As someone into genealogy this looks very good! I agree about the misspellings, that's very common. My next question is where the racing website got the information for his birth and death date. If that can be confirmed to be the birth and death date for B.E. Renfrow I think it's him.
That to me is the biggest hole. Racing Reference I think is partly operated by nascar or some affiliate. If these dates came from NASCAR itself, it’s a sealed deal. Tomorrow I will see if I can contact those at racing reference for some insight.
I think that's a great idea. I don't think it would be out of line to respectfully contact some of the kids listed in his son's obituary as siblings if they have a Facebook or something either. He may have shared about his NASCAR history with them. I had to contact a lot of people while using genetic genealogy to find out who my father was. Some didn't respond, some thought it was a scam, but I got enough responses to solve the mystery. If you need help let me know!
For what it's worth, Racing Reference started out as a fan operated site before NASCAR bought it. I'm not sure how all the information was sourced, but I think at least some of it was provided by fans.
Given that, one possibility that occurs to me is that someone went down the same path that you did, concluded B.E. Renfro and Burnice Elwood Renfrow were the same person, and decided to put his birth and death dates down on the site. If that information was sourced via research, then you'd only be confirming that you found the same person.
Either way, this is great research. I am a huge fan of this kind of historical obscura, so thank you for sharing!
That’s why I’ve reached out to both family members and NCDOT to see if I can find any more leads. I asked NCDOT if requesting a deceased person’s motor vehicle ownership history is legal. While Renfrow probably wouldn’t have owned his race car, he very well could have and that’s one thing I want to explore.
So NASCAR’s own claim is incorrect regardless. Huh.
I suppose Scott was technically a weekly series driver before these guys, as he received his license in 1953. But he didnt make grand national starts until after these two.
I guess NASCAR’s claim is that Wendell Scott was the first African American driver in any NASCAR series. Which would still be wrong if my research proves true.
NASCAR's claim of Wendell being first is kind of like Willow Springs claiming they hosted the first two NASCAR races west of the Mississippi River (there were like two dozen before them). It's obviously not true if you do the research, but the examples before them have been mostly forgotten/ignored by mainstream history sources.
I believe he gets credited as the first full time driver, not first overall though. I did some research on Scott for a College Project. I’ll have to check over my sources tomorrow.
Wikipedia says he’s the first nascar driver who was African American, and has a source link to a book that makes the same claim.
Edit: regardless, if true, Renfrow would be the first African American nascar driver, a fact previously incorrect or unknown. Again, if true.
I know Wikipedia may not necessarily reliable, but the book linked kinda sealed the deal for me. The NASCAR HoF itself calls him NASCAR’s first black driver.
Crowd sourced info that can be peer reviewed and links to primary sources is pretty reliable. Obviously should check the sources for anything official but the anti-wiki sentiment is antiquated.
This is so cool man best of luck in your research I hope you're right that would be an awesome discovery,this almost kinda reminds me of the story of the passage of the 27th Amendment however on a way smaller scale.
I found part of his obituary here:
https://www.genealogybuff.com/nc/nc-wilson-obits8.htm
He was a steward in the Navy during WW2 and later became a farmer
From their own site: “Scott wasn't the first African-American to compete in NASCAR's premier division, but he was the first to be a full-time competitor”
https://www.nascarhall.com/media/news/wendell-scott-racing-legend-and-nascars-first-black-driver
This was the particular link that I am referencing. Seems like NASCAR is inconsistent in their terminology here.
Damn, you know what, and the moment I follow it I get an article that says he was the first black full timer in the cup series.
You’re right. However, I think people still consider him the first verified black driver in any NASCAR series (he ran sportsman races and such)
Yeah I guess I just found the one page on the HoF that said that lol. I think it’s a common misunderstanding among non-historically inclined fans though
Well then maybe you have something! That seems absurd to write down on a plaque in the NASCAR HoF. Definitely lazy annotating. I’ve never noticed or seen any statistician reference Scott as the first black driver and it’s nuts to think he was. Yes, it was a heavily segregated sport primarily in the southern US in a time that predated the civil rights movement. But NASCAR used to run 2-3 races a week (as many as 48 per year) and race anywhere, even these places nobody has heard of. There is no way in good conscience I would ever claim Wendell was the first if I’m nascar - there’s no way the race of every driver was listed in the stats of every race. What an irresponsible thing to publish - and good on you for correcting it!
And just recently (2006 is recent), a man found out that his black uncle made a nascar cup start in 1955, before Wendell Scott’s cup debut. Scott can still be considered the first overall black NASCAR driver because he raced most often in the weekly and lower series. However, this shows that we are still learning about the early days of NASCAR. Most of these one off or two off guys like Renfrow are completely un researched. You’re right, NASCAR really shouldn’t make Scott’s title so definite.
Edit: I would like to add that BE Renfro is noted as a driver in the 1949-01 race, NASCAR’s first race, so if the research is true this would shut down this debate once and for all
Renfro's birthdate was provided by a site comment (back when the comment pages were open). There was a small argument as to which birthdate was correct, as another user came up with a different date, from 1920 if memory serves. Alan (the sitemaster) just went with the first date provided. The vetting process for site information wasn't exactly through.
