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Steve Grissom
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Steve Grissom
Steven Paul Grissom (born June 26, 1963) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He was the 1993 Busch Series champion and has eleven Busch wins in 185 starts. Grissom turned down a chance to play football at the University of Alabama to focus on a career in racing.
Grissom began his racing career in his youth, working on cars with his father Wayne, who was a sponsor of short track drivers in their home state of Alabama. He soon began racing cars himself, balancing that with being captain of his high school football and basketball teams in 1981. He eventually joined the Winston All-Pro Series, and won the championship in 1985. The next season, he was nominated for Alabama Pro Athlete of the Year.
Grissom made his Busch Series debut in 1986 at the Freedlander 200, in the No. 31 Oldsmobile owned by his father. He started sixteenth but finished 30th due to engine failure. He ran three more races over the next two years, his best finish being an eleventh. In 1988, he moved into the series full-time. Despite a lack of major sponsorship, Grissom had four top-tens and finished thirteenth in points. In 1989, he landed funding from Texas Pete Sauces, and moved to twelfth in points.
In 1990, Grissom won four races, including two straight, and finished third in points behind Chuck Bown and Jimmy Hensley. During the season, Grissom ran one Winston Cup race for Dick Moroso at the Atlanta Journal 500, starting 23rd and finishing 24th. A lack of funding kept Grissom from competing for the championship in 1991, as he had one win and slid back to tenth in points. After Channellock and Roddenberry's came on board in 1992, Grissom regained his success of 1990, winning two races. He clinched the Busch Series championship in 1993 for his family-owned team. Grissom won the championship by 253 points over Ricky Craven.
In 1993, Grissom ran an additional Cup race for Diamond Ridge Motorsports at Phoenix International Speedway, finishing 29th. Grissom signed with Diamond Ridge to compete for Rookie of the Year honors in 1994. Despite struggles in qualifying, Grissom had three Top 10's and was narrowly defeated by Jeff Burton for Rookie of the Year. Diamond Ridge also bought Grissom's Busch Series operation, and running a part-time schedule Grissom won twice and finished 26th in points in 1995. Grissom had four top-tens in the 1995 Cup season, finishing 27th in points; he started the season running in the top-ten points early on in the year. Grissom started 1996 off on a high note, winning the season-opening Busch Series race driving the WCW car, but he was released from Diamond Ridge after the Miller 400 race midway through the season.
For 1997, Grissom signed on with Larry Hedrick Motorsports. Grissom started the year winning the outside pole for the Daytona 500. As the season progressed, he finished in the top-ten six times and finished a career-high 21st in points.
Grissom experienced a major crash during the Primestar 500 in 1997 when his No. 41 Chevrolet slid into the inside wall and flipped on the roof. The gas tank detached from the car and flew across the racetrack, spilling gasoline, which subsequently ignited a fire by friction with Mike Wallace's car. Grissom was taken to the infield medical center and released 45 minutes later, suffering only a sore ankle. The fire was extinguished and the racing resumed about an hour later with 44 laps remaining.
After he struggled throughout the 1998 season, he was released from his ride and ended the season driving the No. 96 for American Equipment Racing.
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Steve Grissom
Steven Paul Grissom (born June 26, 1963) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He was the 1993 Busch Series champion and has eleven Busch wins in 185 starts. Grissom turned down a chance to play football at the University of Alabama to focus on a career in racing.
Grissom began his racing career in his youth, working on cars with his father Wayne, who was a sponsor of short track drivers in their home state of Alabama. He soon began racing cars himself, balancing that with being captain of his high school football and basketball teams in 1981. He eventually joined the Winston All-Pro Series, and won the championship in 1985. The next season, he was nominated for Alabama Pro Athlete of the Year.
Grissom made his Busch Series debut in 1986 at the Freedlander 200, in the No. 31 Oldsmobile owned by his father. He started sixteenth but finished 30th due to engine failure. He ran three more races over the next two years, his best finish being an eleventh. In 1988, he moved into the series full-time. Despite a lack of major sponsorship, Grissom had four top-tens and finished thirteenth in points. In 1989, he landed funding from Texas Pete Sauces, and moved to twelfth in points.
In 1990, Grissom won four races, including two straight, and finished third in points behind Chuck Bown and Jimmy Hensley. During the season, Grissom ran one Winston Cup race for Dick Moroso at the Atlanta Journal 500, starting 23rd and finishing 24th. A lack of funding kept Grissom from competing for the championship in 1991, as he had one win and slid back to tenth in points. After Channellock and Roddenberry's came on board in 1992, Grissom regained his success of 1990, winning two races. He clinched the Busch Series championship in 1993 for his family-owned team. Grissom won the championship by 253 points over Ricky Craven.
In 1993, Grissom ran an additional Cup race for Diamond Ridge Motorsports at Phoenix International Speedway, finishing 29th. Grissom signed with Diamond Ridge to compete for Rookie of the Year honors in 1994. Despite struggles in qualifying, Grissom had three Top 10's and was narrowly defeated by Jeff Burton for Rookie of the Year. Diamond Ridge also bought Grissom's Busch Series operation, and running a part-time schedule Grissom won twice and finished 26th in points in 1995. Grissom had four top-tens in the 1995 Cup season, finishing 27th in points; he started the season running in the top-ten points early on in the year. Grissom started 1996 off on a high note, winning the season-opening Busch Series race driving the WCW car, but he was released from Diamond Ridge after the Miller 400 race midway through the season.
For 1997, Grissom signed on with Larry Hedrick Motorsports. Grissom started the year winning the outside pole for the Daytona 500. As the season progressed, he finished in the top-ten six times and finished a career-high 21st in points.
Grissom experienced a major crash during the Primestar 500 in 1997 when his No. 41 Chevrolet slid into the inside wall and flipped on the roof. The gas tank detached from the car and flew across the racetrack, spilling gasoline, which subsequently ignited a fire by friction with Mike Wallace's car. Grissom was taken to the infield medical center and released 45 minutes later, suffering only a sore ankle. The fire was extinguished and the racing resumed about an hour later with 44 laps remaining.
After he struggled throughout the 1998 season, he was released from his ride and ended the season driving the No. 96 for American Equipment Racing.
