Morty Buckles is an American racing driver. An
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, Buckles was a member of
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 hi ...
's first
Drive for Diversity
The Drive for Diversity (D4D) program is a development system instituted by the American auto racing league NASCAR. The program's purpose is to attract minority and female individuals to the sport, primarily as drivers, but also including ownershi ...
class after cutting his teeth at the regional racing level. In 2006, Buckles planned to race in the
ARCA Racing Series and
Sprint Cup Series with a team owned by former
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
wide receiver
Terance Mathis
Terance Paul Mathis (born June 7, 1967) is an American former Pro Bowl wide receiver in the NFL. Drafted in 1990 by the New York Jets, he played the majority of his career with the Atlanta Falcons. He last played in the NFL in 2002 with the Pit ...
, but the deal ultimately fell through.
Buckles has a degree in
mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...
from
Southern Polytechnic State University,
and has served as an instructor at the
Richard Petty Driving Experience
Walt Disney World Speedway was a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando.
It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, an ...
.
[
]
History
Early career
Buckles began racing go-karts
A go-kart, also written as go-cart (often referred to as simply a kart), is a type of sports car, close wheeled car, open-wheel car or quadracycle. Go-karts come in all shapes and forms, from non-motorised models to high-performance racing ...
at age six. Driving in the World Karting Association, he won 22 races in his first year and 161 out of 252 total starts. For much of his career, he had to race out of his own pocket, getting the most out of second class equipment and holding his own with local legends. Buckles calls the son of Wendell Scott
Wendell Oliver Scott (August 29, 1921 – December 23, 1990) was an American stock car racing driver. He was one of the first African-American drivers in NASCAR and the first African-American to win a race in the Grand National Series, NASCAR's h ...
, Wendell Scott Jr. his mentor. From 1995 to 1998, Buckles drove in the Sportsman and Late model divisions at Lanier Raceplex. In 1999, he competed in seven PARTS Pro Truck events at Concord Speedway, earning several top 5s and the "Hard Charger" award for passing the most trucks in a race. In 2000, he attended the Skip Barber Racing School
The Skip Barber Racing School is an American racing and driving school. Skip Barber founded the school in 1975.
History
In 1975, Skip Barber started the Skip Barber School of High Performance Driving at Riverside International Raceway. In 1976, ...
and was the fastest in his class.
In 2001, Buckles drove a Pontiac Pontiac may refer to:
*Pontiac (automobile), a car brand
*Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality
**Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...
Late model in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series
The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (formerly the Whelen All-American Series, Winston Racing Series and the Dodge Weekly Series) is a points championship for NASCAR sanctioned local short track motor racing around the United States and Ca ...
for the Miller Racing Group, run by black owners Leonard W. Miller
Leonard W. Miller (born 1934) is one of two black motor racing pioneers living in the United States.
Early life
Miller was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and raised in its suburbs. His lifelong love of automobiles began at age five in 1939 ...
and his son Leonard T. Miller. According to the junior Miller, Buckles possessed the talent "to be the next Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr. (; April 29, 1951February 18, 2001) was an American professional stock car driver and team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notably dri ...
," but that he needed "5,000 practice laps" to be ready for the Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. ...
. In January, the team signed a one-year contract with Dr. Pepper
Dr Pepper is a carbonated soft drink. It was created in the 1880s by pharmacist Charles Alderton in Waco, Texas, and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904. It is now also sold in Europe ...
, with the sponsorship rumored to be as high as $100,000. The deal involved the Rev. Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senator ...
and his Rainbow/PUSH
Rainbow/PUSH is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization formed as a merger of two nonprofit organizations founded by Jesse Jackson; Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) and the National Rainbow Coalition. The organizations pursue socia ...
initiative.[ Buckles reached victory lane in July at ]Coastal Plains Speedway
The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...
, the first black driver to win a 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 hi ...
sanctioned event since Wendell Scott's legendary win (though Darrell Wallace Jr.
William Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. (born October 8, 1993) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 23 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity ...
would go on to get the first series win in one of the three national series since Scott in 2013). After his victory, Morty was sent "straight to the podium...as other competitors 'waved rebel flags at imin defiance.'" Overall, Buckles finished in the top ten in 80 percent of his races.[
Buckles participated in an ARCA Racing Series test session at ]Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR as well as its season opening event. In addition to NA ...
in December 2001 for Bobby Gerhart in a number 7 Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...
. He clocked in at 50.356 seconds (178.727 mph), 19th fastest. Rich Woodland Jr.
Rich Woodland Jr. (born August 5, 1970) is an American former stock car racing driver. He competed in the NASCAR Winston West Series in the mid 1990s, and also made two starts in NASCAR's premier Winston Cup Series.
Career
Born in Templeton, Cali ...
would ultimately drive the car at the Daytona season-opener for 2002.
Drive for Diversity
In 2004, Buckles was selected to be part of 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 hi ...