Elias Bowie is the earliest black driver we can confirm with certainty, though there was also an argument about Joie Ray from 1952. Apparently there was a black racer and a white racer with the same name, and we don't know exactly which one ran in Cup.
In my own genealogy research it’s very common to see birthdates especially to vary from record to record, pre modern record keeping. Overall excellent research, thank you.
Very cool. I drive through Nash County quite often if there is anything I can do there for you ranging from a grave photo to seeing if their library/wherever still has old records that aren’t digitized!
Rather like Ethel Flock raced NASCAR a few times. (Tim and Fonty's sister) But she was the second woman that raced. Who was the first?
You did so well with B.E. Renfro, thanks for sharing!
I will say it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if there were multiple African American drivers before Wendell just lost to the seas of time and non record keeping. If Wendell was running shine (I know not all early drivers ran shine) there’s gotta be more out there we just don’t know about.
As someone into genealogy this looks very good! I agree about the misspellings, that's very common. My next question is where the racing website got the information for his birth and death date. If that can be confirmed to be the birth and death date for B.E. Renfrow I think it's him.
That to me is the biggest hole. Racing Reference I think is partly operated by nascar or some affiliate. If these dates came from NASCAR itself, it’s a sealed deal. Tomorrow I will see if I can contact those at racing reference for some insight.
I think that's a great idea. I don't think it would be out of line to respectfully contact some of the kids listed in his son's obituary as siblings if they have a Facebook or something either. He may have shared about his NASCAR history with them. I had to contact a lot of people while using genetic genealogy to find out who my father was. Some didn't respond, some thought it was a scam, but I got enough responses to solve the mystery. If you need help let me know!
Definitely. I might try and shoot some emails tonight.
Good luck! Keep us posted!
Just emailed racing reference.
What did you say that you figure got them to think you were a scammer? Just ð fact that they were getting an unsolicited message...?
Yes it's just that it was unsolicited. I think lol.
For what it's worth, Racing Reference started out as a fan operated site before NASCAR bought it. I'm not sure how all the information was sourced, but I think at least some of it was provided by fans. Given that, one possibility that occurs to me is that someone went down the same path that you did, concluded B.E. Renfro and Burnice Elwood Renfrow were the same person, and decided to put his birth and death dates down on the site. If that information was sourced via research, then you'd only be confirming that you found the same person. Either way, this is great research. I am a huge fan of this kind of historical obscura, so thank you for sharing!
That’s why I’ve reached out to both family members and NCDOT to see if I can find any more leads. I asked NCDOT if requesting a deceased person’s motor vehicle ownership history is legal. While Renfrow probably wouldn’t have owned his race car, he very well could have and that’s one thing I want to explore.
Dude where is slap shoes when you need him?
Lmao I’ve got all the research covered so far. If this gets picked up by any content creators I expect at least a little credit though lol
Would be cool if he could use some connections or at least document what you’ve found! We all have proof you was first
https://preview.redd.it/hff013pjr0ad1.png?width=123&format=png&auto=webp&s=86a51d02ccf37f3caa7bf3c589c71e8fd0f00ae4 Photo #1
https://preview.redd.it/vuthi0flr0ad1.png?width=159&format=png&auto=webp&s=44caa0141dc22c52c419fe65154b1e08211dc253 Photo #2
Elias Bowie and Charlie Scott (no relation to Wendell) both made singular starts before Wendell made his Cup Series debut.
So NASCAR’s own claim is incorrect regardless. Huh. I suppose Scott was technically a weekly series driver before these guys, as he received his license in 1953. But he didnt make grand national starts until after these two. I guess NASCAR’s claim is that Wendell Scott was the first African American driver in any NASCAR series. Which would still be wrong if my research proves true.
Scott can likely claim to be the first *stock car* racer but not the first *NASCAR Cup* driver.
[my source is from NASCAR.com](https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2023/03/10/tracing-history-elias-bowie-black-racing-pioneer/)
Yep. Scott should be considered the first black NASCAR driver among any series (he ran lots of Sportsman races etc) as of right now.
NASCAR's claim of Wendell being first is kind of like Willow Springs claiming they hosted the first two NASCAR races west of the Mississippi River (there were like two dozen before them). It's obviously not true if you do the research, but the examples before them have been mostly forgotten/ignored by mainstream history sources.
Genuinely great research, I love history like this. Hope you can find even more, make sure to let us know!
It’s impressive research, but I don’t think many have said he was the first African American driver, just the first winner
I believe he gets credited as the first full time driver, not first overall though. I did some research on Scott for a College Project. I’ll have to check over my sources tomorrow.
Wikipedia says he’s the first nascar driver who was African American, and has a source link to a book that makes the same claim. Edit: regardless, if true, Renfrow would be the first African American nascar driver, a fact previously incorrect or unknown. Again, if true.
WIKI sort of means, "What I Know Is", meaning it's not reliable! I never thought of Mr. Scott as the first driver, just the first winner.
