Clay Morgan Shepherd (born October 12, 1941) is an American retired professional

stock car racing Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...

driver and current team owner. He last competed part-time in the

NASCAR Xfinity Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...

, driving the No. 89

Chevrolet Camaro The Chevrolet Camaro is a mid-size American automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, classified as a pony car. It first went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed to compete with the Ford Mustang. The Camaro ...

for Shepherd Racing Ventures. He is a

born again Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

who serves as a lay minister to the racing community. He competed in NASCAR for over 50 years, having one of the longest careers in the sport. Shepherd became the second-oldest race winner (after Harry Gant) in 1993, when he won the spring race at

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

at the age of 51 years, 4 months, and 27 days. He holds the record for oldest driver to start a race NASCAR's top three series at age 77, as well as oldest starter in the NASCAR Cup Series race at the 2014 Camping World RV Sales 301 at age 72.

Racing career

Career before NASCAR

Shepherd's racing career began in 1967 when he started racing

Late model A late model car is a car which has been recently designed or manufactured, often the latest model. (An early model car or classic car is a car old enough to be of historical interest; there is no usual intermediate term.) The precise definition ...

s at

Hickory Motor Speedway Hickory Motor Speedway is a short track located in Hickory, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most storied venues, and is often referred to as the "World's Most Famous Short Track" and the "Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars". The t ...

nearby his home. Shepherd proved to be fast but he crashed out quite often in his early days. In 1968, Shepherd started racing full-time at a Hobby division in Hickory, driving a 1955

Chevy 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 oust ...

. That year Shepherd won 21 out of 29 races. The next year Shepherd drove the same car this time with a 1957 Chevy body on the car. After winning seven races early in the year he wrecked, which almost destroyed his car. Shepherd did not win another race that year after putting a 1966 Chevy body on the car. Shepherd later sold this car to Harry Gant. Shepherd's career was on its way in 1970. He built his own cars and raced at several different racetracks in the Southeast. Personal problems during the seventies slowed down Shepherd's career. In a

religious experience A religious experience (sometimes known as a spiritual experience, sacred experience, or mystical experience) is a subjective experience which is interpreted within a religious framework. The concept originated in the 19th century, as a defens ...

, Shepherd accepted

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

as his personal savior. He was looking to get control of his life, and his career got back on track in 1975. Shepherd took every racing opportunity he was offered and drove for 17 different car owners during 1975. He finished second in the NASCAR Sportsman national championship to L. D. Ottinger. At last, Shepherd got his big break in 1978 after he met Cliff Stewart, who owned a western North Carolina furniture factory. With Stewart as his owner, Shepherd won the 1980 NASCAR Sportsman Series (now known as the

Xfinity Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...

). During this year, Shepherd won 9 races and finished second 21 times. The Shepherd-Stewart combo moved to what was then the

Winston Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the 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 1971 ...

for the 1981 season.

Winston Cup Series

Early days

Shepherd made his Winston Cup Series debut in

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...

, driving the No. 93

for Bill Flowers. He started tenth but finished nineteenth out of twenty-two cars due to rear-end failure. Shepherd made two more starts for Flowers that year but failed to finish in both of them. His best finish that year was a fourteenth place at Hickory. Shepherd would not return to the Cup Series until 1977, driving a Mercury for Jim Makar. He first attempted the Daytona 500 that year but he failed to make the race. Later that year Shepherd took his first top-ten finish at

Dover International Speedway Dover Motor Speedway (formerly Dover Downs International Speedway and later Dover International Speedway) is a race track in Dover, Delaware. The track has hosted at least one NASCAR Cup Series race each year since 1969, including two per year ...

. He also ran two additional races at

Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (previously known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009) is a motorsport complex located in Concord, North Carolina, outside Charlotte. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing includin ...

and

Atlanta Motor Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly known Atlanta International Raceway from 1960 to 1990) is a 1.54-mile entertainment facility in Hampton, Georgia, United States, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has annually hosted NASCAR Cup Series ...

. Shepherd stayed with Makar for the 1978 season, qualifying for his first Daytona 500. Shepherd started the race in 37th place but only finished 40th when his engine failed after only eight laps. He only ran one additional race that season, finishing twelfth at

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 ...

. Shepherd only attempted the Daytona 500 with Makar in 1979, but failed to make the race.

Full-time Cup Series switch

Shepherd moved to the Winston Cup Series full-time in 1981, driving the No. 5

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 ...

for Cliff Stewart. They missed the first two races of the season, Riverside and the Daytona 500. Shepherd took pole position in his first race for Stewart at

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, finishing the race in fourth position. A few races later Shepherd won his first Winston Cup race at Martinsville. The win marked the first win for Pontiac in 18 years. Shepherd dominated the race and led a total of 203 laps. Shepherd left Stewart's team after the

Talladega 500 The GEICO 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. The race is usually held in April or May. The 1997 event stands as the fastest NASCAR race to date ever run with an average speed of ...

after he had a falling out with his team. For the next race at Michigan Shepherd drove for Bud Reeder his team. Shepherd qualified in the fourteenth position but retired from the race after he crashed on lap twenty. For the next couple of races Shepherd drove for Cecil Gordon and his team, finishing in the top ten at

North Wilkesboro North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States, approximately 80 miles north of Charlotte. The population was 4,131 at the 2020 US Census. North Wilkesboro is the birthplace and original home of Lowe's Home Improvemen ...

and

. During the last part of the season, Shepherd also drove some races for Ron Benfield. Shepherd finished thirteenth in points with ten top-ten finishes. Shepherd moved to Benfield's team full-time in

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

, driving the No. 98

Buick Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...

