As we put together to usher within the new 12 months, we take a second to salute a few of the key figures from the world of motorsport that we farewelled in 2025, listed in chronological order of their passing.
EDDIE JORDAN
Eddie Jordan (1948-2025) had a good profession as a driver earlier than forming his personal crew, Eddie Jordan Racing, to compete in F3, and later, F3000. The crew loved success with the likes of Martin Brundle, Johnny Herbert and Jean Alesi earlier than Jordan switched his consideration to Components 1.
He based Jordan Grand Prix in 1991, and beneath his watch the crew earned 4 victories and achieved a greatest end of third within the constructors’ championship in 1999. It additionally gave Michael Schumacher his F1 debut at Spa in 1991, the place the German’s achievement of qualifying seventh made such an impression on the remainder of the paddock that Benetton swooped in and signed him earlier than the subsequent race.
Jordan remained on the helm all through till the crew was bought by the Midland Group on the finish of 2005, and the Jordan Grand Prix identify was changed on the grid by MF1 Racing for 2006.
After his time as a crew boss got here to an finish, Jordan remained engaged with the game by quite a lot of broadcast and media roles.
SHIGEAKI HATTORI
Japanese-born Shigeaki Hattori (1963-2025) spent just about his whole skilled racing profession in the US. He moved from Japan after successful the Components Toyota title in 1994 and started racing in Indy Lights as a 32-year-old in 1995.
Hattori made the step as much as CART in 1999 with Bettenhausen Motorsports, making seven begins earlier than having his competitors license revoked after one incident too many. A swap to the IRL adopted, the place he made sporadic appearances with numerous groups between 2000 and 2003. A stint in NASCAR’s Truck Sequence adopted earlier than he stepped out of the cockpit and into the crew homeowners’ chair, founding Hattori Racing Enterprises. The crew was initially centered on NASCAR’s Truck Sequence, later including part-time Xfinity Sequence and ARCA Menards Sequence packages. The excessive level got here in 2018, when Brett Moffitt gained the Truck Sequence championship and HRE gained the groups’ title.
HRE ran its final full-time season in 2023 and closed its doorways in 2024, whereas Hattori additionally fielded entries beneath the Hattori Motorsports banner within the GT4 America Sequence in 2022.
LEE KUNZMAN
Lee Kunzman (1944-2025) had a profession outlined by overcoming adversity. A USAC star within the late Nineteen Sixties, the Iowan had simply padded his resume with one other win – the 1970 Evening Earlier than the five hundred at IRP – when he suffered a large crash at I-70 the next week. He sustained a number of fractures and burns to 40 % of his physique, however returned in 1971 to start a brand new chapter of Dash Automotive success between 1971 and 1973. Throughout this era he additionally made his first begins within the Indianapolis 500, ending seventeenth in 1972 and bettering to seventh in 1973. However then catastrophe struck once more later that 12 months when he crashed throughout a tire check at Ontario Motor Spwedway, sustaining extreme head accidents and paralysis to the left aspect of his physique that sidelined him for the whole thing of 1974. He returned in 1975 with an inspiring fourth on the Ontario 500-mile race, and later added one other two Indy begins in 1977 and ’79.
Whereas seventh proved to be his greatest Indy 500 end as a driver, he fared reasonably higher as a crew supervisor – he was a part of the Hemelgarn Racing crew that gained the race in 1996 with Buddy Lazier, adopted up with the championship in 2000.
Kunzman was inducted into the Nationwide Dash Automotive Corridor of Fame in 2006.
ED PINK
Ed Pink (1931-2025), nicknamed “The Previous Grasp,” was the preeminent drag racing builder from the Nineteen Sixties by the Seventies and past. The repute he gained by the ability and reliability of the blown gas drag engines that got here out of the Ed Pink Racing Engines store finally led to expansions into different types of racing, together with Can-Am and F5000.
His firm was additionally concerned with changing the Cosworth DFV F1 engine to the turbocharged, methanol-burning DFX that was the factor to have at Indy for the most effective a part of a decade, and created a footprint within the sports activities automotive world with packages reminiscent of ex-Prime Gas racer Jim Busby’s Porsche 962. Later, a change in focus to USAC engines yielded 10 championships and greater than 100 wins in sequence starting from midgets to Silver Crown vehicles.
