The Mitchell County Board of Commissioners in February 2020 designated Jan. 31 as Waddell Wilson Day locally to honor the Bakersville native who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on the same day in 2020.
As the day approaches again in 2022, locals will remember Wilson’s contributions to NASCAR, which have made him a household name for fans of the sport.
Wilson was a dual-threat as an engine builder and crew chief and had a hand in some of the biggest wins in NASCAR history. As an engine builder, he helped David Pearson to Premier Series titles in 1968 and 1969 and did the same for Benny Parsons in 1973.
Wilson’s engines powered some of NASCAR’s biggest names, including Fireball Roberts, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip. In total, drivers racked up 109 wins and 123 poles using the Bakersville native’s engines.
Wilson burst onto the scene when his engine guided Roberts to a Southern 500 win in 1963. He helped three cars reach Victory Lane in the Daytona 500 as a crew chief. With his help, Buddy Baker won at Daytona in 1980 and Cale Yarborough won the same race in both 1983 and 1984.
Wilson helped drivers to 22 wins and 32 poles as a crew chief.
His engine, dubbed “Grey Ghost,” helped Buddy Baker set a Daytona 500 record with an average speed of 177.602 miles per hour— a record that still stands today.
Wilson in 1982 built the first engine to propel a Premier Series drive over the 200 mile per hour mark after Benny Parsons hit 200.176 miles per hour during a qualifying lap at Talladega.
Wilson was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte on Jan. 31, 2020.
Wilson just celebrated his 85th birthday. He was born on Dec. 29, 1936.
Wilson was inducted into a Hall of Fame class that also included Tony Stewart, Buddy Baker, Bobby Labonte and Joe Gibbs.
Wilson got his start racing on short tracks before transitioning to engine building in the early 1960s. He graduated from Nashville Auto and Diesel College in Tennessee.
Wilson has four children who all took his lead and work in some capacity for NASCAR.
A full biography of Wilson with photos is available at NascarHall.com under the “Inductees” tab.