Larry McClure, NASCAR Team Owner and Innovator, Passes Away at 67
Larry McClure, co-owner of the historic Morgan-McClure Motorsports team, has died at the age of 67 at Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon, Virginia. His family confirmed the news on Wednesday.
Morgan-McClure Motorsports garnered significant acclaim in NASCAR between 1983 and 2012, securing 14 Cup Series victories, including three prestigious Daytona 500 wins. The team achieved its first Daytona victory in 1991 with Ernie Irvan and followed up with wins in 1994 and 1995 featuring driver Sterling Marlin. Notably, Morgan-McClure is among only ten teams to achieve three or more Daytona 500 victories.
The team was known for its iconic No. 4 car adorned with Kodak branding, flourishing primarily on superspeedway tracks while also capturing victories at Bristol, Watkins Glen, Sonoma, Darlington, and Martinsville. Their final win came in 1998 at Martinsville, where Bobby Hamilton dominated the race, leading 378 of 500 laps—a performance noted as the team’s most commanding victory.
Under McClure’s leadership, the team achieved a third-place finish in the NASCAR championship standings in 1995 with Marlin behind the wheel. Notably, NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin was the team’s first driver in 1983, with Irvan’s arrival in 1990 heralding a successful era.
Larry’s legacy extends to his family, as his nephew Eric McClure, who competed in nearly 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, also left a mark on the sport before his untimely passing at 42.
The NASCAR community remembers McClure not only for his team’s achievements but for his lasting impact on the sport and its competitors.
