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Meet-and-Greet Sessions with NASCAR and High Country Legend Waddell Wilson A Success

Mitchell County Historical Society staff members pose with Waddell Wilson during themeet-and-greet at the old Mitchell County Court House in Bakersville on April 6.  From left-to-right: Chairman Daniel Barron, Office Manager Robin Ellis, Wilson, and Chairwoman Rhonda Gunter.

By Tim Gardner

A smashing success was the consensus of how the meet-and-greet sessions sponsored by High Country Press with NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) Hall of Famer and Mitchell County native Waddell Wilson that were held in Bakersville and Spruce Pine on Saturday, April 6, transpired.

The Mitchell County Historical Society and Mitchell County Economic Development and Chamber of Commerce also assisted with sessions.

Wilson is one of NASCAR’s most accomplished personalities of all-time as a race driver, and more so as a crew chief and engine builder extraordinaire.  He currently lives in Denver, North Carolina, but grew up on a farm on McKinney Cove Road, just off Cane Creek Road, in Bakersville.  He graduated from old Bowman High School and also is a former resident of the Crossnore School & Children’s Home in Avery County.  He appeared at the Southern Ridge Café, next to the old Mitchell County Court House, in Bakersville from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. and then at the Western Sizzlin’ Steak House, in the Grassy Creek Community of Spruce Pine, from 2:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. last Saturday.

Approximately 100 of his friends, family members, old classmates, former neighbors, as well as new acquaintances, and racing fans in general, came to the restaurants to visit with the NASCAR, Mitchell County, and North Carolina High Country legend.  His wife, the former Barbara Fox, who was raised in the Grassy Creek Community of Spruce Pine, and several of his other family members, who also worked for or still work in NASCAR, accompanied him back to Mitchell County for these meet-and-greet sessions.  

All who came to visit with Wilson and his family were noticeably enthusiastic about the opportunity. One such example was long-time Mitchell County school teacher, assistant principal, and coach Bruce Woody, who commented:  “It’s so awesome for Waddell Wilson and his wife to come back home to Mitchell County and for him to be featured in the meet-and-greet events with her and their family members.  I’m thankful I got to attend the one in mine and his hometown of Bakersville. In fact, I wouldn’t have missed it unless I just absolutely had to.  I greatly enjoyed visiting with Waddell and his family.  And I hope more of the same sessions with him can be held in the future.”

Waddell Wilson (right) visits with NASCAR fans Jamie and Danielle Moreland during the second meet-and-greet session with the racing legend at the Western Sizzlin’ Steak House in Spruce Pine on April 6.

In 2020, the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners designated January 31 each year as “Waddell Wilson Day” in the county to honor Wilson, who was enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on the same day that year.  That day is annually set aside for Mitchell natives and its other residents to pay special tribute to one of the county’s most famous natives and his numerous contributions to NASCAR, which have made him a household name in the sport.

Southern Ridge Café owner and Mitchell County Commissioner Harley Miller Masters and Western Sizzlin’ Steak House owner Darrin King offered glowing comments about Waddell Wilson, his family, and the meet-and-greet sessions.

“I was pleased and honored for Southern Ridge Café to host Waddell Wilson and his family during his return back to his hometown of Bakersville last weekend,” Miller Masters said.  “And as a county commissioner, I was pleased to get to meet them and take part in this event to host Mister Wilson, who certainly is one of the most successful Mitchell Countians ever and has brought much positive recognition to the county.  He and his family are such good and nice people and this event was a milestone happening for our county.”

King added: “The sessions were very popular and the turnout was good.  It’s always pleasing to honor someone from our area who has excelled in his or her chosen profession as Waddell Wilson did for such a long period of time.  All our Western Sizzlin’ staff was happy he and his family were here.”

NASCAR Hall of Famer and North Carolina High Country native Waddell Wilson visits with Mitchell County Commissioner Harley Miller Masters during the first meet-and-greet session on April 6 featuring Wilson, which was held at the restaurant owned by Miller Masters and her husband, John, the Southern Ridge Cafe’ in Bakersville, as Bruce Woody (far right) looks on.

