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nicknamed "Fireball", was one of the pioneering race car drivers of NASCAR. he was interested in both auto racing and baseball. He was a pitcher for the Zellwood Mud Hens, an American Legion baseball team, where he earned the nickname "Fireball" because of his fast ball, not his driving style. He attended the University of Florida and raced on dirt tracks on weekends. In 1947, at the age of 18, he raced on the Daytona Beach Road Course at Daytona for the first time. He won a 150-mile race at Daytona Beach the following year. Roberts also competed in local stock and modified races at Florida tracks such as Seminole Speedway. Roberts continued to amass victories on the circuit, despite the changes in NASCAR as it moved away from shorter dirt tracks to super speedways in the 1950s and 1960s. He won his first Cup race in 1950 at Hillsboro, NC in a 1949 Oldsmobile. From 1951-1955 Fireball raced only occasionally.

1956 and 1957 saw him run the most races in a season. In 1956 he ran in 33 of the years 56 races and won five times. 1957 saw Roberts visit victory lane on eight occasions. In 1958 he scaled back his racing efforts and only raced ten times; but won six of those; including the Daytona Beach course, and the Southern 500 at Darlington. He won at least once each season starting in 1956 through his untimely death in 1964. In his 206 career NASCAR Grand National races, he won 33 times and had 32 poles. He finished in the top five 45 percent of the time. He won both the Daytona 500 and Firecracker 250 events in 1962 driving a black and gold 1962 Pontiac built by legendary car builder Smokey Yunick. On May 24, 1964, at the World 600 in Charlotte, Roberts had qualified in the eleventh position and started in the middle of the pack. On lap 7, Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson collided and spun out and Roberts crashed trying to avoid them. Roberts' Ford slammed backward into the inside retaining wall, flipped over and burst into flames. Witnesses at the track claimed they heard Roberts screaming, "Ned, help me!" from inside his burning car after the wreck. Jarrett rushed to save Roberts as his car was engulfed by the flames. Roberts suffered second- and third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body and was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. Although it was widely believed that Roberts had an allergic reaction to flame-retardant chemicals, he was secretly an asthmatic and the chemicals made his breathing worse. Roberts was able to survive for several weeks, and it appeared he might pull through. But Roberts' health took a turn for the worse on June 30, 1964. He contracted pneumonia and sepsis and slipped into a coma by the next day. He

died on July 2, 1964. Roberts' death, as well as the deaths of Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald at the Indianapolis 500 six days later, led to an increase in research for fire-retardant uniforms. It also led to the development of the Firestone RaceSafe fuel cell, and all race cars today use a foam-backed fuel cell to prevent severe fuel spillage of the massive degree that Roberts had. Also, fully fire-retardant coveralls would be phased in leading to the now mandatory Nomex racing suits. They also instituted the five point safety harness, and the special, contoured drivers seat, all three of which are still requirements on all NASCAR entrants. Roberts had just lost close friend Joe Weatherly in the January Motor Trend 500 at Riverside, California, making 1964 a black year for American major league auto

racing. Prior to his death, there were many sources that Roberts was retiring, since he had taken a prominent public relations position at the Falstaff Brewing Company and the race in which he was killed was to be one of his final races of his career. Ned Jarrett speaks about his part in the event. Here is video of Roberts crash. Ned Jarrett's car #11 can been seen in the photo here; Roberts is hidden by the flames. For his career Roberts ran in 206 CUP events and claim 33 wins. He won the Southern 500 in 1958 and 1963. He won the Daytona 500 in 1962, and the racing. Prior to his death, there were many sources that Roberts was retiring, since he had taken a prominent public

relations position at the Falstaff Brewing Company and the race in which he was killed was to be one of his final races of his career. Ned Jarrett speaks about his part in the event. Here is video of Roberts crash. Ned Jarrett's car #11 can been seen in the photo here; Roberts is hidden by the flames. For his career Roberts ran in 206 CUP events and claim 33 wins. He won the Southern 500 in 1958 and 1963. He won the Daytona 500 in 1962, and the Hall of Fame in 1990, and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1995. Some info from WikiPedia

Fantasy NASCAR Racing

EDWARDS GLENN "FIREBALL" ROBERTS - 01/20/192 - 07/02/1964