Ray Elder
| Ray Elder | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ray Elder | |||||||
| Born | Raymond Marvin Elder August 19, 1942 Caruthers, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | November 24, 2011 (aged 69) Caruthers, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Awards | West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2002 - Inaugural Class) NASCAR Winston West Series champion (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975) | ||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 31 races run over 12 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 48th (1969) | ||||||
| First race | 1967 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside) | ||||||
| Last race | 1978 Los Angeles Times 500 (Ontario) | ||||||
| First win | 1971 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside) | ||||||
| Last win | 1972 Golden State 400 (Riverside) | ||||||
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| ARCA Menards Series West career | |||||||
| 240 races run over 14 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 1st (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975) | ||||||
| First race | 1966 Race 2 (Stockton) | ||||||
| Last race | 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 200 (Riverside) | ||||||
| First win | 1966 Ascot Park 200 Lappers (Ascot Park) | ||||||
| Last win | 1978 Winston Petaluma 100 (Petaluma) | ||||||
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| Statistics up to date as of March 5, 2025. | |||||||
Raymond Marvin Elder (August 19, 1942 – November 24, 2011) was an American professional stock car racing driver. He competed in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Winston West Series.
Elder participated primarily in west coast races at Riverside International Raceway and Ontario Motor Speedway from 1967 to 1978. He won races at Riverside in 1971 and 1972 driving for Fred Elder. Elder won 47 races in the NASCAR Winston West Series, which is the second most all time. He won six NASCAR Western series championships: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, and 1975.
Winning the 1971 Motor Trend 500 race would essentially make him the first winner in NASCAR's "modern" history.
Elder graduated from Caruthers High School, earning Central California All-Star honors in football. His family owned a 240-acre farm about 15 miles southwest of Fresno, and he was joined on his pit crew by his brother and father.