It has been made public that legendary NASCAR driver David Pearson, nicknamed "The Silver Fox," suffered a stroke on December 9. The stroke, which occurred on the left side of his brain, was only a mild one, Pearson's family said on Wednesday. They say he is "80 to 85 percent recovered" but is still undergoing therapy for his left arm and leg. A full recovery for Pearson is expected soon, to the delight of the NASCAR community.
Pearson, 80, has the second-most wins of any driver in the Sprint Cup Series, with 105 visits to victory lane between 1963 and 1980. The only driver with more wins is 200-time winner Richard Petty. Pearson and Petty had something of a rivalry in the 1960s and '70s, finishing first and second with each other a total of 63 times (with Pearson having the edge 33-30), and even crashing with each other off the final turn of the 1976 Daytona 500, which Pearson won with a damaged car. Pearson earned 43 of his wins in the Wood Brothers' #21 car. That car and the Petty #43 car are regarded as the most famous NASCAR cars in the sport's history. However, Pearson's success has been largely overshadowed by Petty's, but that didn't prevent Pearson from getting into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011.
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