DiGard Motorsports
Encyclopedia
DiGard Motorsports was a championship-winning race team in NASCAR Winston Cup
(now Sprint Cup) that had its most success in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The team won the 1983 Winston Cup championship with Bobby Allison
at the wheel.
The team was started in 1973.
In its history, the team fielded cars for Donnie Allison
in 1973 and 1974 before replacing him with Darrell Waltrip
mid-way through 1975 (the #88 Gatorade car), who won multiple times for the team.
The team later fell from the top echelon of the sport in the mid-1980s and had its last Winston Cup start in 1987.
Robert Yates, who later founded an eponymous championship-winning NASCAR team, was an important member of the DiGard team as its engine builder from 1976 to 1986.
Donnie Allison, already established on the circuit, was their first driver.
He stayed with the team and had an invested stock in it but things fell apart. Darrell Waltrip was their next driver. and Bobby Allison came in later.
on board as a sponsor beginning in 1976.
Waltrip nearly won the 1979 championship, coming second and losing by 11 points to Richard Petty
in the championship. Waltrip and DiGard had led for most of the season that year, leading the championship with a wide lead until the last races.
The impact of the loss was reportedly hard on D.W. and during the 1980 season, Waltrip began being disillusioned with the team. His crew chief Buddy Parrott had been fired at the end of 1979 and rehired in 1980, before being sacked again mid-season.
To get out, Waltrip had a contract buyout set up to leave DiGard for Junior Johnson Racing
.
for 1981, garnering three pole positions that season.
Bobby Allison
joined the team in 1982, and finished second to Darrell Waltrip in the points championship. The car number was changed to 22 for 1983, and the Gatorade sponsorship moved to another team and was replaced by Miller High Life.
Allison left midway during the 1985 season after the 1985 Firecracker 400 race.
battling for the championship. For the Firecracker 400 at Daytona, DiGard set up and raced what is called a Research & Development car (a one-off unsponsored car numbered 10 entered to a race primarily for team improvement) with Greg Sacks
at the helm.
Instead of simply collecting data for the team, Sacks won the race.
However, it has been alleged—reportedly admitted by DiGard crew chief
Gary Nelson -- that the car sneaked through inspection with an oversize engine, and thus the team cheated.
The impact of the R&D car was significant: Reportedly angered that the team was focusing its attention elsewhere, Bobby Allison left the team mid-season—two weeks after Sacks' July 4 win. Sacks was hired to race for the rest of the year, but did not capture another Top-5 finish in 1985.
The team's last NASCAR Winston Cup entry was in 1987 with Rodney Combs
. The team's final three starts were with Combs early in the 1987 season, including entries without sponsorship.
with Derrike Cope
.
Bill Gardner today is a part of an effort to make a racetrack in Oregon
a success.
His brother, Jim Gardner, died.
The car number 88 is used by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the car is colored green and white similar to the DiGard era.
NEXTEL Cup
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing . The series was originally known as the Strictly Stock Series and Grand National Series . While leasing its naming rights to R. J...
(now Sprint Cup) that had its most success in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The team won the 1983 Winston Cup championship with Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
at the wheel.
The team was started in 1973.
In its history, the team fielded cars for Donnie Allison
Donnie Allison
Dunkiny "Donnie" Allison is a former driver on the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup circuit, who won ten times during his racing career, which spanned the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. He was part of the "Alabama Gang," and is the brother of 1983 champion Bobby Allison and uncle of Davey Allison...
in 1973 and 1974 before replacing him with Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...
mid-way through 1975 (the #88 Gatorade car), who won multiple times for the team.
The team later fell from the top echelon of the sport in the mid-1980s and had its last Winston Cup start in 1987.
Robert Yates, who later founded an eponymous championship-winning NASCAR team, was an important member of the DiGard team as its engine builder from 1976 to 1986.
Opening history
The team was founded in part by Mike DiProspero and Bill Gardner, who were brothers-in-law. The team name came from combining their last names: DiProspero and Gardner.Donnie Allison, already established on the circuit, was their first driver.
He stayed with the team and had an invested stock in it but things fell apart. Darrell Waltrip was their next driver. and Bobby Allison came in later.
The #88 Gatorade car and Darrell Waltrip
The team fired Donnie Allison and signed Darrell Waltrip partway through the 1975 season, with GatoradeGatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
on board as a sponsor beginning in 1976.