. Although Shepherd did not win a race that season, he scored six top-five finishes with a best finish of third at

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

early in the season. Shepherd also won the pole at

Nashville 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 the ...

and

, respectively, but retired from both those races with engine troubles. Shepherd finished tenth in points that season with a total of thirteen top-ten finishes. Shepherd started the 1983 season without a full-time ride. He tried to qualify for the Daytona 500 driving for Bud Reeder; however, he failed to make the race. Shepherd then drove the Richmond 400 for Wayne Beahr but did not finish the race. Shepherd returned to Cecil Gordon for the

TranSouth 500 The Goodyear 400 is a NASCAR Cup Series race held at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. A race was held in May at the track in 1952, however the event did not become a regular one on the NASCAR schedule until 1957, as a race in th ...

and later drove the

Virginia National Bank 500 The NOCO 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. It is the first of two Cup Series races at the track, the other one being the Xfinity 500 in the NASCAR playoffs. The race was ...

for

Emanuel Zervakis Emanuel Zervakis (January 23, 1930 – June 25, 2003) was a NASCAR driver and team owner. He won two NASCAR Grand National Series races in his career, both in 1961 (Greenville 200 and Yankee 500). He later went on to own a part-time Cup team ...

. After that race, Shepherd drove for

Jim Stacy James D. Stacy (March 27, 1930October 12, 2016), frequently referred to as Jim Stacy or J.D. Stacy, was an American entrepreneur and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series race car owner whose career spanned 1977 to 1983. His first race as an owner w ...

's team for the rest of the season. Shepherd scored thirteen top-ten finishes during the rest of the season, with a best finish of second at

Firecracker 400 The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Daytona International Speedway. First held in 1959, the event consists of 160 laps, , and is the second of two major stock car events held at Daytona on the Cup Series cir ...

. His abbreviated season dropped Shepherd to twentieth in the final points standings.

Going from ride to ride

For the next couple of years, Shepherd did not have a full-time ride and practically picked up whatever he could find. Shepherd started off his 1984 season at

driving the No. 2

for Robert Harrington. Shepherd drove two races for Charlie Henderson early in the season. He also drove four races for

Dick Bahre Dick, Dicks, or Dick's may refer to: Media * ''Dicks'' (album), a 2004 album by Fila Brazillia * Dicks (band), a musical group * ''Dick'' (film), a 1999 American comedy film * "Dick" (song), a 2019 song by Starboi3 featuring Doja Cat Names ...

his team, with a best finish of seventeenth at the

1984 World 600 The 1984 World 600, the 25th running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on May 27, 1984. A souvenir program from this race cost $4 ($ when adjusted for inflation). Background Charlotte Motor Speedway was d ...

. Shepherd made one start for Phil Barkdoll at

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

finishing the race in the 22nd position. After driving the No. 6

for D. K. Ulrich and the No. 52

for

Jimmy Means James Means (born May 29, 1950) is a retired American racing driver and owner, who competed in the Winston Cup Series as an owner-driver. He is currently an adviser for Front Row Motorsports and owns his own team, Jimmy Means Racing. He compe ...

, Shepherd drove six races for

Roger Hamby Roger Hamby (born July 2, 1943 in Ferguson, North Carolina) is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and NASCAR team owner whose career spanned from 1977 to 1981. He was one of the runners-up for the 1978 NASCAR Rookie of the Year award and ...

. Shepherd had two top twenty finished for Hamby, with a best finish of twelfth at

. Shepherd made another start for Ulrich at

, before rounding off the season driving the No. 98 Chevy for Ron Benfield. Shepherd scored his only top ten finish that season at Rockingham, finishing in sixth position. Shepherd finished his first Daytona 500 in 1985, driving the No. 67

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

for

Buddy Arrington Buddy Rogers Arrington (July 26, 1938 – August 2, 2022) was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner. Racing career Arrington has the second-most starts without a win, and finished in the top 10 of NASCAR points twice; in 1 ...

. Shepherd spent the rest of the season going from ride to ride. He returned to the team of Dick Bahre, driving the No. 23 Chevy at Rockingham. He also made a start for Petty Enterprises at the

. Shepherd fielded his own car at Talladega, finishing the race in thirteenth place. Shepherd made four races for Bobby Hawkins, with a best finish of fifth at

. He made most of his starts that season for Helen Rae Smith, but failed to finish all of those seven races. Shepherd moved to the team of Jack Beebe in

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

, driving on a part-time basis. He had a good start to the season, finishing fourth at the 1986 Goodwrench 500. At the next race in

, Shepherd led 97 laps and held off Dale Earnhardt to win his second career Winston Cup race. Shepherd got very emotional at the final laps of the race. "I was trying not to cry. I knew I had to keep my self-control because we were so close to finally winning a big one, a major race. My racing career was nearly gone just a year before, and I was getting ready to win a big one." Shepherd made ten more starts for Beebe that season, scoring four top-ten finishes. After making several starts for RahMoc Enterprises mid-season, he moved to the team full-time after the

Southern 500 The Southern 500, officially known as the Cook Out Southern 500 for sponsorship reasons, is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, United States. The race distance is and consists of 367 laps. Fro ...

. Shepherd scored two additional top-ten finishes for RahMoc Enterprises and finished the season eighteenth in points.

Late 1980s and early 1990s

Shepherd joined King Racing for the 1987 season, driving the No. 26

Quaker State Quaker State is an American brand of motor oil produced by Shell, the US-based division of Shell plc since 2002,Buick Lesabre The Buick LeSabre is a full-size car made by the division Buick of General Motors from 1959 until 2005. Prior to 1959, this position had been retained by the full-size Buick Special model (1936–58). The "LeSabre", which is French for "the sa ...

owned by drag racing legend

Kenny Bernstein Kenneth Dale Bernstein (born September 6, 1944) is an American drag racer and former NASCAR and IndyCar team owner. He is nicknamed the "Bud King" for his success in the Budweiser King funny car and dragster. He has also been nicknamed the ...

