Veteran NASCAR crew chief Barry Dodson passed away Wednesday at the age of 64.
Barry Dodson’s brother, John Dodson, issued a family statement: “Barry’s passing leaves us all with heavy hearts. He left his mark in the NASCAR history books and he served the sport with a passion that few will ever match. We love him and we miss him.”
Dodson was crew chief for several drivers in NASCAR’s premier series, including the late Tim Richmond, NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip and Kyle Petty.
But it was with NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace that Dodson enjoyed his greatest success.
Dodson and Wallace combined for 18 of Wallace’s 55 career Cup wins and earned nine poles during a five-season tenure from 1986 through 1990.
The highlight of their time together was 1989, when with Dodson aboard the pit box, Wallace won his lone Winston Cup championship.
Barry Dodson after Rusty Wallace won the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship. pic.twitter.com/f9HCgGabaF
— Andrew (@Basso488) December 20, 2017
Wallace and Dodson also recorded a second-place finish in 1988, a fifth-place showing in 1987 and sixth-place finishes in their first and final seasons together, 1986 and 1990.
Dodson was unique in that not only was he Wallace’s crew chief, he also spent much of his time serving as part of the over-the-wall pit crew that serviced the Raymond Beadle-owned No. 27 Pontiac that Wallace piloted.
Dodson’s other Cup win was with Kyle Petty. He also earned six wins with driver Mike Bliss in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (1995-98).
Sadly, two of Dodson’s children, 17-year-old son Trey and 16-year-old daughter Tia, were killed in a one-car accident in 1994 in Darlington, South Carolina.
Fellow NASCAR crew chief and stepson Trent Owens took to Twitter to memorialize Dodson.
With sadness, my brother and sisters dad Barry Dodson went to join them in heaven this morning. He missed his children so much. He was a great and loving step father, and had much to do with my own career path, BD will be greatly missed 🙏 ❤️
— Trent Owens (@wtrentowens) December 20, 2017
Dodson also served as general manager when Wallace began a NASCAR Xfinity Series team in 2004.
Funeral arrangements are pending.