12, 1924; Floyd, Virginia, U.S.
Died	October 4, 1970 (aged 46); Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Cause of death	Airplane crash
Achievements	1956 Southern 500 Winner; 1967 Daytona 500 Polesitter; Inaugural winner at Rockingham Speedway (1965); Led Grand National Series in wins (1950); Holds record for most career NASCAR Convertible Division wins (38); Holds record for most career NASCAR Convertible Division poles (23); Holds record for most NASCAR Convertible Division wins in a season (22, 1956); Holds record for most NASCAR Convertible Division poles in a season (16, 1956)
Awards	1949 and 1956 Grand National Series Most Popular Driver; Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998); International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1992); Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2006); NASCAR Hall of Fame (2016) Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
NASCAR Cup Series career
	184 races run over 17 years
Best finish	5th (1950)
First race	1949 Race No. 1 (Charlotte)
Last race	1968 Hillsboro 150 (Hillsboro)
First win	1949 untitled race (Langhorne)
Last win	1965 American 500 (Rockingham)
NASCAR Convertible Division career
	79 races run over 4 years
Best finish	2nd (1956)
First race	1956 Race #1 (Daytona Beach & Road Course)
Last race	1959 Rebel 300 (Darlington)
First win	1956 Race #1 (Daytona Beach & Road Course)
Last win	1959 Catawba 250 (Hickory)
	Statistics current as of February 22, 2013.

Curtis Morton Turner (April 12, 1924 – October 4, 1970) was an American stock car racer who won 17 NASCAR Grand National Division races and 38 NASCAR Convertible Division races. Throughout his life, he developed a reputation for drinking and partying. He also fought to form a drivers union, which got him banned by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. for four years.