. It was the first time in Shepherd's Cup career that he competed in every scheduled event. Shepherd scored eleven top-ten finishes; seven of those were in the top five. He also scored his fourth career pole st Martinsville. He led the early part of that race but retired after engine problems. His best finish of the season was at the

Coca-Cola 600 The Coca-Cola 600, originally the World 600, is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on a Sunday during Memorial Day weekend. The first race, held in 1960, was also the first on ...

, where Shepherd finished second to

Kyle Petty Kyle Eugene Petty (born June 2, 1960) is an American former stock car racing driver, and current racing commentator. He is the son of racer Richard Petty, grandson of racer Lee Petty, and father of racer Adam Petty, who was killed in a crash d ...

. Shepherd switched to Tom Winkle's team for the

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

season. Shepherd had a good start to the season, with a pole at

and a top-ten at Rockingham. However, after that race Shepherd started racing for his own team, driving a Buick. After failing to finish a race with his own team he moved to

Mach 1 Racing Mach 1 Racing was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series team. It was owned by Hollywood stuntman Hal Needham and actor Burt Reynolds. The team made its debut in 1981, fielding the No. 22 Skoal Pontiac driven by Stan Barrett. Barrett ran ten races for t ...

, replacing the injured Harry Gant. Shepherd led 110 laps at

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

, eventually finishing second to Bill Elliott. After Gant returned Shepherd again replaced an injured driver, this time Neil Bonnett at RahMoc Enterprises. In his first race for this team, at Pocono, Shepherd took his second pole of the year. After posting two top-tens in the No. 88

Oldsmobile Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produ ...

for Buddy Baker, Shepherd finished out the year in his own No. 57, before his team was purchased by RahMoc for the season finale. MorganShepherd75car1989

He returned to RahMoc for the 1989 season. Shepherd scored thirteen top-ten finishes during the season. He led the most laps at the Talladega DieHard 500 but eventually finished the race in sixth place. Shepherd took his final career pole at Watkins Glen. He led the early parts of that race but lost his chance of winning the race after contact with

Geoff Bodine Geoffrey Edwin Bodine (born April 18, 1949) is a retired American motorsport driver and bobsled builder. He is the oldest of the three Bodine brothers (with Brett Bodine and Todd Bodine), and sister Denise. Bodine lives in West Melbourne, Florid ...

. Shepherd's best finish of the season was two second-place finishes at the

Pepsi 400 The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Daytona International Speedway. First held in 1959, the event consists of 160 laps, , and is the second of two major stock car events held at Daytona on the Cup Series ci ...

and the

Champion Spark Plug 400 The NASCAR Cup Series has held stock car races annually at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan since 1969. Traditionally, the track held two Cup Series races, one in June, around Father's Day weekend and another in August. The ...

. It was only the second time in his career Shepherd competed in every scheduled event. He finished thirteenth in the final points standings. Shepherd moved to

Bud Moore Engineering Bud Moore Engineering, later Fenley-Moore Racing, was a championship-winning NASCAR team. It was owned and operated by mechanic Bud Moore and ran out of Spartanburg, South Carolina. While the team was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1980s, the ...

for the

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

season, driving the No. 15

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

. He had a great start to the season finishing in the top ten in each of the first eleven races. Shepherd took the championship lead for the first (and only) time in his career after the Budweiser 500. He had a difficult midseason, losing the points lead and dropping to tenth in the standings after the

Tyson Holly Farms 400 The Tyson Holly Farms 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car race held annually from 1949 to 1996 at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in Wilkes County, North Carolina. It was the second of two Winston Cup Series races held annually (with the ...

. Shepherd ended his season on a high after winning his third career race at the season finale at

. He finished fifth in the final points standings, which would turn out to be a career-high. He stayed with Bud Moore for the

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

season, but had a more up and down season than the year before. Although Shepherd scored fourteen top-ten finishes he could not compete for regular top-five finishes during the season. His best finish of the season was two third-place finishes late in the season. He had his best run of the season at

, where Shepherd led a total of 41 laps and just missed out on the win. Shepherd dropped to twelfth in the final points standings. After the season Shepherd left Bud Moore Engineering and moved to the Wood Brothers for the

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

season.

Wood Brothers Racing

Shepherd joined

Wood Brothers Racing Wood Brothers Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was formed in 1950 by eponymous brothers Glen and Leonard Wood. From 2006 to 2008, the team was merged with Tad a ...

in 1992, driving the No. 21 Citgo Ford. He came short of winning the Daytona 500, finishing second to

Davey Allison David Carl Allison (February 25, 1961 – July 13, 1993) was an American NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the No. 28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was th ...

