William Harry Atkinson III (September 16, 1934 – March 15, 2010) was an American auto dealer and stock car racing driver. He competed in one event in the NASCAR Grand National Division, now the NASCAR Cup Series.
| W. H. Atkinson | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | September 16, 1934 Waycross, Georgia | ||||||
| Died | March 15, 2010 (aged 75) Bunnell, Florida | ||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| Best finish | 276th (1956) | ||||||
| First race | 1956 Daytona 160 (Daytona Beach Road Course) | ||||||
| |||||||
Personal life
editBorn in Waycross, Georgia in 1934, Atkinson and his family moved to Bunnell, Florida in 1943, with his father purchasing the Bunnell Motor Company in 1944.[1] A 1952 graduate of Bunnell High School,[2] Atkinson took over the business upon the death of his father in 1962,[3] operating the company until 1975. He also served two terms as a city commissioner in Bunnell.[1]
Racing career
editAtkinson competed in stock car auto racing during the early and mid-1950s, competing in a single event in the NASCAR Grand National Division in 1956 at the Daytona Beach and Road Course. Starting 48th in a field of 80 cars, Atkinson finished 51st overall in the No. 265 Ford owned by his father.[4][5]
Atkinson, through the Bunnell Motor Company, sponsored the 1967 Daytona 500-winning car of Mario Andretti.[1]
Death
editAtkinson died of natural causes on March 15, 2010, at his home in Bunnell. He had been married for 35 years and had three sons and two daughters.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "William Harry Atkinson III Obituary". The Daytona Beach News-Journal, March 19, 2010. Accessed 2013-01-12
- ^ "Class of 1952". Flager County Families. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
- ^ "W.H. Atkinson Dies Suddenly at Home Saturday". The Flagler Tribune, October 4, 1962. Page 1.
- ^ "1956 Race 1 at Daytona Beach & Road Course Grid". ESPN. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
- ^ "Atkinson - NASCAR Sprint Cup Results". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Accessed 2013-01-12.
External links
edit- W. H. Atkinson driver statistics at Racing-Reference