Joe Weatherly

Joe Weatherly, American race car driver (died 1964)

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Born: May 29, 1922
Died: January 19, 1964
Zodiac sign: Gemini
Birth year: 1922

About Joe Weatherly

Joseph Herbert Weatherly (May 29, 1922 – January 19, 1964) was an American stock car racing driver. Weatherly was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009 after winning NASCAR's Grand National Series championships in 1962 and 1963, three AMA Grand National Championships, and two NASCAR Modified championships. == Personality == Weatherly enjoyed behaving outrageously. He once took practice laps wearing a Peter Pan suit. Moreover, he frequently stayed out partying until the early hours, usually with fellow driver and friend Curtis Turner. This behavior earned him the nickname the "Clown Prince of Racing". In 1956 at Raleigh, while racing in the convertible series, Weatherly's engine blew. With the help of Ralph Liguori pushing from behind, he displayed showmanship to the fullest extent by crossing the finish line while standing in a "chariot of fire". == Motorcycle career == Weatherly won three American Motorcycle Association (AMA) nationals between 1946 and 1950, including the prestigious Laconia Classic 100 Mile road race in 1948. In 1998 he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Career and life highlights

Weatherly began racing cars in 1950. "Little Joe" won the first modified event that he entered.
Weatherly won 52 more races in 1953 and won the Modified National crown again.
He won 49 of the 83 car races that he entered that season.

Joe Weatherly timeline

1946Weatherly won three American Motorcycle Association (AMA) nationals between 1946 and 1950, including the prestigious Laconia Classic 100 Mile road race in 1948.
1950Weatherly began racing cars in 1950. "Little Joe" won the first modified event that he entered.
1953Weatherly won 52 more races in 1953 and won the Modified National crown again.
2009Weatherly was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009 after winning NASCAR's Grand National Series championships in 1962 and 1963, three AMA Grand National Championships, and two NASCAR Modified championships.

The world when Joe Weatherly was born

Joe Weatherly was born in 1922. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1922

#1 song"Chicago" – Fred Fisher
Top movieNosferatu
Best-selling bookUlysses – James Joyce

Headlines and milestones

Major sports momentGene Sarazen wins the U.S. Open at age 20
Top headlineMussolini marches on Rome and seizes power in Italy
Technology milestoneBBC begins radio broadcasts
Defining fadCrossword puzzles
Notable inventionWater skiing invented in Minnesota
World population1.90 billion

United States snapshot

U.S. leaderWarren G. Harding
Sports championNew York Giants (World Series)
U.S. population110.0M

1922 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Joe Weatherly's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure	1922	2026
Gas	$0.25	$3.45/gal
Average home	$5,600	$435,000
Average income	$3,270	$67,500
Movie ticket	$0.15	$11.95
Postage stamp	$0.02	$0.73
Population	110.0M	341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Driver Database, Wikidata. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.