Clifton Burton "Coo Coo" Marlin (January 3, 1932 – August 14, 2005) was 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 h ...
Winston Cup driver who spent 14 years in the series.
Local track history
Marlin earned a name for himself at the short tracks in
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...
and
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = " Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
, running against
Red Farmer,
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison (born December 3, 1937) is a former American professional stock car racing driver and owner. Allison was the founder of the Alabama Gang, a group of drivers based in Hueytown, Alabama, where there were abundant short tracks ...
, and
Donnie Allison. He was a four-time track champion at Nashville Speedway USA (now
Music City Motorplex).
Marlin was a speedway favorite with a lot of kids during the 1960s. He drove a fire-engine red 1964
Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala () is a full-size car built by Chevrolet for model years 1958 to 1985, 1994 to 1996, and 2000 to 2020. The Impala was Chevrolet's popular flagship passenger car and was among the better-selling American-made automobiles in ...
, No. 711, and was the first real "hero" to many youngsters. During this time, he and his racing "nemesis," Charlie Binkley No. 125, continuously thrilled audiences with their often tense finishes. Marlin was always available for photos and autographs in the pits after a race. His brother, Jack Marlin, was also a crowd favorite.
Grand National and Winston Cup career
Marlin advanced to part-time rides on the NASCAR Grand National circuit, starting with one race in 1966 and three in 1967. He ran more of the schedule as the series changed from Grand National to Winston Cup, but he never competed in more than 23 races in any season. He never won a race in his 165 Winston Cup starts from 1966 to 1980, but he had nine top 5 and 51 top 10 finishes, with many of those starts in a car numbered 14. However, in 1973, Marlin won a non points race, with one of the Duel races at Daytona that year.
[Coo Coo Marlin page of Racing-reference websit]
retrieved May 21, 2007.
Death
Marlin died in his hometown of Columbia, Tennessee on August 14, 2005 of
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...
at the age of 73.
Son's use of number 14 as memorial
Shortly after Marlin's death, his son
Sterling
Sterling may refer to:
Common meanings
* Sterling silver, a grade of silver
* Sterling (currency), the currency of the United Kingdom
** Pound sterling, the primary unit of that currency
Places United Kingdom
* Stirling, a Scottish city w ...
was in negotiations with
MB2 Motorsports to drive the team's second car for 2006. The team was unable to retain the No. 10 (which was to be used by
Evernham Motorsports for 2006), so MB2 was looking for a new number. A still-grieving Sterling found the No. 14 available (
ppc Racing's defunct Nextel Cup team had been the last to use it) and had MB2 request the No. 14, which was granted. It was run to honor his father during his year and a half with the team until his unexpected release from
Ginn Racing mid-way through the 2007 season, after the team merged with
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) was a race team founded by Dale Earnhardt and his wife, Teresa Earnhardt, to compete in the NASCAR series, the highest level of competition for professional stock car racing in the United States. From 1998 to 2009, t ...
The No. 14 is now run by
Chase Briscoe, his owner and former driver
Tony Stewart who chose the number for his
own race team in honor of AJ Foyt, a childhood hero of his.
Motorsports career results
NASCAR
(
key) (
Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Grand National Series
Winston Cup Series
=Daytona 500
=
References
External links
ESPN Obituary*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marlin, Coo Coo
1932 births
2005 deaths
Deaths from lung cancer
NASCAR drivers
People from Columbia, Tennessee
Deaths from cancer in Tennessee
Racing drivers from Tennessee