Wilson was featured in a April 2024 High Country Magazine story, published by the High Country Press, and he autographed many copies to those attending. He also signed NASCAR cards of himself to those who requested them that he brought with him to the meet-and-greet sessions, as well as those the Mitchell County Historical Society also purchased of him to use for them.

Wilson and his family were given a tour of the Mitchell County Historical Society, located in the old court house next door to the Southern Ridge Café, by Historical Society Co-Chairpersons Rhonda Gunter and Daniel Barron, Office Manager Robin Ellis, volunteer Lenore Ellis (Robin Ellis’ daughter), and another Mitchell County activist and resident, Anne Wilson Castro.  While there, Waddell Wilson and his family were given a verbal essay about a lot of the county’s and the Town of Bakersville’s history by Barron and presented with a giftbox of various items, including a book about the county and another book about the town.

The Mitchell County Historical Society staff also celebrated Wilson’s return to his home roots by hanging a checkerboard flag from the old court house to the restaurant—about 60 feet in length.  In NASCAR, a checkered flag signals the end of the race. It is waved when the leading car completes the final lap, signifying that car won and the race is over.

“Waddell Wilson surely won the race as one of Mitchell County’s and the entire North Carolina High Country’s greatest and most famous legends, and it’s good to recognize him and his family in this fashion and in every other way and as often as it can be done,” Wilson Castro declared.

Several, including Miller Masters, Robin Ellis, and Wilson Castro also wore “Pit Crew” t-shirts in commemoration of Waddell Wilson being a long-time NASCAR Crew Chief and signifying that they were part of his Pit Crew during the meet-and-greet sessions. Barron wore a “150 Mile-Per-Hour” NASCAR shirt in tribute to Wilson and his tendency for building engines that produced beyond-exceptionally high speeds and propelled many race car drivers to victory.

NASCAR fan Linda Ollis Taylor, a resident of Avery County, poses with Waddell Wilson during their visit at the Western Sizzlin’ Steak House.

“The Mitchell County Historical Society was honored to participate in the event on Saturday with Waddell Wilson and his family,” Robin Ellis stated. “They could not have been more gracious and generous with their time. Indeed, speaking with Mister Wilson was like speaking with family who had just stepped out of McKinney Cove, his boyhood home.”

Wilson and his family expressed much appreciation to the High Country Press for organizing the meet-and-greet sessions as well as the Mitchell County Historical Society and Mitchell County Economic Development and Chamber of Commerce staffs for their help with them.

“I deeply appreciate the efforts of all involved to make the meet-and-greet visits with my family and me go so well,” Waddell Wilson said.  “It was so kind of the High Country Press for originating the idea and sponsoring the  meet-and-greet sessions and publishing a magazine story about my professional career and life as well as other stories about me on its web site.  I’m most grateful for all the publication has done for me.

“I’m also thankful to the Mitchell County Historical Society staff for their work in promoting me and the gifts they presented to me and my family.  I also appreciate the Mitchell County Economic Development and Chamber of Commerce for its help with the sessions, too.  It was wonderful to come back home to Mitchell County and visit with so many friends I hadn’t seen or talked to in a long time as well as meet so many people for the first time  who are mine and my family’s new friends.  I always enjoy discussing racing, but I also like talking about the many good times I had while living in Mitchell County, as well as in Avery County, and visiting with the wonderful people from these areas. And I got to do a lot of that last Saturday.”

Wilson got his first practical job experience involving vehicles by performing mechanical work as a teenager at the old Ford Dealership in Spruce Pine. He started his professional racing career driving jalopies, street stocks, and modified cars at the Hialeah, Palmetto, and Hollywood short tracks in Florida.  “I won a few races,” he said, “but before long I figured building engines really was my niche, so I quit driving and concentrated on building engines and being a crew chief.”  

Wilson began as an engine builder for the Holman Moody Racing Team, based in Charlotte, North Carolina in the early 1960s.  

