Hut Stricklin
Encyclopedia
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
race car driver. He was born on June 24, 1961, in Calera, Alabama
Calera, Alabama
Calera is a city in Chilton and Shelby counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the location of Birmingham's Shelby County Airport. Its population was 3,158 at the 2000 census, but as of 2010 the population had nearly quadrupled to 11,620 making it the fastest growing city in...
. He married Pam Allison, the daughter of NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
legend 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...
after they were introduced by her cousin Davey. Hut was the last member of the Alabama Gang
Alabama Gang
The Alabama Gang was the nickname for a group of NASCAR drivers who set up shop and operated out of Hueytown, Alabama, near Birmingham, Alabama. In the late 1950s, young auto racer Bobby Allison left Miami, Florida, looking for an area that had more opportunities to race. He discovered central...
.
In 1986, Stricklin won NASCAR's Dash Series Championship. The next year, he made his debut in NASCAR Winston Cup.
Two years later he finished second to Dick Trickle
Dick Trickle
Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged...
in the NASCAR Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Rookie of the Year
The NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the first-year driver that has the best season in a NASCAR season. Each of NASCAR's national and regional touring series selects a RotY winner each year....
championship with car owner Rod Osterlund
Rod Osterlund
Rod Osterlund was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series car owner spanning from 1977–1981, and then again from 1989 - 1991. He earned his money off rental property in California.-Team history:...
. In his sophomore season, he competed in only three events before taking over the driving chores of 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....
's #12 Raybestos Brakes Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
. 1991
1991 in NASCAR
The 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began February 10 and ended November 17. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing was crowned champion at the end of the season. It was his fifth championship.-1991 Team Chart:-Busch Clash:...
turned out to be one of his best seasons yet, as he finished 16th in the championship point standings as well as a career high 2nd place at Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas...
. With eight races left in the 1992 season
1992 in NASCAR
The 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season began on February 9, 1992 and ended on November 15, 1992. Independent owner/driver Alan Kulwicki of AK Racing won the Winston Cup championship in the closest championship battle in NASCAR history to-date....
, Hut left Allison's team and, after a few races driving for Junie Donlavey
Junie Donlavey
W.C. "Junie" Donlavey , is a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner with a team based in Richmond. Rarely fielding a car without his familiar #90, he began fielding his team in 1950. He drove for his team at first, but soon gave way to other drivers...
, he picked up a ride for 1993
1993 in NASCAR
The 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season began on February 7 and ended on November 14. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing won the title, the sixth of his career....
with Junior Johnson
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...
, driving the #27 McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
Ford. In 1994
1994 in NASCAR
The 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on Sunday February 20 and ended on Sunday November 13. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing was crowned champion at season's end, winning consecutive Winston Cups for the third time in his career and tying Richard Petty for the record of most top-level...
, Stricklin paired with owner Travis Carter
Travis Carter
Travis Carter is a former car owner and crew chief in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. He served as crew chief for two decades, winning championships with Benny Parsons and Cale Yarborough in 1973 and 1978, respectively. Carter was the winning crew chief when Parsons won the 1975 Daytona 500. He...
to form a new team, the Number 23 Camel Cigarettes Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. It was a disappointing year with Hut finishing 26th in points.
After Stricklin failed to find a ride for 1995
1995 in NASCAR
The 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on February 12 and concluded November 12. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won his first career championship.- Overview :...
, he served as a consultant for Kenny Bernstein
Kenny Bernstein
Kenny Bernstein is an American drag racer and former NASCAR and IndyCar team owner. He is nicknamed the "Bud King" for his success in the Budweiser King dragster, he has also been nicknamed "The King of Speed," because he was the first driver to break 300 miles per hour in the standing-start...
's rookie driver Steve Kinser
Steve Kinser
Steve Kinser , is a professional sprint car racer. He has won 20 championships in the World of Outlaws series, and currently drives the #11 Bass Pro Shops car. Kinser left the World of Outlaws in 2006 to compete with the National Sprint Tour series, but returned to the World of Outlaws for the...
, a World of Outlaws
World of Outlaws
The World of Outlaws is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning a national tour of sprint cars. It later purchased a national tour of late model stockcars called the World of Outlaws Late Model Series...
