David Pearson (born December 22, 1934, Whitney, South Carolina, U.S.—died November 12, 2018, Spartanburg, South Carolina) was an American stock-car racer who was one of the most successful drivers in National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) history. Pearson could well have been the greatest NASCAR driver of all time had he competed in as many races as his rivals. He never raced a complete season schedule, but he still won three NASCAR championships (1966, 1968, and 1969), and his 105 wins over 27 seasons rank second only to Richard Petty’s 200, even though he drove less than half as many races as Petty.
Pearson showed an interest in stock-car racing as a child. Like many other young drivers of his era, he worked in an auto repair shop, saving money until he could afford to buy his own vehicle. He started racing at dirt tracks at age 18 and in 1960 began racing in NASCAR’s Grand National (now Sprint Cup) Series. That season NASCAR named him its Rookie of the Year, following a 22-event run that included three top-five finishes.
The next season Pearson won 3 of the 19 races he ran. He would continue to race every year through 1986, notching at least one top-10 finish every year. His best years were 1966, when he won 15 races; 1968, when he won 16; and 1973, when he won 11 races while competing in only 18. In 1976 he won his only career Daytona 500.
Pearson earned the nickname “the Fox” (and, once his hair began graying, “the Silver Fox”) for his keen eye in picking races. When he showed up at a racetrack, a NASCAR saying went, he won. And, considering his winning percentage, that was not a huge exaggeration. In perhaps his most-notable non-championship effort, Pearson finished third in the 1974 season despite running only 19 of 30 races.
Pearson and Petty formed NASCAR’s most formidable rivalry. The two drivers finished first and second on 63 different occasions, with Pearson winning 33. Even Petty acknowledged that Pearson was not just his most fearsome competitor but quite possibly the best driver of all time. Pearson’s control of a car was legendary, and he consistently displayed an ability to get optimum results out of less-than-optimum equipment.
When NASCAR announced its inaugural 2010 class of five inductees for its Hall of Fame, Pearson lost to Bill France, Jr., by a single vote. He was overwhelmingly voted in the following year.