John Holman (November 9, 1918 – December 28, 1975) was an American

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

owner. He is most famous for his co-ownership of two time NASCAR championship team

Holman-Moody Holman-Moody is an American racecar manufacturer, marine engine manufacturer and former auto racing team. The company currently operates out of Charlotte, North Carolina, but is no longer a race team. Holman-Moody continues to manufacture racing v ...

with

Ralph Moody Ralph Moody (September 10, 1917 – June 9, 2004) was an American stock car racer. He eventually became a team co-owner of Holman Moody. Background He built his first Model T Ford race car in 1935, and ran it on nights and weekends. He served ...

Early career

He was born in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

. After the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Holman began a career as a tool and die maker and as a shipyard worker. After the war, he became a trucker. He assembled a Mack truck between shipments. He was hired in 1952 by Clay Smith and Bill Stroppe to drive their parts truck to each leg of the 1952 Mexican Road Race, and to stay ahead of the racing team. The team won the race, and they hired Holman as a full-time mechanic and parts man after the race to work in their

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

shop. Smith was killed in a racing accident at

DuQuoin, Illinois Du Quoin ( ) is a city in Perry County, Illinois, Perry County, Illinois. It is best known for hosting the annual DuQuoin State Fair and the Street Machine Nationals. The population is estimated at 5,761 in the 2020 census. Geography Du Quoin is ...

in 1954, and Stroppe took over. Holman continued to work for him until 1956. Holman was hired by

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

to run their factory shop in

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

Holman-Moody

Ralph Moody was the mechanic, manager, and star driver of

1925 Indianapolis 500 The 13th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1925. Race winner Peter DePaolo became the first driver to complete the 500 miles in under five hours, and have an average over 100 ...

winner

Pete DePaolo Pete DePaolo (April 6, 1898 – November 26, 1980) was an American race car driver who won the 1925 Indianapolis 500. Biography Peter DePaolo was born on April 6, 1898, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pete saw his first race in 1919, where he w ...

's Ford factory-sponsored stockcar racing facility in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

. The drivers formed a partnership after the American Manufacturers' Association banned Ford's factory partication in stockcar racing in June 1957. The move unemployed both men. They decided to pool their resources, and formed Holman-Moody. The team became one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history, after racking up 92 wins and two championships before Moody sold his interests to Holman. Ironically, Holman-Moody invested in the Bill Stroppe organization in 1965 and the Long Beach facility at 2190 Temple Avenue became Holman-Moody-Stroppe. Holman died of a heart attack in 1975 while testing a new intercooler. Holman Moody history
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Career awards

Motorsports Hall of Fame of America The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) is hall of fame that honors motorsports competitors and contributors from the United States from all disciplines, with categories for Open Wheel, Stock Cars, Powerboats, Drag Racing, Motorcycles, ...

John Holman
at the

(2005)

References

Holman Moody NASCAR owner's statistics
*"The John Holman Story of the GT40 at LeMans" www.autoquarterly.com/gt40.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Holman, John 1918 births 1975 deaths NASCAR team owners People from Nashville, Tennessee