Congratulations goes out to veteran Nationwide Series driver Morgan Shepherd for setting a season best 28th start at Chicagoland Speedway’s Dollar General 300 last weekend. Since entering what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 1982, and racking up 15 wins, 67 Top 5’s, and 6 poles, Shepherd had never started more than 27 races in a season (2008 & 2010).
This past Saturday’s Nationwide Series race at Chicago marked the first time Shepherd had started every event to date on the schedule. Maintaining a locked-in position in the Top 30, Shepherd Racing Ventures #89 team is 28th in owner points for full-time Nationwide Series teams, and Shepherd is 21st in driver points. Shepherd will turn an amazing 70 years of age in October with no plans of retirement, which has gotten potential sponsors discussing possibilities for 2012.
Shepherd is still searching for that elusive Top 10 finish and record for the oldest driver to ever finish in the Top 10 for a Nationwide or Cup event. The current record is held by Dick Trickle at 58 years of age, set at Richmond in 2000. Shepherd’s first NASCAR start was in 1970 at Hickory Motor Speedway. He also won the 1980 NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division Championship which changed over in 1982 to what is now the Nationwide Series.
Morgan Shepherd PR