Sprint Car champion who was struggling to transition from dirt to pavement. During the season, Kinser resigned, and Stricklin took over, posting five top 10 finishes. Unfortunately the team closed at the end of the year, and Hut had to find a new job.
Hut joined the Stavola Brothers Racing
Stavola Brothers Racing
8--98.194.31.156 16:33, 27 November 2011 Stavola Brothers Racing was a NASCAR racing team, owned by Bill and Mickey Stavola, and operating NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series teams from 1984 through 1998. The team won the 1988 Daytona 500 with Bobby Allison behind the wheel of the #12 Miller High...
#8 Circuit City Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
in 1996
1996 in NASCAR
The 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series started on February 18, 1996 and ended on November 10, 1996 with Terry Labonte pulling off a massive upset and winning his second championship.-1996 Team Chart:-Busch Clash:...
. He had a second-place finish at Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed the "Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition"...
, and ended up 22nd in points that year.
In 1998
1998 in NASCAR
See Also: 1998 in NASCAR Busch Series-1998 Team Chart:-Bud Shootout Qualifier:The Bud Shootout Qualifier, a race for the fastest second round qualifier, from each race from the previous season, was run on February 8 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Sterling Marlin drew the pole...
, Stricklin went between jobs, first driving the #8 car, which closed because of sponsorship woes, then driving substitute duty for David Green
David Green (NASCAR)
David A. Green is a NASCAR driver. He won the Nationwide Series championship in 1994. His two younger brothers, Jeff and Mark have also competed in the NASCAR circuit...
and Robert Pressley
Robert Pressley
Robert Pressley is a former NASCAR driver who is now the promoter at Kingsport Speedway.-Beginnings:...
for the rest of the year.
1999
1999 in NASCAR
The 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on Sunday February 7 and ended on Sunday November 21. Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett was crowned the champion...
presented Stricklin with a new challenge. He was now the crew chief for Gary Bradberry
Gary Bradberry
Gary Bradberry is a race car driver. He raced in the NASCAR All-Pro Series, and had top-ten points finishes from 1990-1993. After that, Bradberry made the jump to major NASCAR leagues...
's #78 Ford for Triad Motorsports. When that team was sold, Hut took over the #58 Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
for businessman Scott Barbour. He posted some of the best finishes of the year for that team, including a top-ten finish at Michigan
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas...
. Despite posting three consecutive DNQs, Stricklin appeared to have found solid footing, as Barbour announced Stricklin would be his driver through 2003, and would have Motorsports Safety Technologies as his sponsor. Unfortunately, sponsorship again plagued Stricklin, as shortly after signing the deal, MST produced a bounced check, causing Stricklin's team to close its doors forever.
In 2000
2000 in NASCAR
The 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on Sunday February 13 and ended on Sunday November 20. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte was crowned champion at season's end. The NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship was won by Ford when they captured 14 wins and 234 points to better Pontiac's 11 wins...
, Stricklin drove for longtime owner Junie Donlavey
Junie Donlavey
W.C. "Junie" Donlavey , is a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner with a team based in Richmond. Rarely fielding a car without his familiar #90, he began fielding his team in 1950. He drove for his team at first, but soon gave way to other drivers...
at the Brickyard 400 and finished 14th. The next year he had a 6th place finish at Michigan. However, sponsor Hills Brothers
Hills Brothers Coffee, Inc.
-History:The company has its origins with the sons of Austin Hills , who was born in Rockland, Maine, in 1823. Austin Hills' business in California was building clipper ships. His three sons were Austin Herbert Hills , Earnest Hills, and Reuben Wilmarth Hills I , although Earnest was involved in...
wanted to find a new team, and they both moved to Bill Davis' #23 Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
.
In 2002
2002 in NASCAR
The 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup began on Saturday, February 10, and ended on Sunday, November 17. Tony Stewart with Joe Gibbs Racing was crowned the Winston Cup champion. The NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship was captured by Ford after winning 14 events, and gaining 245 points over second place...
, Stricklin struggled and was soon released. That was the last year that he drove a NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
race.
He now owns Stricklin Auto & Truck Parts in Cleveland, North Carolina.
Stricklin was a stunt driver for the movie Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder is a 1990 American auto racing film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes and Michael Rooker. The film also features appearances...
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Lemonds Body Shop in Riverchase, Al was his paint shop.