JOCHEN MASS
Jochen Mass (1946-2025) loved a protracted profession that delivered success in each Components 1 and sports activities vehicles. On the F1 aspect, the German made 105 begins from 114 entries with the likes of Surtees, Arrows and March, though his most fruitful interval got here throughout a three-year stint with McLaren between 1975 and 1977. Throughout that point he scored his solely grand prix win (Spain 1975), though a sample of both ending effectively or not ending in any respect on the different races meant he ended the 12 months eighth within the factors.
His sports activities automotive profession considerably overlapped his Components 1 actions: his first begin on the 24 Hours of Le Mans got here in 1972 – the 12 months earlier than his F1 debut – and after one other one-off look in 1978, he turned a La Sarthe common between 1981 and 1991, lacking solely the 1984 and 1990 occasions. The spotlight was his outright win alongside Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens within the Group Sauber Mercedes C9 in 1989, which improved upon his second place from seven years earlier within the Rothmans Porsche 956 he shared with Vern Schuppan.
Mass shared the victory at Le Mans in 1989 with this Group Sauber Mercedes C9/88. Getty Photographs
Different notable victories included his 1987 12 Hours of Sebring win with Bobby Rahal.
Later in his profession he turned a mentor to the Mercedes younger driver steady, and drove the Mercedes-Benz museum vehicles. He additionally dabbled within the media as a part of the F1 broadcast crew for German outlet RTL throughout the Nineteen Nineties.
ED DELPORTE
Ed Delporte (1971-2025) was one of many authentic workers at Ed Carpenter Racing, and the electronics engineer remained with the crew till his demise from pancreatic most cancers in June. The Indiana native – who the crew famous attended 13 Indy 500s as a fan earlier than working on the subsequent 30 – was celebrated at this 12 months’s version of the five hundred with a tribute sticker on the ECR vehicles.
WALKER EVANS
Walker Evans (1938-2025) was one in every of off-road racing’s all-time greats, with 12 championships and 142 victories – together with a number of wins on the Baja 500, Baja 1000, Fireworks 250, Mint 400 and Parker 400 – all contributing to his apt nickname “The Legend.”
Later in his profession he additionally tried his hand in NASCAR’s Truck Sequence as an proprietor/driver, making 41 begins between 1995 and 1996, and incomes 4 high 10 finishes.
Evans is a member of the Off-Highway Motorsports Corridor of Fame (inducted in 2004), the Motorsports Corridor of Fame of America (2015) and the West Coast Inventory Automotive Corridor of Fame (2017).
CHRIS RASCHKE
Chris Raschke (1964-2025) was a distinguished determine on the Land Velocity Document scene. His motorsport profession spanned greater than 4 a long time, relationship to when bought his begin in racing on the age of 16 as the primary official worker at Ventura Raceway. After a stint racing ATC three-wheelers and a Ford Pinto in mini shares, his aptitude for fabrication and automotive preparation led to an invite to hitch Kenny Duttweiler’s crew – a transfer that led to his engaged on all the things from drag racing engines to boats – and finally opened the door for him to hitch the Velocity Demon squad. He took over because the Velocity Demon’s driver following the demise of George Poteet in 2024.
ROBBIE BREWER
Robbie Brewer (1971-2025) was a veteran in inventory automotive racing’s Sportsman Division who made 311 begins throughout numerous sequence at Bowman Grey Stadium, choosing up 11 wins and the 2011 division title on the monitor.
HUMPY WHEELER
Howard Augustine “Humpy” Wheeler (1938-2025) was a monitor promoter who helped elevate NASCAR onto the nationwide stage together with his outrageous pre-race exhibits and wrote new requirements for monitor amenities. Throughout his 30+ 12 months stewardship of Charlotte Motor Speedway, the monitor turned the primary of its dimension to characteristic racing beneath lights – a transfer that spurred different tracks to comply with go well with, and paved the way in which for night time racing to turn into a daily ingredient of the NASCAR schedule.
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Wheeler ranks among the many most ingenious race promoters of all time. HHP/Harold Hinson picture
Along with overseeing Charlotte Motor Speedway, Wheeler was president of SMI, the group that owned and operated a number of different NASCAR tracks, and he was instrumental within the creation of the favored Legends vehicles that proceed to race in regional occasions across the nation.
