DALLAS, N.C. – Everyone mourns the loss of a loved one, and whether it is a parent, sibling, cousin, or a close friend, everyone has their own way of coping with the situation.
Local short-track racer and Dallas, N.C. native Adam Vandiver chose to do it through racing, a sport his ancestors took part in on a national stage in the past.
Adam’s father, Tom Vandiver, and uncle, Jim Vandiver, were among the top independent NASCAR Grand National Series (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) performers throughout the 1970’s.
With Jim behind the wheel and Tom turning the wrenches, they were a team to beat alongside factory teams such as the Wood Brothers, Petty Enterprises and Junior Johnson & Associates.
Jim Vandiver had career highlights that included a third-place finish in the 1972 Daytona 500 and a runner-up effort in the 1969 Talladega 500. In all, he collected five top-five and 24 top-10 finishes in just 85 career top-level NASCAR starts.
He is also the only undefeated driver at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in the ARCA Menards Series, with victories in both 1970 and again in 1975.
When his father Tom passed away in January, Adam was in the process of building a new race car, and decided to have his car wrapped in memory of his father and his uncle.
“When Dad passed away about five months ago, I decided to do one side of the car the design of mine and his first car … and the other side a design like him and his brother’s NASCAR Grand National Series car from back in the 70’s.”
Even though Adam Vandiver was not born during the heyday of his elders’ career, he was quick to recall all the amazing stories he heard growing up.
“I’ve heard more crazy stories than anyone will ever know,” Adam Vandiver laughed. “I guess that is where I get my wild side from.”
Having been around his family from an early age, Adam Vandiver knew he would end up being in a race car one day, because racing was big in the household.
“The influence in racing growing up was huge; it was all I was ever brought up in,” he noted.
Vandiver made his debut in the car at East Lincoln Speedway for the $1,000-to-win Stock 4 race on Saturday night and said in advance of the event he would do whatever it took to win.
Though he came up one spot short and finished second, the younger Vandiver was still pleased with his effort.
“It would have meant a lot to win this race tonight, and I said going into it that I would tear it up if I had to, but it was a solid night,” he said. “Winning was the only thing on my mind, and even though we came up just shy of that, we still had a great run for this car.”
Vandiver made laps over the weekend with a heavy heart and a special color scheme, but the racer’s mentality placed inside him by his father told him to race as hard as he can in pursuit of a checkered flag.
“There’s no give up here,” said Vandiver. “That was the one of the biggest things my dad always taught me.”