. Even though Shepherd scored eleven top-ten finishes during the season he dropped to fourteenth in the final points standings. Shepherd had a good run at

early in the season, where he led 52 laps, but he dropped back at the end of the race. Shepherd improved to seventh in points in 1993. Shepherd scored a total of fifteen top-ten finishes during the season. He became the second-oldest race winner when he won the spring race at

at the age of 51 years, 4 months, and 27 days. Shepherd took the race lead with 12 laps to go and cruised across the finish line. It turned out to be Shepherd's final Winston Cup Series win. The Wood Brothers would not return to Victory Lane until

Elliott Sadler Elliott William Barnes Sadler (born April 30, 1975) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing. Sadler is one of 36 dr ...

won the

Food City 500 The Food City Dirt Race is an annual 250-lap, NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. This is one of two NASCAR races held at Bristol, the other being the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. It was the ...

in 2001. Shepherd continued his good run for the Wood Brothers in

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

. He equaled his career-best top-tens in one season with sixteen, nine of those were top-five finishes. Shepherd came close to winning his fourth race at

, but just came short and finished second to

Ernie Irvan Virgil Earnest "Ernie" Irvan (born January 13, 1959), occasionally referred to as Swervin' Irvan, is an American former professional stock car racing driver. A retired NASCAR competitor, he is best remembered for his comeback after a serious head ...

. Shepherd also came close to winning the

Mello Yello 500 The Bank of America Roval 400 is a NASCAR Cup Series race that is held annually at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, United States, with the other one being the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, the race. As of the 201 ...

at the end of the season but was passed by

Dale Jarrett Dale Arnold Jarrett (born November 26, 1956) is a former American race car driver and current commentator for NBC. He is best known for winning the Daytona 500 three times (in 1993, 1996, and 2000) and winning the NASCAR Winston Cup Series champi ...

during the last four laps of the race. Shepherd finished sixth in the final points standings with a career-best 4029 points in a season. Shepherd stayed with the Wood Brothers for the

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

season. He had a decent season but dropped to eleventh in the points standings. Shepherd scored ten top-ten finishes during the season. He had his best run at Loudon, where Shepherd finished second to

Jeff Gordon Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, who is the Vice Chairman for Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick M ...

. After the 1995 season, Shepherd was replaced by Michael Waltrip, as Citgo wanted a younger driver. At that time Shepherd was 53 years old.

Late 1990s and career decline

Shepherd signed for

Butch Mock Motorsports Rahmoc Enterprises is a former NASCAR Winston Cup team that operated from 1978 to 1993. The team was owned by long-time engine builder Bob Rahilly and Butch Mock. Butch Mock and Bob Rahilly split in 1992, with the race team becoming Butch Mock ...

to drive for them in the 1996 season, driving their No. 75

with sponsorship from

Remington Arms Remington Arms Company, LLC was an American manufacturer of firearms and ammunition, now broken into two companies, each bearing the Remington name. The firearms manufacturer is ''Remington Arms''. The ammunition business is called ''Remingto ...

. Shepherd scored five top-tens during the season, with a best finish of fifth at the

Brickyard 400 The Brickyard 400 was an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The inaugural race was held in 1994 and was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the Indianapolis Moto ...

. He also had a good run going at the Miller 400, where Shepherd led 44 laps in the early part of the race. Shepherd finished nineteenth in the final points standings. Despite a solid season, Shepherd decided to leave the No. 75 team at the end of the season. 1996 would also turn out to be Shepherd's last season where he competed in every scheduled event. Shepherd moved to

Precision Products Racing Precision Products Racing (PPR) was a NASCAR team that competed regularly from 1990 to 1998. It was owned by Richard Jackson and based in Asheville, North Carolina. The team officially closed after the 2001 season following a part-time schedule ...

for the 1997 season, driving the No. 1

. Shepherd finished tenth at the

Goodwrench Service 400 The Subway 400 was the second race of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series season until 2004, held a week after the Daytona 500. This 400-mile (644 km) annual race was sponsored by Subway and was held at North Carolina Speedway (''The Rock'') since ...

, scoring his first top-ten of the year. He had his best run of the season in

. Shepherd looked strong all race and was a contender for the win, but eventually he finished the race in third place. This was Shepherd's last top-five finish in Winston Cup competition. Shepherd finished ninth at the

. This would turn out to be Shepherd's last top ten finish in Cup racing. After the

Pocono 500 The Pocono Organics CBD 325 was a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held annually at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The race was the first of two NASCAR Cup Series races at Pocono Raceway, with the other being the Pocono 350, held th ...

, Shepherd left Precision Products Racing and switched to

Jasper Motorsports Jasper Motorsports was a NASCAR Winston Cup team. It was owned by a variety of owners including D.K. Ulrich and Doug Bawel. 1970s–1980s The car started in 1971 at what turned out to be the only Winston Cup race at Smoky Mountain Raceway ...

, driving their No. 77 Ford. Shepherd struggled at Jasper Motorsports and only managed to qualify for five of the eleven races he entered with the team. After failing to qualify for the Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400, he departed and rejoined PPR, now with

R+L Carriers R, or r, is the eighteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ar'' (pronounced ), plural ''ars'', or in Irela ...

sponsorship. His best finish for the rest of the season was a twelfth place at

Talladega Superspeedway Talladega Superspeedway, nicknamed “'Dega”, and formerly named Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS) from 1969 to 1989, is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base ...

. After beginning 1998 without a ride, Shepherd brought out his own team to attempt the races at Rockingham,

and

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

, but his No. 05 Pontiac failed to qualify in all three races. In the following race at Bristol, Shepherd drove the No. 46

First Union First Union Corporation was a bank holding company that provided commercial and retail banking services in eleven states in the eastern U.S. First Union also provided various other financial services, including mortgage banking, credit card, inv ...

Chevy for

Team SABCO The NASCAR operation of Chip Ganassi Racing was established in 1989 by Felix Sabates, a Cuban immigrant who was a self-made millionaire distributing products such as Teddy Ruxpin and Sega video game systems. The team was known as SABCO Racing, f ...

