— Jack Ingram, a hard-hosed, hot-tempered racer who won five NASCAR championships and more than 300 races, has died, the NASCAR Hall of Fame said Friday.
“Jack was a fixture at short tracks across the Southeast most days of the week, racing anywhere and everywhere.
Nicknamed the “Iron Man” for his relentless pursuit on the race track, Ingram dominated NASCAR Sportsman competition during the 1970s.
Prior to Kyle Busch, who won his 100th career Xfinity Series race last week, Ingram was considered the greatest driver in history for NASCAR’s second-tier series.
A driver used to racing 80-some events a year, Ingram said the reformatted Busch Series with its 29 events “was like taking a holiday.” Ingram won a series-high seven times while winning the 1982 title.
Ard beat Ingram in 1983 and 1984, but Ingram won his fifth title in 1985.