Joe Shear, Sr.(May 8, 1943 – March 6, 1998) was an Americanstock car racingdriver fromClinton,Wisconsin.He won an estimated 350 races in his career, including four of his last five races.[1]Fred Nielsen, Shear's car owner from 1975 to 1984 and 1986 to 1994, said that his team won 250 races and he estimates that Shear won 600 races.[1]He won at least 30 track or touring series championships in his career.[1]Even though he was known as a pavement driver, two of those championships were on thedirtatFreeport, Illinois.[1]
| Joe Shear, Sr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 8, 1943 |
| Died | March 6, 1998(aged 54) |
| ARTGO Challenge Series | |
| Years active | 1975–1997 |
| Starts | 330+ |
| Wins | 51 |
| Best finish | 1st in 1986, 1989 |
| Previous series | |
| 1975—1997 | ASA National Tour |
| Championship titles | |
| 1986, 1989 | ARTGO Challenge Series |
Racing career
editShear began racingkartsas a youth.[1]While he was still under age, he would sneak in the pits to work on his father Al Shear's racecar atRockford Speedway.[1]His father won the track's championship in 1951, 1962, and 1965.[1]Joe Shear was named the track's Outstanding Mechanic for 1962.[1]
Joe Shear began racing at Rockford in 1964 and he won the track's Rookie of the Year award.[1]He had his first win at the track on his birthday May 8, 1965.[1]In 1972, Shear was awarded his sixth straight Rockford track championship.[1]That year he won the first of his eight National Short Track Championship events at the track.[2]
Shear finished second behindDick Tricklewith 58ARTGOwins and he won the championship of theMidwesterntouring series in 1986 and 1989.[1]In 1979, 1987, and 1989 he won the Red, White, and Blue State championship races atWisconsin International Raceway.[1]During theDaytona Speedweeks,he won the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing atNew Smyrna Speedwayin 1988 and 1989, and in 1990 he won theVolusia County Speedwaychampionship.[1]The four-time winner at the Slinger Nationals atSlinger Super Speedway(1987, 1990, 1991, 1993)[3]also won the 1994 Wisconsin Short Track Series title in 1994.[1]
Shear won six ARTGO events in 1996 plus five out of six special events at Wisconsin International Raceway.[1]He could feel cancer returning in May 1996, but he decided to continue racing.[1]In February 1997 he had surgery to remove hislymph nodesand muscles on his neck.[1]He was unable to prepare his car for the upcoming season and he received five weeks of radiation.[1]
With his health failing, he won four of the last five races in his career.[1]His final victory was winning the 1997 National Short Track Championship race at Rockford.[1]He was recorded laps 0.2 seconds faster than the rest of the cars at the Saturday qualifying race for his final event at the Oktoberfest race atLa Crosse Fairgrounds Speedwayuntil his motor blew up.[1]Shear borrowed another driver's car which had already qualified for the Sunday finale and raced from the last place up to fourth place.[4]He had won the event five times, mainly later in his career.[5]
Personality
editShear was known for being very quiet. His wife Connie said, "There were times, especially early in his career, when he would not talk to a soul. He would go to the track, unload the car, set a track record, win the feature, and leave."[1]
Death and legacy
editShear discovered he had cancer three years before he died.[1]He died on March 6, 1998.
Madison International Speedwayhas held anARCA Midwest Tourmemorial race since 2008 (except in 2020, where it was held atDells Raceway Parkbecause Madison could not hold events because of pandemic restrictions.[6]
His son Joe Shear, Jr. is a NASCAR champion crew chief, primarily withJohnny Sauter,coincidentally the son of Shear's rivalJim Sauter.
References
edit- ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxGrubba, Dale (2000).The Golden Age of Wisconsin Auto Racing.Badger Books Inc. pp. 204–210.ISBN1-878569-67-8.Retrieved2008-10-13.
- ^Kalwasinski, Stan."Tradition Is The Keyword For Rockford's Annual Biggie".National Speed Sport News.Archived fromthe originalon July 26, 2008.Retrieved2008-10-13.
- ^Kallmann, Dave (2006-07-17)."Slinger Nationals a really big deal for Trickle, Kenseth".Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.Archived fromthe originalon September 26, 2007.Retrieved2008-10-13.
- ^Shear-Carlson, Kari."Frozen Butts and Mini-Donuts: Just Another Reason Fest Is Best".shortracks.us. Archived fromthe originalon October 17, 2014.RetrievedOctober 9,2014.
- ^Panure, Matt (2007-10-05)."In Elite Company: Oktoberfest Winner Will Join a Legendary List".ASA Midwest Tour.Archived fromthe originalon 2012-02-17.Retrieved2008-10-13.
- ^"Derek Kraus Finds a Mentor in the Late Joe Shear".midwesttour.racing.ARCA Midwest Tour.RetrievedMay 4,2017.