Raymond Beadle was an American nitro funny car and dragster racer, as well as a prolific auto racing team owner.

In the sport of drag racing, Beadle's 'Blue Max' cars he won three consecutive NHRA funny car

Funny Car

Funny Car is a drag racing car class. In the United States, other "professional" classes are Top Fuel, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Funny cars have forward-mounted engines and carbon fiber automotive bodies over the chassis, giving them an appearance vaguely approximating manufacturers'...

 championships from 1979 to 1981 and three IHRA

IHRA

IHRA may refer to:*International Human Rights Administration*International Hot Rod Association*International Hotel & Restaurant Association*International Human Rights Association*International Harm Reduction Association*Illinois Human Rights Act...

 funny car championships - 1975-6 and 1981.

In NASCAR, Raymond Beadle owned a NASCAR Winston Cup team from 1983 to 1990, winning the 1989 Winston Cup Championship with driver Rusty Wallace. His team's car number was always #27 and his car was usually a Pontiac.

Drag Racing Career

NASCAR Owner

Beadle entered NASCAR Winston Cup as a team owner in 1983 by buying out the equipment of M.C. Anderson, continuing with Anderson's #27 number.

He started with sponsorship from Old Milwaukee

Old Milwaukee

Old Milwaukee is an American lager-style beer currently brewed and owned by Pabst Brewing Company. The Old Milwaukee marquee is used by a family of products which includes Old Milwaukee, Old Milwaukee Light and Old Milwaukee Non-Alcoholic.-History:...

 beer and driver Tim Richmond

Tim Richmond

Tim Richmond was an American race car driver from Ashland, Ohio. He competed in IndyCar racing before transferring to NASCAR's Winston Cup Series . Richmond was one of the first drivers to change from open wheel racing to NASCAR stock cars full-time, which has since become an industry trend...

. Mixed success followed for Beadle's Blue Max Racing team.

When Richmond moved to Hendrick Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...

 in 1986, Beadle picked up Rusty Wallace

Rusty Wallace

Russell William Wallace, Jr. is a past NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, currently a broadcaster on ESPN, car owner in the Nationwide Series, and a co-host of NASCAR Angels.-Early racing career:...

. In its penultimate year of operation, the team won the 1989 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...

 Winston Cup title, with Wallace driving the #27 Kodiak

Kodiak tobacco

Kodiak is a brand of dipping tobacco manufactured by American Snuff Company, a U.S. smokeless tobacco manufacturer that also produces the Grizzly tobacco and Levi Garrett brands...

 Pontiac. Jimmy Makar was the chassis specialist during that 1989 championship.

The 1989 championship year was reportedly marked with acrimony between Wallace and Beadle. However, Wallace was stuck with the team for 1990 due to his contract.

For 1990, the Kodiak sponsorship moved to Hendrick Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...

 to sponsor the #25, and Beadle's team was sponsored by Miller Genuine Draft beer. The four-year sponsorship deal was specifically tied to Rusty Wallace, meaning it went where the 1989 champ went as well.

By June 1990, Wallace had chosen to leave Beadle's team, and he landed at Penske Racing

Penske Racing

Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...

for 1991, bringing the Miller beer sponsorship with him.

Beadle's team suspended operations and left Winston Cup at the end of the 1990 season.

Awards

• Ranked 20th on the National Hot Rod Association Top 50 Drivers, 1951-2000
• Member of the 11th class of inductees into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame
• 2006 recipient of the Bruton Smith Legends Award in the Texas Motor Sports Hall of Fame
• American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association's All-American team in 1980