Earl Ross was my first racing hero, I have known Earl for many years, I first met him when he was my dad's foreman at the Ford St.Thomas assembly plant, I also got to see him race many times at Delaware (Ontario) Speedway running in the former CASCAR series.
Montoya's win stirs vivid memories for Earl Ross
Canadian driver last non-American to win in Cup Series
By Beau Estes
June 26, 2007
06:10 PM EDT
In the sun soaked hills of California's wine country Juan Montoya was basking in the glory of his remarkable breakthrough win. Buzzing with the taste of victory, a celebration took place for Montoya and many who've become fans of the aggressive and confident Columbian-born driver.
At the same time, in a remote corner of North America -- world's away, on 50 acres of quiet rolling countryside in Ailsa Craig, Ontario, Canada, a wizened 66-year-old watched on his television set, keen with interest. Blessed to have his family sitting alongside him, the man had a unique perspective on the events unfolding on the screen. Indeed, there is a personal connection.
"This might happen ... how do you feel?" asked his son-in-law Trevor Moore. "It's about bloody time," he roared. And as the laps wound down and the remaining uncertainty became certain he yelled at his set "Finally!" In the world of racing, 33 years is an eternity.
The man is Earl Ross. Prior to Sunday's road course victory for Montoya, Ross was the most recent non-American born driver to win on NASCAR's highest circuit.
The year was 1974 and Martinsville, Va., was the site. "I won that race in Martinsville and it was an experience I certainly won't forget," Ross said. And who could blame him? "The truth is I ran the last 100 laps with no brakes. I told my crew chief Gord McKichan and he hopped in the car to move it then hopped right back out and said, 'You aren't kidding.'"
Ahhh, those were the days in NASCAR. Back when men with names like Petty and Pearson ruled the roost -- and the venerable veteran from Canada raced them all. He's got a few good stories to tell too. "I can remember at Charlotte there was a caution one day and I pulled up alongside of David Pearson and he was just sitting in his car smoking a cigarette," Ross said. "He was a pretty cool customer in those situations."
Then there was the time at Michigan when he finished second to King Richard and just behind Ross was Pearson -- no doubt already drawing on a smoke.
Before jumping into the big league of NASCAR, Ross turned laps mainly in Ontario, but he also ran his car in places like Delaware and Fort Wayne. However, like his successor Montoya, Ross had a dream. "The first time I ever saw a superspeedway was in 1971," he said. "The guy that helped me out said, 'Let's go to Daytona.' When I first saw the place I thought, 'Oh man is that unbelievable.' And just a few years later I was there. It was a dream."
In fact, Ross is right, it was more likely a pipedream before the now defunct Canadian company Carling Breweries stepped in. "In 1974 they wanted me to run a few races down there and it was a pretty good experience for us," Ross said. "Before Daytona the biggest track I had ever raced on was five-eighths of a mile."
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The experience didn't last long though. Carling Breweries decided that its money was better spent funding Ross's all-Canadian team on the Canadian circuit and just as fast as the dream began, it was over.
"I had a chance to stay in NASCAR with five different teams, but in those days drivers were a little more loyal," Ross said. "I had a good time down there but I don't have any regrets."
It's a Catch 22 that still exists today, according to the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Famer. "It's very few non-Americans that get in," Ross said. "American companies do the sponsoring so they want American drivers. It's one of those things, but it makes sense."
However, according to Ross, there are some Canadians that could make some noise on the Nextel Cup circuit. "D.J. Kennington for one -- if he had a good ride down there he could do it," he said. "He is a driver that could get the job done if he had the right team."
Following his cameo south of his Canadian border, Ross ran regularly until the late '70s then, just when he thought his racing career was over, Ford of Canada came calling and lured him back behind the wheel for a run again in the mid '90s.
In 1999, on the 25th anniversary of his win in NASCAR the organizers at Martinsville brought him down to meet some of the drivers from the modern era in celebration of his landmark win. That's when Ross noticed another change in the sport.
"The new drivers seem to be smaller in stature," he said. "Back in my days there was no power steering. In the old days it was arm-strong steering." But he quickly adds that "the drivers today are very talented."
He still watches the races these days when his schedule permits. His life is busied by the recent sale of his metal and aluminum construction company but the end of his working days is in site.
"I'm helping with the transition but after six months to a year I'll just fade off into the sunset," he said.
Still though, perhaps more important endeavors lie ahead.
"I'll probably work on an old '52 Ford Victoria that I've got and a '35 Ford pickup," he said.
And if the Canadian champ met the champ from Columbia what would he say? "I'd tell him congratulations and I hope he wins more," a proud Ross said. "He's pretty darn good at those road races. I think he's still learning on the ovals but he's already doing pretty good on those too."
Ovals like the one Earl Ross made history on 33 years ago.
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