Former NASCAR Driver Gary Myers Dead at 76: Racing Legend’s Sudden Passing Shocks Fans

Former NASCAR driver Gary Myers, revered patriarch of the storied Myers racing family, died Thursday night at age 76, according to his son. Myers’ passing ends a remarkable chapter in North Carolina short-track lore, but his legacy continues to power search interest far beyond Bowman Gray Stadium. A Winston-Salem native, Myers broke onto the NASCAR Winston Cup Series scene in the mid-1970s, balancing national starts with weekly wars at the legendary quarter-mile oval nicknamed “The Madhouse.” Over his career he captured 38 feature victories at Bowman Gray, a total that still ranks among the venue’s all-time best. His aggressive, crowd-pleasing style made the blue No. 4 Modified a Saturday-night fixture and helped transform the Myers surname into a motorsports brand. The family tradition he started now spans four generations. Sons Burt and Jason Myers became champions in their own right, while grandson Slate recently logged his first Stadium victory—bringing the clan’s combined win total to more than 240 races. Fellow competitors often credit Gary’s mentorship—and his famous “elbows-up” driving lessons—for keeping the Myers dynasty front and center in southern short-track racing. Beyond the grandstands, Myers was a respected engine builder and a regular at local charity shows, where he displayed the same quick wit that once helped settle feuds in the pit lane. Tributes poured in across social media overnight, with Bowman Gray officials calling him “an irreplaceable link between NASCAR’s past and present,” and fans sharing grainy VHS clips of last-lap bump-and-runs that still live rent-free in Stadium folklore. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced, but the family has asked supporters to honor Myers by “filling every seat” when the Modifieds return to Bowman Gray next weekend—a fitting salute to a racer who never missed a green flag. As search traffic skyrockets for “former NASCAR driver Gary Myers,” expect his life story to introduce a new audience to the raucous world of Saturday-night NASCAR roots racing and to remind longtime fans why the Myers name will keep echoing through the Winston-Salem turns for decades to come.