, finishing 24th, before substituting for Mike Skinner for two races, finishing eleventh at Martinsville. Shepherd also had a good run at Talladega, where he qualified in fifth place. After another race for SABCO and a one-off deal for

Stavola Brothers Racing Stavola Brothers Racing was a NASCAR racing team, owned by Bill and Mickey Stavola, and operating NASCAR Winston Cup team from 1984 through 1998. The team won the 1988 Daytona 500 with Bobby Allison behind the wheel of the No. 12 Miller High Lif ...

Michigan International Speedway Michigan International Speedway (MIS) is a moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than approximately south of the village of Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is ...

, where he finished 43rd, Shepherd spent most of the season with

LJ Racing LJ Racing was a stock car racing team that competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series between 1997 and 2000. Owned by Joe Falk, the team posted a best finish of fifth with driver Todd Bodine, and a best Winston West Series finish of second with Mi ...

, his best finish 15th at the

. He left the team late in the season and closed the year in the No. 8 Chevy for the Stavola Brothers. Shepherd had a good run and was running in the top ten, until he made contact with

and wrecked, finishing 39th. Shepherd attempted the 1999 Daytona 500 for Pinnacle Motorsports, but he failed to make the race. He made his only Cup start that season the following week at North Carolina in the No. 90

Ford Taurus The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from the 1986 to 2019 model years. Introduced in late 1985 for the 1986 model year, six generations were produced over 34 years; a brief hiat ...

for

Donlavey Racing Donlavey Racing was a stock car racing team that competed from 1950 until 2002 in the NASCAR NASCAR Cup Series, Winston Cup Series. It was owned by Junie Donlavey and ran a total of 863 races in NASCAR. Donlavey Racing used a number of makes and n ...

, where he started 39th and finished 32nd, five laps down. In May 1999, Shepherd announced he was partnering with Rhea Fain to field the No. 05

Wendy's Wendy's is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas (1932–2002) on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Its headquarters moved to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of December 31, 2018, Wendy's was t ...

Pontiac. After the team failed to qualify for the

, the partnership dissolved, and Shepherd failed in each of his attempts to qualify for a Cup race that season. Shepherd only attempted one race in

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

, driving the No. 80 Ford for

Hover Motorsports Hover Motorsports was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series team. They last attempted a race at the 2006 Daytona 500, when they fielded the No. 8Roadloans.comFord Taurus for Carl Long, but failed to qualify. They were planning to partner with Peak Fitness ...

in the season finale at

. He failed to make the race as Shepherd set the 49th-fastest time in qualifying. Shepherd returned to Hover Motorsports for the 2001 Daytona 500, but failed to qualify. Shepherd also attempted the season finale at Loudon driving for his own team, but he failed to make the race.

Cup return with his own team

Shepherd started racing for his own team on a part-time basis in

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

, driving the No. 89

. He attempted his first race at Loudon, qualifying in 43rd position. Shepherd finished the race in 40th position. As his team practically received no sponsorship money, Shepherd was unable to compete for full races and he often had to park early to save money and resources. At the next race in Pocono, Shepherd qualified 43rd and finished 42nd, after leading during a rain delay. He made six more attempts in the No. 89 and qualified for three of them, with his best finish of 40th at

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

. Shepherd also made two additional starts for

Ware Racing Enterprises Rick Ware Racing (RWR) is an American motorsports team which currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the NTT IndyCar Series. History The organizational roots of RWR date back to Ware & Sons Racing with ...

, but he failed to make the race at

and Talladega. Shepherd had to cut back on his Cup schedule in 2003 and only attempted seven races that year. He started his season at the

, but was the slowest car in qualifying and did not make the race. Shepherd did make the race at the New England 300 where he parked after 43 laps and finished in last position. He qualified in 42nd-place at the next race in Pocono, but only run for 44 laps and finished in 43rd. Shepherd attempted four additional races that season but failed to make any of those races. For the 2004 season Shepherd Racing Ventures switched to

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 ...

. The team increased their schedule, attempting 32 of the 36 races. Shepherd had a good start to the season, qualifying for the first race he attempted at

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

. The No. 89 team did not have sufficient sponsorship money to complete the races, so Shepherd sometimes had to park his car early to save money. Shepherd had his best run at the spring race of Martinsville, finishing in 32nd position. Shepherd last finished a Cup race in 1999. Shepherd also ran the full race at the summer

Daytona Daytona refers to the city of Daytona Beach, Florida, or things named after it. Daytona may also refer to: Locations * Daytona Beach Shores, Florida * South Daytona, Florida * The Daytona Beach metropolitan area * Halifax area, also known as Da ...

race, finishing in 33rd place. Shepherd qualified for 19 races that year. Shepherd started his 500th Cup start at the

Siemens 300 The Crayon 301 is a 301 lap ( annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. Christopher Bell is the defending winner, having won it in 2022. History The race has been traditionally ...

at the

New Hampshire International Speedway New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire, which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since 1990, as well as the longest-running motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nicknamed "The Magic Mil ...

. He qualified in 41st position and finished in 40th place after running 192 of the 300 laps. He finished 42nd in the final points standings. As Shepherd and his team received almost no money from sponsors whatsoever, they had to cut back on their

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

schedule. Shepherd attempted to qualify for the 2005 Daytona 500 but missed the race after he was caught up in a wreck during the

Gatorade Duels The Bluegreen Vacations Duel, formerly known as the Twin 125s, is a NASCAR Cup Series preliminary event to the Daytona 500 held annually in February at Daytona International Speedway. It consists of two races, which both serve as a qualifying rac ...