A true dual threat as an engine builder and crew chief, Wilson powered and guided cars to some of the biggest victories in NASCAR history. As an engine builder, he supplied the power that helped drivers David Pearson (1968 and 1969) and Benny Parsons (1973) to Cup Series championships. Overall, Wilson’s engines helped some of the greatest drivers to ever wheel a car – including besides Peason and Parsons, their fellow-NASCAR Hall of Famers Edward Glenn “Fireball” Roberts, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Ricky Rudd, and Buddy Baker – to 109 wins and 123 poles. 

Wilson gained his first national acclaim for building the engine Roberts used to win the 1963 Southern 500 at the Darlington, South Carolina race track. Wilson guided three cars to Victory Lane in the Daytona 500 at Daytona Beach, Florida as a crew chief, winning “The Great American Race,” with Baker (1980) and back-to-back with Yarborough (1983 and 1984). The famed “Grey Ghost” car Wilson assembled for Baker still holds the Daytona 500 record with an average speed of 177.602 miles per hour (MPH).

Waddell Wilson, and his wife, the former Barbara Fox, are Mitchell County, North Carolina natives—Waddell from Bakersville and Barbara from Spruce Pine.

Wilson built the engines that powered seven Daytona 500 winners won by six different drivers on five different teams. Two besides Baker and Yarbrough, are also NASCAR Hall of Famers: 1965 winner Fred Lorenzen (2015) and 1975 winner Parsons (2017).

In 1967, Daytona 500 winner Mario Andretti and second-place finisher Lorenzen lapped the entire field in Holman-Moody Racing Fords with Wilson engines.  And A.J. Foyt won the 1972 Daytona 500 with a Wilson-built engine

Wilson also built the engines in four consecutive Daytona 500 pole-winning cars from 1979 to 1982. And he built engines for winning-drivers Junior Johnson and Geoff Bodine.

Additionally, Wilson prepared an engine for Hendrick Motorsports that Waltrip used in a practice session to set an unofficial track record at Daytona that exceeded Bill Elliott’s 1985 mark. And Parsons set the record for the first 200-mile-per-hour (320 km/h) qualifying lap at the Talladega, Alabama race track with an engine built by Wilson.

In the fourteen-year period between 1979 and 1993, Wilson was the crew chief for 22 NASCAR Winston Cup race wins.  Equally, or, even more impressive is that between 1983 and 1986, the Yarborough and Wilson team won nine races in only 60 starts, including four of sixteen in 1983. 

Also, in 1981, Wilson set a personal season-high mark leading Bobby Allison to five race wins.

Wilson was also the crew chief for IndyCar driver Al Unser Jr.’s only NASCAR start at the 1993 Daytona 500.

Wilson’s final victory as a crew chief came at the Darlington Raceway with Rudd in 1991. He closed out his crew chief career working with driver Ricky Craven for the first five races of 1995.

Additionally, Wilson was a Team Manager for Hendrick Motorsports and a General Manager for Yarborough Motorsports and in 1973, he authored the top-selling “Race Engine Preparation” book.

Wilson retired from racing full-time in 2000, but remained active in the business for several years after as a consultant for Jerica Performance Products.  He was also selected to be one of three retired crew chiefs to vote for the inaugural class for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. 

Wilson received the “Golden Wrench Award” by the North Carolina Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame in 2006.  Then in 2011, he was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association’s Hall of Fame.  He also was presented the Woods Brothers Award of Excellence in 2022, which annually honors racing crew members and chiefs, engine builders, and race engineers for outstanding contributions to NASCAR through on-the-track success.  

Next, Wilson was honored with the ultimate achievement of his professional career. He was among five inductees of the 2020 Hall of Fame Class  – the 11th since the inception of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010. Besides Wilson, enshrined as both an engine builder and crew chief, the Class consisted of drivers Baker, Tony Stewart, and Bobby Labonte, and team owner Joe Gibbs, also a three-time Super Bowl-winning coach with the National Football League’s Washington Redskins.