Hershel McGriff (born December 14, 1927) is a NASCAR legend who began his remarkable racing career in 1945 at the age of 17, shortly after racing resumed in the U.S. following World War II. He holds the distinction of being NASCAR Winston West's oldest and winningest active competitor, with 35 victories.
McGriff's first race was on September 16, 1945, at Portland Speedway. Driving his minister father's 1940 Hudson on a muddy, 5/8-mile track, he finished 12th or 13th in a 250-lap race, while his father prayed under the bleachers.
In 1950, McGriff won the grueling Mexican Carrera Panamericana road race, beating 131 other cars, including NASCAR founder Bill France, Curtis Turner, and other NASCAR drivers.
France persuaded McGriff to travel south and compete in the inaugural Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. McGriff drove his race car from his home in Portland, Oregon, to Darlington, South Carolina, finished ninth in the race, and then drove back to Portland.
In 1954, despite joining the season partway through, France convinced McGriff to run the remainder of the Grand National series. He achieved four wins and 17 top-10 finishes in 24 events, ending the season sixth in the final points standings, with a higher average finishing position than eventual champion Lee Petty. That same season, McGriff also won a race in what is now the NASCAR Camping World Series West during its inaugural season.
In 1955, McGriff was offered a ride with millionaire Carl Kiekhaefer's newly formed team. However, he chose to return to the West Coast to be closer to his family and manage his expanding lumber mill business.
McGriff returned to racing after a hiatus of approximately 10 years. In 1969, he started 41st at Riverside and won in aphoto finish against Ron Grable.
During the 1970s, McGriff drove for Petty Enterprises, while he also participated in the SCCA Trans-Am Series and finished 19th in the 1982 Endurance Le Mans race.
In 1986, McGriff won the NASCAR Winston West Series championship. He has finished in the top ten in points thirteen times since 1971.
In 1989, at the age of 61, McGriff became the oldest driver to win a NASCAR feature race when he won an AutoZone West Series race. His 14 wins at the former Riverside International Raceway are the most at that NASCAR-sanctioned track. He was honored as the grand marshal for the track's final race in 1988.
In November 1996, McGriff joined several NASCAR champions for an exhibition race at Suzuka Raceway in Japan, known as the NASCAR Suzuka Thunder Special.
In 2009, at 81 years old, McGriff broke his own record to become the oldest driver to win and race in NASCAR. He has continued to race in recent years, demonstrating his enduring passion for the sport.
McGriff was named Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Winston West Series for 12 consecutive years, from 1981 to 1992. He is member of serval Halls of Fame; NASCAR, Motorsports and West Coast Stock Car.