. This was a big blow to Shepherd's season as he needed the prize money to compete in all the races. Shepherd qualified for the next race he entered at

. This was a much-needed break as his team needed the prize money to keep racing. Shepherd eventually managed to qualify for four of the 21 races he entered that season. He finished 63rd in the 2005 points standings. Shepherd's struggles continued in

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

. His team had to cut on their schedule and only entered 15 races that year. Shepherd failed to qualify for the first 9 races he entered in 2006. He made his first race of the year at the

Chevy Rock & Roll 400 The Federated Auto Parts 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia, being the second of two races at the track with the first one being the Toyota Owners 400 in the spring. As of 2020 ...

, where he finished 43rd. The following week, he qualified for the

Sylvania 300 The ISM Connect 300 was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series stock car race that was , traditionally held in mid-September at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, the other one being the Ambetter 301 in July. The New England ...

and finished 42nd. Shepherd failed to make any additional races for the rest of the year. He finished 66th in the final points standings. Shepherd shut down his cup team after the season and moved to the

Busch Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...

for 2007.

Oldest driver to start Sprint Cup race

Shepherd ran the Camping World RV Sales 301 at

New Hampshire Motor Speedway New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a Oval track racing, oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire, which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since 1990, as well as the longest-running motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nickna ...

for Brian Keselowski Motorsports, his first Sprint Cup race since 2006, becoming the oldest driver to race in the Sprint Cup at an age of 71 years, nine months and two days, and breaking the previous record held by

Jim Fitzgerald James Francis Fitzgerald (March 27, 1926 – June 4, 2012) was an American businessman and former professional sports owner, best known as a former owner of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors, both NBA teams. Early life Fitzge ...

, who ran at

Riverside International Raceway Riverside International Raceway (sometimes known as Riverside, RIR, or Riverside Raceway) was a motorsports race track and road course established in the Edgemont area of Riverside County, California, just east of the city limits of Rivers ...

in 1987 at age 65. Shepherd started 41st and finished in the same spot in a start-and-park effort, completing 92 of 301 laps. Shepherd attempted to make the 2014 Daytona 500 in the No. 93 for

BK Racing BK Racing was an American professional stock car racing team that fielded entries in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series from 2012 to 2018. It most recently fielded the No. 23 Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion for J. J. Yeley, Gray Gaulding, and o ...

in collaboration with

MacDonald Motorsports MacDonald Motorsports (MMS) was a NASCAR team owned by former NASCAR Sprint Cup series driver Randy MacDonald, his mother, Pat MacDonald and his daughter Jenifer MacDonald. Craftsman Truck Series MacDonald made its NASCAR debut in 2000 at Dayto ...

, but failed to qualify. Had he made the race, he would have been the oldest driver in Daytona 500 history. At the following race at

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, Shepherd drove

Joe Nemechek Joseph Frank Nemechek III (born September 26, 1963) is an American professional stock car racing driver who last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 24 Toyota Supra for Sam Hunt Racing. Nemechek has made the second mos ...

's No. 87 Toyota, extending his record as the oldest driver to compete in a Cup Series race. Shepherd also ran the 2014 Camping World RV Sales 301 for

Circle Sport Racing Circle Sport Racing was an American professional stock car racing team that competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The team was formed in 2011 as LTD PowerSports, fielding the No. 50 for T. J. Bell, and later in 2012, the team fielded t ...

. He was the subject of a

Joey Logano Joseph Thomas Logano (born May 24, 1990), is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 22 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, and part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Ser ...

complaint when the 24-year old Logano was involved in an accident with Shepherd. Logano argued, "I feel like there should be a driving test before you get out in a Cup car to make sure you know how to drive before you drive one ... If you're 10 laps down, what are you even doing?" NASCAR defended Shepherd, saying his speed was monitored and he ran at a reasonable pace. Logano was credited with a 40th-place finish while Shepherd, who was the last car running, albeit 27 laps behind the leaders, finished 39th. Shepherd had last finished a Cup race at the

2004 Pepsi 400 The 2004 Pepsi 400 was the 17th race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. It was held on July 3, 2004 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won the race from the pole position and a ...

Xfinity Series

Driving for Ed Whitaker and Lindy White

MorganShepherdChevroletMilwaukeeMile2009DNQ

89MorganShepherd2010Bucyrus200RoadAmerica

89 Morgan Shepherd Turn 13 2012 Road America Sargento 200

Shepherd made his Busch Series debut at

, the series' inaugural season. That year, he drove twelve races for

Ed Whitaker Charles Edward (Ed) Whitaker (June 27, 1939 – August 22, 2014) was an American stock car racing, stock car team owner. A native of Bristol, Virginia, he fielded a team in the NASCAR Busch Series for 20 seasons, with drivers including Dale Earnha ...

. At Hickory, Shepherd won his first race in only his second start in the series. Later that season, he won at

Indianapolis Raceway Park Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (formerly Indianapolis Raceway Park, O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, and Lucas Oil Raceway) is an auto racing facility in Brownsburg, Indiana, United States, about northwest of Downtown Indianapolis, do ...

. Shepherd scored a total of eight top-five finishes that season, also earning the pole position twice. Despite only starting twelve of the twenty-nine races in the schedule, Shepherd finished eleventh in the final points standings for that year. In 1983 Shepherd drove 18 races for Whitaker, winning at Bristol and

Richmond International Raceway Richmond Raceway (RR) is a , ''D''-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in unincorporated Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Known as ...

, but dropping to eighteenth in the final standings. Additionally, Shepherd started from the pole at

. For 1984 Shepherd moved to Lindy White Racing. Shepherd finished in the top-ten six times that season, winning a total of three races at Bristol,

, and Martinsville. He stayed with Lindy White for 1985 but had a difficult season. Due to mechanical problems Shepherd only finished three of the eleven races he started that season. Shepherd had his best Busch series season in 1986, winning four races, all of them for Whitaker. He won at Martinsville,

and Rockingham. Shepherd also made his first start for his own team at Martinsville, but retired at lap 133 due to steering problems.

