Tim Richmond: Gone Twenty Years But Not Forgotten

Tim Richmond left a mark on this sport. In astronomy the stars that burn the brightest burn out the quickest. That cliché is used when referring to charismatic personalities whose lives end too soon. James Dean gets the nod in Hollywood lore. In my lifetime observing auto racing, Richmond was our equivalent.

To research his racing records simply does not do the man justice. Anyone could do a bit of searching and list his impressive wins and track records set. But that is not what he was all about. And that is not the impression and memory he left with his fans.

I will not pretend to have known Tim or to have ever even met the man. I was in high school when the Ohio native was in his prime during the mid-eighties. And just a few years out of school when he unfortunately left us all too soon.

His charisma, style, and driving talent are what he left me with after his death. When he was competing, I would read articles by racing writers who followed the then-Winston Cup Series. Sooner or later within the text, the words “he was born too late” would pop up.

Richmond was often compared to an era of drivers gone by. He would have fit right in with Fireball Roberts, Tiny Lund and the Flock brothers. The early stock car pioneers who raced hard and spoke their minds well before the term politically correct was even thought of. A time before business and money had such an influence on NASCAR and auto racing in general.

Tim came from an open wheel driving background. After starting in sprint cars and supermodifieds in the Midwest, he moved up the ladder to Indy cars. His stock car migration began in the early eighties. And he was noticed for what he did on and off the track.

NASCAR’s top series was still dominated, at this point, by the native southern old guard. Petty, Allison, Waltrip, Yarbrough, Elliott, and Earnhardt were the favorites week to week. And all fit a similar template. Enter Tim Richmond.

Richmond wore his hair long, did not talk with a southern drawl, and was not a family man. His good looks drew the attention of women and he was seen being dropped of at garage entrances during race weekends by different females.

Raymond Beadle and Rick Hendrick were two car owners that provided equipment for the bachelor to steer. And when the team combination and communication clicked, he was considered one of the circuit’s top wheelmen.

Having a car sideways through a corner with smoke billowing off the right rear tire was nothing unusual. As spectacular as it was to watch, his hard on the gas style was not always the way to victory lane.

The 1986 pairing with crew chief Harry Hyde resulted in a breakout year. Hyde being an older, old school racer was not originally thought to be a good combination with the swashbuckling, shoot from the hip style of Richmond. But after a slow start, a treasured team was forged.

Seven wins and a third place championship finish are great numbers and easily looked up in the record books. But as I wrote earlier, it was his style that sticks with me.

As well as being a favorite to win, he was not intimidated. Dale Earnhardt, still in blue and yellow colors from Wrangler sponsorship, was emerging as the circuit’s aggressive chauffeur. Earnhardt would move a competitor out of the way, heat up some tempers, and win some races.

Earnhardt would hit Richmond, take the position, and then something happened I had yet to see. The next lap Richmond would hit Earnhardt back, retake that same position, and then laugh about the incident in the post race interviews.

While jeans and plaid shirts was common garage area attire, Richmond would grace the driver’s meeting wearing Armani suits and silk ties. While most drivers resided in the North Carolina countryside, Tim’s home was a yacht harbored in Florida. In a televised interview he stated “if they can’t remember me for what I do on the track they will remember me for what I do off it.”

Sadly his career and life began coming to an end simultaneously. During the offseason following his breakout year at Hendrick Motorsports, public reports were released that Tim had suffered a severe case of double pneumonia. At least part of the 1987 tour would be missed while his illness was fought.

That season’s debut was in the Winston All-Star race at Charlotte in May. Seemingly tailored to his condition the segments were seventy-five, fifty, and ten laps. Each decreasing in length giving Tim a good gauge on his physical aptitude. He ended the day in third place appearing to not have lost his touch.

Sitting out the 600 miler the following weekend and 500 laps at Dover the week after, his full points race return was in Pocono’s first race of the year. Cinderella’s shoe fit perfectly on this June afternoon. Hendrick’s famed number twenty-five was parked in victory lane after a Richmond drive that was nothing less than impressive. I was fortunate to be in attendance that day for the extremely popular result.

Another win the very next week in Riverside, CA continued the Hollywood-style story. But his starts and results were sporadic as the season continued. His health was brought into question. The August race in Michigan wound up being his final Cup start.

Richmond looked to begin anew in 1988 and start the Busch Clash at Daytona in February, a race for which he was eligible to compete. NASCAR first started its drug testing policy at this time and Richmond failed. Arguments over medication and the accurate results were coming from NASCAR and Richmond. As a race fan I personally wondered about, not what either side were telling the public, but what we weren’t being told. More information about Richmond came about after the fact.

Tim passed on August 13, 1989, twenty years ago. He had acquired the AIDS virus and that brought upon a rash of health issues. This was his original problem when he took his hiatus from the sport at the end of 1986.

Richmond supposedly contracted AIDS from a female. In this time frame, society viewed many issues differently. And not nearly as much medical data was available on the subject.

Tim wanted to keep his situation private and confidential. NASCAR wanted to see his medical records to clear him to race. Both sides were brought into question as to where the truth was. There were suspicions among the racing community about Richmond’s health and NASCAR’s drug testing policy and procedure. I have heard opinions and stories over the years. But no hard proof over what turned into accusations and mudslinging.

Richmond was the closest to a ‘James Bond’ kind of character that Cup racing has ever come to. Outspoken, original, a ladies man, and a great driver. He made a fan out of me. If he had stayed healthy it is easy to imagine what kind of numbers and statistics he could have put up. Or even more so, what kind of stories the garage area could be telling and laughing about.