Ragan, Wallace To Honor Wendell Scott At Martinsville

Two light blue racing machines -- one car and one truck -- will carry the familiar red-outlined No. 34 at the end of October at NASCAR's oldest track, Martinsville Speedway. 

It's all part of a three-day celebration honoring NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2015 Inductee Wendell Scott at his home track on Oct. 24-26. Scott, the winner of more than 100 NASCAR races – including one in the premier Grand National ranks -- will be officially enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 30, 2015. 

David Ragan’s Front Row Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford and the NASCAR Camping World Truck driven by Darrell Wallace Jr. for Kyle Busch Motorsports will each carry a special "throw back" paint scheme to honor Scott, the first African-American to win a race in NASCAR's premier series. 

Ragan's No. 34 will be wrapped in a scheme reminiscent of the one Scott drove to victory at Jacksonville Speedway on Dec. 1, 1963, in what is today known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  

“It’s going to be cool to honor Wendell Scott at his home track with his family,” said Ragan. “I got to drive a tribute scheme for Ned Jarrett a while back, and it’s a tribute to the history of our sport that I get to honor Mr. Scott as an inductee, the last driver to win in the No. 34 before I did.  I’m a fan of our sport’s history and have a real appreciation for it, so it’s special to be able to bring that paint scheme back for a weekend.” 

Last October at Martinsville, Wallace became the first African-American driver since Scott to win a NASCAR national series race. This time around, his truck will carry the No. 34 as a nod to Scott's legacy.

"It's an honor to run the No. 34 Toyota Tundra at Martinsville,” said Wallace, who has added two more wins this season at Eldora Speedway and Gateway Motorsports Park. “I got my first win at Martinsville. The historical significance of that win -- and to be so close to Wendell Scott's hometown -- was a really cool bonus. The Scott family has followed my career since I ran the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program for Rev Racing and I've kept a relationship with the family over the years. Thanks to Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Toyota and NASCAR for allowing me to run the No. 34 at Martinsville. I'm pumped to get back there and hope to get another victory." 

Adding to the celebration, Martinsville Speedway and the NHOF will host members of the Scott family during the race weekend and offer special Q&A opportunities for fans on-site. 

“Wendell Scott faced numerous adversities throughout his racing career. At the end of the day though, he persevered and overcame all odds,” said Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway. “That perseverance serves as an inspiration today and as a testament to that, he was inducted to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.” 

Scott was the 1959 NASCAR Virginia Sportsman champion and won over 100 races at local tracks prior to starting his NASCAR premier series career. The Danville, Virginia native served three years in the U.S. Army during World War II where he honed his skills in the motor pool. In 13 years of NASCAR premier series competition, Scott made 495 starts (35th on the all-time list), accumulating 20 Top-5 and 147 Top-10 finishes. He passed away in 1990 at the age of 69.