The ageless Red Farmer, a co-founding member of the famed "Alabama Gang" was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame Friday night along with six-time Talladega winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the late Mike Stefanik.
The 89-year-old Farmer, who is estimated to have more than 800 career race wins, was born in Hialeah, Florida. Farmer is better known as an original member of the famed "Alabama Gang" after relocating to Hueytown and teaming up with fellow Florida transplants Bobby and Donnie Allison and Alabama's Neil Bonnett.
Farmer's first NASCAR race was run in 1953 at Daytona Beach... yes, when they actually used to race ON the beach. He raced against some of NASCAR's earliest superstars, such as Lee Petty, Fireball Roberts, Tiny Lund and Joe Weatherly. Today he suits up at short tracks around the country primed to take on the sport's era of next superstars. Farmer races Saturday nights at the Talladega Short Track. Last year he raced against three of his grandsons.
"I finished sixth in the points standings," Farmer said. "One of my grandsons was seventh, another eighth and the other was tenth. I enjoy it. I enjoy it going out there and still racing just like you might play golf, enjoy being out there Saturday with with your buddies. That's the same way with my racing. I've got something I enjoy doing. I love to do it."
Farmer has quite a trophy room. He was the 1956 NASACAR Modified Champion, the Late Model Sportsman Champion (today's NASCAR Xfinity series) from 1969-71 and a two-time ARCA series winner at Talladega Superspeedway (1984 & 1988)
"It was a special deal because I was driving car number 28," Farmer said of the win in 1988. "And my crew chief calling the shots on the radio was Davey Allison. So that was special to me that it was Davey's car and I was driving his car and Davey was calling the shots from the pits and stuff like that."
Farmer also finished fourth in the 1974 Talladega 500 in a car he built in his backyard in Hueytown.
Farmer has been sidelined by a couple of recent heart surgeries, but he says it's only a temporary setback. Oh, did we mention he's 89 years old?
"I'm feeling great really. I feel a lot better," Farmer said. "They put a new valve in it. I guess at my age... I'll be 90 on my next birthday. And things wear out. I just replace 'em. So that's what you gotta do. I've had both shoulders and a knee replaced from working that brake pedal and wore out both shoulders steering that steering wheel for 75 years, but I still enjoy it, so I can't wait to open up Talladega Short Track here in March 17th with the Bama Bash and crawl back in my dirt car again."