's first Drive for Diversity
The Drive for Diversity (D4D) program is a development system instituted by the American auto racing league NASCAR. The program's purpose is to attract minority and female individuals to the sport, primarily as drivers, but also including ownershi ...
class for that season, driving the No. 54 National Guard Ford in the Late model division of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series
The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (formerly the Whelen All-American Series, Winston Racing Series and the Dodge Weekly Series) is a points championship for NASCAR sanctioned local short track motor racing around the United States and Ca ...
, splitting the year between Southampton Motor Speedway and Motor Mile Speedway in Virginia. Buckles drove for Belnavis Racing, owned by Roush Racing Roush is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Politics
*Glenn Roush (1934–2020), American politician in Montana
* J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), United States Representative for Indiana, namesake of:
** J. Edward Roush Lake, a re ...
's chief diversity officer Sam Belnavis
Sam Belnavis (August 8, 1939 – July 14, 2021) was an American executive in automobile racing. Belnavis, an African-American, was one of comparatively few ethnic minorities to have owned a NASCAR racing team. He was the head of Roush Fenway Raci ...
(Roush ran the National Guard sponsorship in the Cup Series). The team was also supported by Travis Carter Motorsports
Travis Carter Enterprises (later known as Haas-Carter Motorsports, K Mart Racing, BelCar Motorsports and Richardson-Haas Motorsports) was a NASCAR and USAR Pro Cup team. It was mostly owned by former crew chief Travis Carter and Carl Haas. The ...
(which ran the No. 54 National Guard Ford in the Cup Series the previous season in a partnership with Belnavis). Buckles posted 15 top 10s in 19 races. Later in the year, Buckles participated in a recruitment combine for Roush Racing Roush is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Politics
*Glenn Roush (1934–2020), American politician in Montana
* J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), United States Representative for Indiana, namesake of:
** J. Edward Roush Lake, a re ...
(now Roush Fenway Racing), frequently referred to as '' The Gong Show'', at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Buckles returned to the program and the 54 car in 2005, but was one of several drivers to depart from the D4D program due to feeling limited by the equipment and resources provided to them.
Victory Motorsports
In July 2005, Buckles left the Diversity program to join former NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
wide receiver Terance Mathis
Terance Paul Mathis (born June 7, 1967) is an American former Pro Bowl wide receiver in the NFL. Drafted in 1990 by the New York Jets, he played the majority of his career with the Atlanta Falcons. He last played in the NFL in 2002 with the Pit ...
and his new race team Victory Motorsports, planning to race in the Nextel Cup Series and ARCA Racing Series. Established Cup team Morgan-McClure Motorsports (which received support and engines from Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) is an American professional auto racing organization that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 1984 as All Star Racing by Rick Hendrick. Hendrick Motorsports has won a NASCAR-record 291 Cup Seri ...
) would provide technical support for the new No. 04 Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...
. In a 2005 test session at Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Before 2008 J ...
, Roush Racing Roush is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Politics
*Glenn Roush (1934–2020), American politician in Montana
* J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), United States Representative for Indiana, namesake of:
** J. Edward Roush Lake, a re ...
Cup driver Carl Edwards noticed Morty's performance, saying "Where has this guy been hiding?" Mathis and the 34-year-old Buckles ambitiously planned 20 Cup races and a dozen ARCA races for 2006, but the deal never fully materialized. Buckles attempted one ARCA race at Nashville Speedway
Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway is a motorsport racetrack located at the Nashville Fairgrounds near downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The track is the second-oldest continually operating track in the United States. The track held NASCAR Grand Nati ...
with ST2 Motorsports, failing to qualify in their No. 67 Dodge
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
. Mathis would later attempt to purchase RJ Racing and their No. 37 Dodge
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
team, but that deal would also fall through.
Personal life
Buckles has a wife Maria, also an engineer, and three children (Jada, Jordan, and Justin).
Buckles and his father are family friends of former driver Ken Ragan
Kenneth Ragan (born September 12, 1950) is an American stock car racing driver. Now retired, he formerly competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, and is the father of driver David Ragan.
Career
Ragan made 50 Cup starts from 1982 to 1990, most ...
and current Sprint Cup Series driver David Ragan
David Lee Ragan (born December 24, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 15 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing, and is also an analyst for NASCAR on Fox ...
, both of whom are also Georgia natives. The Buckles relationship with the Ragans goes back to the 1940s, when Morty Buckles' grandfather worked as a mechanic on the race team owned by Ken Ragan's father (David Ragan's grandfather).
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buckles, Monty
Auto racing people
African-American motorsport people
African-American racing drivers
NASCAR drivers
Racing drivers from Georgia (U.S. state)
Racing drivers from Atlanta
People from Stone Mountain, Georgia
Sportspeople from DeKalb County, Georgia
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
21st-century African-American people