Gary Myers death: NASCAR legend dies at 76; sons mourn ‘hero’ who shaped four generations of racing

Gary Myers, the North Carolina-based driver who would become synonymous with the legacy of Bowman Gray Stadium, and more importantly, a four-generation dynasty in motorsports, passed away at 76 years old.

Myers died on September 10 following a spell of poor health, reports Jayski. His passing was confirmed by MARCA, who cited that the long-time competitor had passed away in North Carolina, his racing home for most of his career. The cause of his death is yet to be disclosed publicly.

His son called him his ‘hero’

In a post on his Facebook account, Burt Myers, who is also a well-known modified-racing driver himself, disclosed the death of his father. Burt mentioned his father as his “hero” and stated that despite becoming tired in his later years, Gary kept fighting on.

Burt also credited his father with teaching him everything he knows, underscoring the loss of both a parent and a mentor. As per a report by KSBW, Burt mentioned that although he felt happy that his father is not suffering anymore, he would have loved if Gary could still be there for him.

As per a report by KSBW, the racing team of Jason mentioned that Gary was a patriarch of their family and was Jason’s best friend and teacher.

Six decades at Bowman Gray

For Gary Myers, his link to Bowman Gray Stadium dates back to his childhood when he would watch his father, Billy Myers, and uncle, Bobby Myers, race in the stadium in the 1950s.

According to Jayski, Gary Myers continued to have a link to Bowman Gray Stadium for over 60 years where he raced in the stadium and helped his sons launch their career there. Gary won 38 times at Bowman Gray according to NASCAR.

In NASCAR, Gary Myers made 46 Winston Cup Series races between 1974 and 1978 but did not win any Cup races. Gary Myers' best Cup finish was 27th in the 1978 season according to KSBW.

A champion beyond NASCAR's top series

Modified racing was where Myers enjoyed major success. He won the 1996 SMART Modified Tour championship and finished his SMART Tour career with 15 victories.

The Myers racing tradition spans four generations, beginning with Billy and Bobby Myers, followed by Gary, his sons Burt and Jason, and Gary's grandson Slate, who began competing in 2024.

In that way, Gary Myers' passing ends the story for one racer, but not for the family legacy that Gary helped create through many years of racing and teaching the next generations of drivers.