1929: DeWayne “Tiny” Lund, one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers, is born. Lund — nicknamed Tiny as a humorous contrast to his 6-foot-6, 275-pound frame — was a three-time champion in the former NASCAR Grand American division for “pony” cars. Lund won the 1963 Daytona 500 in dramatic fashion as a substitute for Marvin Panch in the Wood Brothers Ford. Just weeks earlier, Panch had crashed a Maserati sports car during a test at Daytona International Speedway. Lund and other bystanders helped free Panch from the burning wreck, earning Lund the Carnegie Medal of Honor for his heroism. The injured Panch suggested to team owner Glen Wood that Lund drive the No. 21 in the 500, and Wood agreed. A grandstand at the Daytona track is named in Lund’s honor.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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