Waltrip nearly won the 1979 championship, coming second and losing by 11 points to Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
in the championship. Waltrip and DiGard had led for most of the season that year, leading the championship with a wide lead until the last races.
The impact of the loss was reportedly hard on D.W. and during the 1980 season, Waltrip began being disillusioned with the team. His crew chief Buddy Parrott had been fired at the end of 1979 and rehired in 1980, before being sacked again mid-season.
To get out, Waltrip had a contract buyout set up to leave DiGard for Junior Johnson Racing
Junior Johnson
Robert Glenn Johnson, Jr. , better known as Junior Johnson, is a retired moonshiner in the rural South who became one of the early superstars of NASCAR in the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966...
.
#88 car post-Darrell Waltrip
The #88 Gatorade car was driven by Ricky RuddRicky Rudd
Ricky Rudd is a former American NASCAR driver. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich and Nationwide Series driver Jason Rudd. Rudd is known as the "Iron Man" of NASCAR; holding the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR racing. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Rudd had made 788...
for 1981, garnering three pole positions that season.
Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
joined the team in 1982, and finished second to Darrell Waltrip in the points championship. The car number was changed to 22 for 1983, and the Gatorade sponsorship moved to another team and was replaced by Miller High Life.
The #22 Miller car and Bobby Allison
Allison raced with the team, driving the Miller American brand beer car, and won the 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup championship.Allison left midway during the 1985 season after the 1985 Firecracker 400 race.
1985 Firecracker 400 win
In 1985, DiGard had Bobby AllisonBobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
battling for the championship. For the Firecracker 400 at Daytona, DiGard set up and raced what is called a Research & Development car (a one-off unsponsored car numbered 10 entered to a race primarily for team improvement) with Greg Sacks
Greg Sacks
Greg Sacks is a NASCAR driver. He is married to his wife Vicky and lives in Ormond Beach, Florida. Together they had three children: Paul, Brian, and Rachel. He and his sons are partners in Grand Touring Vodka.Sacks has spent most of his career as a Research & Development driver for many NASCAR...
at the helm.
Instead of simply collecting data for the team, Sacks won the race.
However, it has been alleged—reportedly admitted by DiGard crew chief
Crew chief
Crew chief may refer to:*Crew chief , the head person on a race team who directs both the driver and pit crew*Crew chief , Part of the Ford Work Solutions Package see Ford Sync...
Gary Nelson -- that the car sneaked through inspection with an oversize engine, and thus the team cheated.
The impact of the R&D car was significant: Reportedly angered that the team was focusing its attention elsewhere, Bobby Allison left the team mid-season—two weeks after Sacks' July 4 win. Sacks was hired to race for the rest of the year, but did not capture another Top-5 finish in 1985.
End in NASCAR
The allegations of cheating—combined with reported money troubles—shook the team, and some say imploded it. Bobby Allison left the team midseason in 1985, engine builder Robert Yates left during the 1986 season, and the team ran a limited schedule and a myriad of drivers during their final seasons.The team's last NASCAR Winston Cup entry was in 1987 with Rodney Combs
Rodney Combs
Rodney Combs is a former NASCAR driver. He has not been in NASCAR since 1997, when he was released from his ride in the Busch Series. Combs was born on March 27, 1950 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Combs entered NASCAR after many years on the open-wheel and short track circuit in the Midwest, racing with...
. The team's final three starts were with Combs early in the 1987 season, including entries without sponsorship.
After the team's demise
In 1988, businessman Bob Whitcomb bought the team's assets. This was this team that won the 1990 Daytona 5001990 in NASCAR
The 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup began on Sunday February 11 and ended on Sunday November 18. Because of a highly controversial penalty to Mark Martin early in the season, Dale Earnhardt with Richard Childress Racing was crowned the Winston Cup champion for the fourth time, edging out Martin by 21...
with Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope is a NASCAR driver. He is best known for his win in the 1990 Daytona 500. He currently drives the #28 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing in the Nationwide Series and the #75 Chevrolet/Dodge for his own team in the Sprint Cup Series.-Early years:Cope was born in San Diego, California...
.
Bill Gardner today is a part of an effort to make a racetrack in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
a success.
His brother, Jim Gardner, died.
The car number 88 is used by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the car is colored green and white similar to the DiGard era.