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Hershel McGriff makes history at Tucson Speedway

Posted at 9:12 PM, May 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-06 01:41:07-04

At 90 years old, Green Valley resident Hershel McGriff, made history at the Tucson Speedway tonight by being the oldest driver ever to race in a NASCAR sanctioned event.  He's not just competing, he's driving in equipment good enough to win.

McGriff competed in 2 races at the speedway, a 0.375-mile asphalt oval. He drove for Bill McAnally Racing, one of the top teams on the circuit, with sponsorship from South Point Hotel & Casino.  Not only that, but McGriff also played his trombone to perform the National Anthem before the race.  Something he was admittedly more nervous about than driving at high speeds on a race track.

McGriff, who won four races in 1954 in what is now the NASCAR Cup Series, last raced in the K&N series in 2012, having finished 18th in the event at Sonoma Raceway.

NASCAR Hall of Famer, Ron Hornaday served as the race's Grand Marshall.