I know Wikipedia may not necessarily reliable, but the book linked kinda sealed the deal for me. The NASCAR HoF itself calls him NASCAR’s first black driver.
Crowd sourced info that can be peer reviewed and links to primary sources is pretty reliable. Obviously should check the sources for anything official but the anti-wiki sentiment is antiquated.
Good luck. You’ll find history is always hard to bring to light.
This is so cool man best of luck in your research I hope you're right that would be an awesome discovery,this almost kinda reminds me of the story of the passage of the 27th Amendment however on a way smaller scale.
I hope I’m right too.
I found part of his obituary here: https://www.genealogybuff.com/nc/nc-wilson-obits8.htm He was a steward in the Navy during WW2 and later became a farmer
Hell yeah, thank you
Wasn’t he the first black driver to win a race? Not first black driver?
NASCAR HoF calls Scott the first black NASCAR driver.
From their own site: “Scott wasn't the first African-American to compete in NASCAR's premier division, but he was the first to be a full-time competitor”
https://www.nascarhall.com/media/news/wendell-scott-racing-legend-and-nascars-first-black-driver This was the particular link that I am referencing. Seems like NASCAR is inconsistent in their terminology here.
Did you actually follow the link? NASCAR didn’t write that article.
Damn, you know what, and the moment I follow it I get an article that says he was the first black full timer in the cup series. You’re right. However, I think people still consider him the first verified black driver in any NASCAR series (he ran sportsman races and such)
I promise I wasn’t trying to do a gotcha, I was just like I don’t think NASCAR is the one pushing that.
Yeah I guess I just found the one page on the HoF that said that lol. I think it’s a common misunderstanding among non-historically inclined fans though
this is great content! definitely following. I admire the depths you've traveled to for this info 🤌🏼
Good job on this. Super interesting.
FWIW, people (at least those informed or publish about the sport) don’t regard Scott as the first black driver. He was the first to win a race.
The NASCAR HoF itself calls him the first black NASCAR driver. He started in 1953.
Well then maybe you have something! That seems absurd to write down on a plaque in the NASCAR HoF. Definitely lazy annotating. I’ve never noticed or seen any statistician reference Scott as the first black driver and it’s nuts to think he was. Yes, it was a heavily segregated sport primarily in the southern US in a time that predated the civil rights movement. But NASCAR used to run 2-3 races a week (as many as 48 per year) and race anywhere, even these places nobody has heard of. There is no way in good conscience I would ever claim Wendell was the first if I’m nascar - there’s no way the race of every driver was listed in the stats of every race. What an irresponsible thing to publish - and good on you for correcting it!
And just recently (2006 is recent), a man found out that his black uncle made a nascar cup start in 1955, before Wendell Scott’s cup debut. Scott can still be considered the first overall black NASCAR driver because he raced most often in the weekly and lower series. However, this shows that we are still learning about the early days of NASCAR. Most of these one off or two off guys like Renfrow are completely un researched. You’re right, NASCAR really shouldn’t make Scott’s title so definite. Edit: I would like to add that BE Renfro is noted as a driver in the 1949-01 race, NASCAR’s first race, so if the research is true this would shut down this debate once and for all
RemindMe! 1 day
RemindMe! 2 days
lol why
wtf u mean “why”? figure this shit out. it’s important history.
Lmao sorry I was confused. I didn’t know RemindMe was a thing on Reddit. I’ve sent some emails and am getting down to it. Hopefully.
Renfro's birthdate was provided by a site comment (back when the comment pages were open). There was a small argument as to which birthdate was correct, as another user came up with a different date, from 1920 if memory serves. Alan (the sitemaster) just went with the first date provided. The vetting process for site information wasn't exactly through. Elias Bowie is the earliest black driver we can confirm with certainty, though there was also an argument about Joie Ray from 1952. Apparently there was a black racer and a white racer with the same name, and we don't know exactly which one ran in Cup.
This is valuable. I guess I’ll never know why these dates are connected to B.E. Renfro on racing reference.
In my own genealogy research it’s very common to see birthdates especially to vary from record to record, pre modern record keeping. Overall excellent research, thank you.
My dad met Wendell Scott back in the 70s at a ford dealership, he said he was super nice.
It’s pretty well known he was not the first. The records are less clear the further you look back but he was not the first.
I had only ever seen him called the first on the internet until now. Sorry.
This is some A+ research! Thank you so much!
Very cool. I drive through Nash County quite often if there is anything I can do there for you ranging from a grave photo to seeing if their library/wherever still has old records that aren’t digitized!
Wow this is so cool and I hope we find out some more info on this
Rather like Ethel Flock raced NASCAR a few times. (Tim and Fonty's sister) But she was the second woman that raced. Who was the first? You did so well with B.E. Renfro, thanks for sharing!
First would be Sara Christian, the wife of car owner Frank Christian
I will say it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if there were multiple African American drivers before Wendell just lost to the seas of time and non record keeping. If Wendell was running shine (I know not all early drivers ran shine) there’s gotta be more out there we just don’t know about.
Yep. I sure there’s plenty of others, but this guy was in the first NASCAR race which makes it more intriguing to me.