Wheeler is within the Worldwide Motorsports Corridor of Fame (2006), the Motorsports Corridor of Fame of America (2009), and in a nod to an earlier chapter in his profession when he very practically took up skilled boxing, the Carolinas Boxing Corridor of Fame.
BARRY BOES
Barry Boes (1971-2025) was a longtime competitor in Trans Am’s CUBE 3 Structure TA2 Sequence, clocking 89 begins throughout the Nationwide and Western Championships, and successful the TA2 Sequence Professional/Am Problem in 2024 off the again of seven wins. He was main the factors within the 2025 TA2 Professional/Am Problem on the time of his demise in a aircraft crash in August.
Away from the monitor, he was a graduate of Mississippi State College with a level in laptop engineering who based software program firm Accio Information in 2005, and was its president.
ROBERT CLARKE
Robert Clarke (1949-2025) was instrumental within the formation of Honda Efficiency Improvement (HPD), the American motorsports arm of Honda that’s recognized as we speak as HRC US.
Along with serving to draw up the plans for Honda’s entry into CART within the Nineteen Nineties, Clarke additionally helped develop the power in Torrance, Calif., the place the primary 2.65-liter turbo V8s could be maintained. Whereas the primary engines, codenamed the HRX, made a subdued begin, their successor, the lighter and extra highly effective HRH, made a much better impression. Earlier than lengthy, Honda attracted the eye of Chip Ganassi Racing and the 2 entities teamed as much as dominate the 1996 CART season and open the floodgates for Honda success.
Clarke spent 15 years with HPD, his final main act being to launch Acura’s manufacturing unit LMP2 program within the American Le Mans Sequence. His post-Honda profession included serving as CEO of the de Ferran Motorsports ALMS LMP2 crew, in addition to two years as president of SCCA Professional Racing.
He was additionally actively concerned in STEM mentorship initiatives, and created the EarthPrix idea, which aimed to advertise the viability of future highway automotive tech through a sequence of automotive challenges designed to encourage innovation with out the constraints of race sequence rules.
BILL DAVIS
Invoice Davis (1951-2025) used the fortune he made in trucking to begin a NASCAR crew. Invoice Davis Racing competed in all three nationwide sequence throughout its twenty years in operation, and established itself as a aggressive power throughout the Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s. The excessive level got here when it gained the Daytona 500 with Ward Burton in 2002, ending a 28-year Daytona drought for engine accomplice Dodge within the course of.
Monetary difficulties and a falling-out with Dodge finally led to the crew being offered to Triad Racing Applied sciences in 2008, which closed the racing division and now produces chassis and engines for some Toyota groups.
LES UNGER
Les Unger (1943-2025) was the long-time supervisor of Toyota’s American motorsports packages. Throughout his 30 years on the helm, he directed the corporate’s involvement in IndyCar, IMSA, NASCAR and NHRA competitors, in addition to USAC, NORRA and SCORE off-road packages.
His imprint was large: he was instrumental in Toyota’s long-time sponsorship of the Lengthy Seashore Grand Prix, in addition to the immensely well-liked Professional/Superstar Race that went together with it for years. Unger additionally supported Toyota’s gradual entry into NASCAR, and backed the Toyota Atlantic Championship that bred a complete technology of American open-wheel stars. He retired from his place of nationwide motorsports supervisor in 2014.
AL SPEYER
Al Speyer (1952-2025) performed a large half in main Bridgestone/Firestone’s profitable return to American open-wheel racing. A mechanical engineer by coaching who remained with Firestone for practically 40 years, Speyer and colleague Joe Barbieri dipped their toes within the water by signing Firestone up as sole tire provider to the Indy Lights sequence in 1990, and stepped as much as face outdated rival Goodyear in CART in 1995, and the IRL the next 12 months.
Its first CART championship got here in 1996, and the corporate locked Goodyear out of the head-to-head battle yearly after that. On the IRL aspect, the primary title got here in 1999. Goodyear bowed out, and Firestone has remained as the only real provider to the now-unified IndyCar Sequence ever since.