Driving for his own team

Shepherd continued to enter his own car for the 1987 season, driving the No. 97

. He started the year with a fifth-place finish at

. A few races later at

, Shepherd won his first race of the season. At

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

he drove the No. 68

for Dale Shaw. Shepherd dominated the early part of the race but retired from the race on 101 after an axle broke on the car. At

Road Atlanta Road Atlanta (known for sponsorship reasons as Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta) is a road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, United States. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur spo ...

Shepherd scored his second win of the season. It was the only time in his career that he won on a road course. At

Shepherd led 42 laps but finished second to Harry Gant. Shepherd won final race of the season at Rockingham after a photo finish with

. Shepherd struggled in the

season as his team was afflicted by mechanical issues and crashes throughout the year; An engine failure at

after Shepherd led the early laps, retiring from the lead at

after transmission problems, a crash at

Nazareth Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...

after leading 31 laps and another engine failure at

after Shepherd had led the early part of that race. The highlight of the season was a lone win at

after Shepherd took the lead with 7 laps to go. It was the final Busch win of Shepherd's career. Shepherd cut back on his Busch schedule in 1989, only running two races in his No. 97. He also made two starts for David Pearson, winning the pole at

. Shepherd dominated the early part of that race but retired halfway through the race after having handling issues. In

Shepherd made three starts in his No. 97

with a best finish of third at Rockingham. He also made nine starts for Mike Swaim finishing fourth at Nazareth and Loudon. For

Shepherd increased his schedule to sixteen races with sponsorship from Texas Pete Sauces. His season, however, was plagued by mechanical problems and Shepherd only finished four races, with a best of fifth at

. After he ran three races in his No. 97 Ford in

, Shepherd renumbered his car to match the No. 21 he drove for the Wood Brothers in the Cup series. Shepherd had a good run going at Loudon but retired after 203 laps. His best finish of the season was a third-place at Charlotte. Shepherd continued to race his No. 21 Ford till the

season. He struggled to get results and could only score three top-ten finishes in sixteen races.

Substitute driver

Shepherd made two starts for

Bobby Jones Racing Moy Racing, formerly PRW Racing and Bobby Jones Racing, was an auto racing team owned by former Ford Motor Company employee Joseph Reilly which fielded entries in the NASCAR Busch Series. Drivers who piloted the Moy Racing Ford include Jimmy Kitche ...

in the 1996 season, but he failed to finish any of those races. Shepherd returned to Jones for two races in 1997 with a best finish of sixteenth at Bristol. Shepherd also entered his own car for two races but only managed to qualify for the race at

. In 1998 Shepherd made one start for Mac Martin at

Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

. Shepherd also entered his own car for two races but failed to qualify for both of those races. For 1999 partnered with Bruce Hanusosky to form High Tech Performance. The team planned to run at least fifteen races but after Shepherd failed to qualify for the first two attempts the partnership dissolved. Later that season Shepherd made two attempts for Ed Whitaker but he failed to qualify for those races as well. Shepherd joined

Xpress Motorsports Xpress Motorsports was a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team. The team won the Truck Series championship in 2002 and 2003 with Mike Bliss and Travis Kvapil, respectively. The team was owned by Steve Coulter until 2004, when he sold the team to then ...

for the race at Rockingham and qualified in the eleventh position. In the race, Shepherd scored his most recent top-ten finish with a 10th-place finish. For the next two seasons, Shepherd attempted occasional races with different owners but he failed to make any of those races. Shepherd joined

Davis Motorsports JD Motorsports, is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. It is owned and operated by Johnny Davis. It currently fields two Chevrolet Camaro SS teams: The No. 4 for Bayley Currey and ...

for the 2003 season, driving their No. 0 and No. 70

. Shepherd qualified for 10 of 12 races he entered with the team. His best finish was an 11th-place finish at Talladega. Later in the season, Shepherd partnered with Dayne Miller. Shepherd only qualified for 4 of the 10 races he entered with Miller. In 2004 Shepherd made 9 attempts with a bunch of different teams. Shepherd only qualified for two races and he failed to finish any of those. In

Shepherd returned to Davis Motorsports and made five starts in a start and park effort.

Forming his own team

After several years of competing part-time for several teams, Shepherd began fielding his No. 89 in 2007. Shepherd would start and park the majority of the schedule but did qualify for 16 of the 20 races he attempted in his self owned Dodge. He also ran 5 races for

JD Motorsports JD Motorsports, is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. It is owned and operated by Johnny Davis. It currently fields two Chevrolet Camaro SS teams: The No. 4 for Bayley Currey and ...

. For 2008, Shepherd announced intentions to run the full Nationwide Series schedule for the first time in his career. While he would miss the opening race at Daytona, Shepherd would rebound, making the next 7 races before missing the race at Mexico City. The following week at Talladega, Shepherd would finish 13th, his best finish in the series since 2003. It would also elevate the 89 team to the top 30 in points, locking them into the races. Unfortunately, 2007 would end on a sour note, with Shepherd and team missing 4 of the final 5 races of the season. 2009 would see a big change come to the team, with Shepherd leaving Dodge, who he had been with primarily since 2004, and joining Chevrolet. At Daytona, Shepherd would secure a starting spot in the race, his first Daytona February start in the series since 1994. The first half of 2009 would see Shepherd only miss races, and score a best finish of 13th at Las Vegas. The second half of the season would once again prove difficult, missing 11 races. 2010 would start with mixed results, a strong showing at Daytona was followed by two straight DNQs. Shepherd and his team would receive a big break. Following the release of

John Wes Townley John Wesley Townley (December 31, 1989 – October 2, 2021) was an American professional stock car racing driver. He competed in NASCAR's Xfinity and Truck Series from 2008 to 2016, winning a race in the latter in 2015. Townley's father Tony is a ...

from

Richard Childress Racing Richard Childress Racing (RCR) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by Richard ...

