Fast Facts: Morgan Shepherd

Credit: Getty Images/John Harrelson

Nationwide Series driver Morgan Shepherd can easily be considered the elder statesman of NASCAR, but even at age 71, he shows little sign of slowing down. Learn more about Shepherd’s 40-plus years of racing and his other endeavors in this week’s Fast Facts.

• Morgan Shepherd, who was born October 12, 1941 in Ferguson, North Carolina, got into auto racing to earn some extra money. In the 1970s, he competed on a regular basis in NASCAR’s Late Model Sportsman Division, finishing second to Jack Ingram for the title in 19973 and winning the championship in 1980.
• Shepherd also raced sporadically in the Cup Series during the 1970s, and was finally able to secure a full-time ride in Cup in 1981 with Cliff Stewart. He won his first pole that year at Richmond International Raceway, and his first race at Martinsville Speedway, but lost the Rookie of the Year title to Ron Bouchard. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, Shepherd raced in both the Cup Series and the Busch Series (now Nationwide Series).
• In Cup Series competition, Shepherd earned four wins, 168 top 10 finishes and seven poles in 514 races from 1970 through 2006. In the Nationwide Series, he has 15 wins, 67 top 10 finishes and six poles in 343 races from 1982 to 2012. He also made 55 Camping World Truck Series starts between 1997 and 2008.
• In his 40-plus-year NASCAR career, Shepherd has driven for a number of teams, including Kenny Bernstein’s King Racing, RahMoc Enterprises, Bud Moore Engineering, the Wood Brothers and Felix Sabates’ Team SABCO. In 2001, Shepherd formed Victory in Jesus Racing, competing part-time in the Truck Series and often serving as his own pit crew, getting out of his truck to perform tire changes and refueling. His current team in the Nationwide Series is Shepherd Racing Ventures, fielding the No. 89 Chevrolet in the series.
• Shepherd is a born-again Christian and serves as a lay minister in the racing community. He also operates the Morgan Shepherd Charitable Fund, established in 1986 to assist the needy and handicapped in the Virginia Mountains area; for his efforts, he was awarded the “Spirit Award” from the National Motorsports Press Association and Pocono Raceway in 2005. He is also an avid roller skater and car collector.
• Find out more about Shepherd and his charity at www.morganshepherd.com.