Zaxby's Zaxby's is an American chain of fast casual restaurants offering chicken wings, chicken fingers, sandwiches, and salads. The chain operates primarily in the Southern United States and has more than 900 locations. Most Zaxby's restaurants are owne ...

, which is owned by Townley's father, cut back sponsorship of the 21 team. Childress would make a deal with Shepherd and his team, Faith Motorsports. The alliance would run as Shepherd Racing Ventures and would allow Shepherd to drive the 21 car to keep it up in owner points, as well as run full-time with limited sponsorship from Zaxby's. The 89 Faith Motorsports Chevy would run as a start and park effort when Shepherd was behind the 21. For 2011, the 89 would return full-time under the Shepherd Racing Ventures moniker, with the RCR/SVR 21 becoming the 89. This would guarantee the 89 into the first 5 races of the season. 2011 would be one of his strongest seasons, running all 33 races, as well as having sponsorship for the majority of the season. However, Shepherd and team's success would turn sour late in the season, as mechanical failures and accidents would plague Shepherd. During the 2011 Wypall 200 at Phoenix, Shepherd was en route to his best finish of the season. However, he was caught up in a late incident. The

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

season turned out to be a real struggle for Shepherd. The team lacked owner points and Shepherd had to qualify on time for the races. Because of that, they missed ten races. The team also lacked sponsorship and in most races the team only had one set of tires and could only run the race for as long as that set of tires lasted. Shepherd only finished 2 races that season. He did become the oldest driver to lead a Nationwide Series race when he led 3 laps at Richmond. Shepherd dropped to 29th in the final point standings. Shepherd's struggles continued in

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

. Before the start of the season

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 ...

cut the Nationwide field to 40 cars. This was a big blow to Shepherd and his team as it was now even harder to qualify for the races. After failing to qualify for the first two races he attempted that season, Shepherd announced that the lack of sponsorship forced him to scale back on his schedule. He stated that he did not know if or when he would be attending another race event in 2013 due to non-funding. Shepherd returned at

, but again failed to make the race. Shepherd did qualify for the next race at Talladega, but retired on lap 72 because of a fuel pressure problem. He would qualify for seven additional races that season, finishing only once at the fall race at Dover. Shepherd became the oldest driver to lead a Nationwide Series race at the age of 70 when he led 3 laps in the 2012 Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at

. Shepherd extended this record when he led one lap in the 2016

Sparks Energy 300 The Ag-Pro 300 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series race held at Talladega Superspeedway, a 300-mile race. It is held annually before the NASCAR Cup Series race, the GEICO 500. From its inception in 1992 through 1996, the race was held in the summer, as ...

. Shepherd was 74 during this race, he again extended the record when he led during the 2016

Subway Firecracker 250 The Wawa 250 Powered By Coca-Cola is a NASCAR Xfinity Series race that is held at Daytona International Speedway. Scheduled as a race, it is held the night before the NASCAR Cup Series' Coke Zero Sugar 400, and was run on Independence Day weeken ...

at Daytona. The record was extended once more during the 2017

VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 Stock car racing events in the NASCAR Xfinity Series has been held at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina since the series' inaugural season in 1982. Currently, the track holds two races in the spring (as companion to Rebel 400 ...

at the

Darlington Raceway Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located in Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed "The Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition." It is ...

at age 75.

Personal life

According to Shepherd, he had a spiritual awakening on February 23, 1975. After years of extramarital affairs and excessive drinking, he was returning from

Speedweeks Daytona Speedweeks presented by AdventHealth is a series of racing events that take place during January and February at Daytona International Speedway. Traditionally leading up to the Daytona 500, in 2021 it concluded with the Daytona road cour ...

when he discovered that his third wife had left him. Following a week of partying, Shepherd awoke that Sunday and vowed to change his life for the better, explaining in a 2005 interview, "When I got done praying, I'm not kidding you, I felt like I could jump straight through the roof. It was like a load was taken off of me and life has not been the same since." Shepherd has been married to his sixth wife, Cindy since 1994. He has six children and ten grandchildren. When not at the race track, Shepherd is involved in several religious causes, and also hosts a charity event for disabled Americans during the offseason. In 2008, one of his sons, Clay Morgan Shepherd Jr., was arrested and charged for indecent behavior toward children and showing child pornography to young children. According to the prosecution, Clay had sexually exposed himself to four girls between the ages of seven and 11, along with fondling an eight-year old girl. Two of the victims were related to Clay. He would take a plea deal, serving six months in jail and having to be labeled a sex offender for the next 10 years. In response, Morgan would say that the punishment was deserved and that he advocated for more prison time for Clay, saying that "He needs to face God's vengeance and justice, too. I feel like some justice has been done here, but I feel like he should have been given more jail time." In November 2020, Shepherd revealed that he had been diagnosed with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Grand National Series

Sprint Cup Series

=Daytona 500

Xfinity Series

Camping World Truck Series

Season still in progress
Ineligible for series points

ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series

(

) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shepherd, Morgan Living people 1941 births People from Wilkes County, North Carolina Racing drivers from North Carolina NASCAR drivers NASCAR team owners ARCA Menards Series drivers American evangelicals American Speed Association drivers Richard Childress Racing drivers