Within the mid-Nineteen Nineties, Speyer shortly led Bridgestone/Firestone right into a place of IndyCar dominance that is still unchallenged since. Jamie Squire/Alls/Getty Photographs
Off the again of his achievements, Speyer was promoted to government director of motorsports for Bridgestone Americas in 2001, and held the function till he retired in 2012.
ALLAN PAGAN
Allan Pagan (1955-2025) was one of many authentic Indy Racing League entrants. The Pagan Racing crew, which Allan shaped with father Jack, bought its begin after they purchased the gear of Kenny Bernstein’s defunct King Racing crew and fielded a automotive for Jeff Andretti on the 1993 Indy 500.
They continued to make one-off entries for the subsequent couple of years earlier than diving full-time into the IRL following the open-wheel cut up. They initially loved modest success with veteran Roberto Guerrero, however a change to Infinity engines for 1997 set the crew again, and compelled a mid-season engine change to Oldsmobile.
The exit of sponsor Pennzoil – which decamped for the brand new Panther Racing crew shaped by ex-Pagan crew chief John Barnes – in 1998 led to the exit of Guerrero and a truncated season, nonetheless it returned in 1999 with backing to run Jeff Ward at Indy. Ward’s second locations at Phoenix and the Indy 500 had been the crew’s greatest outcomes, however the remainder of the 12 months delivered simply two extra high 10s. Pagan Racing returned for a closing run on the 500 in 2000 with Richie Hearn earlier than closing its doorways.
MICHAEL ANNETT
Michael Annett (1986-2025) was a NASCAR driver who spent nearly all of his profession in the-then Xfinity Sequence, the place he made 321 begins over 11 years. He picked up 95 high 10s alongside the way in which, though his solely win got here at Daytona in 2019 with JR Motorsports – the crew with which he spent practically half of his profession.
He additionally ran three full seasons within the Cup Sequence between 2014 and 2016 with Tommy Baldwin Racing and HScott Motorsports, in addition to occasional appearances within the Truck Sequence.
Annett retired from racing after a irritating 2021 Xfinity Sequence season during which he was compelled to overlook a number of races with a damaged femur, after which three extra when the leg was reinjured.
BILL HUSKINS
Invoice Huskins (1925-2025) served within the Military Sign Corps and US Navy earlier than coming into NASCAR in its inaugural 12 months in 1948, and was believed to be the final surviving starter from the sequence’ first season when he died in October at age 100. Huskins competed in a handful of NASCAR Modified Nationwide Championship occasions, however his day job was as a member of the N.C. Freeway Patrol, which he joined in 1951. He retired as a lieutenant 34 years later. As a Freeway Patrol Technical Sergeant, he gained a primary prize on the 1971 Worldwide Movie Pageant of New York for his feature-length movie about highway security.
NANCY WAGER
Nancy Wager (1949-2025) was Chevrolet’s longtime Trackside Communications Consultant. Already an completed communications skilled when she joined GM, her journey with the Bowtie started in in 1995 when she constructed each the off-road truck racing and stadium truck racing trackside public relations packages with GM/Chevrolet and Jimmie Johnson.
Later she teamed up with fellow Chevrolet Trackside Representatives Sam Brown and Judy Kouba Dominick to kind Inside Observe Communications, the place she led the NASCAR Cup program till her retirement in 2021.
JON EDWARDS
Jon Edwards (1972-2025) was a communications skilled whose profession in NASCAR spanned greater than 30 years.
Early stints at North Carolina Motor Speedway and advertising and marketing company Efficiency PR Plus finally led to his turning into longtime PR consultant for Jeff Gordon. Edwards formally joined Jeff Gordon Inc in 2011, and later turn into a key determine at Hendrick Motorsports. Most not too long ago, he held the function of director of racing communications at Hendrick, and labored intently with Kyle Larson.
ANDREA de ADAMICH
Andrea de Adamich (1941-2025) participated in 34 Components 1 Grands Prix for an array of groups between 1968 and 1973. His debut got here with Ferrari in South Africa in 1968 in what would show to be his solely begin for the Scuderia, however his solely factors finishes got here later with a pair of fourth locations (Spain 1972, Belgium 1973) with Surtees. Extreme leg accidents sustained in a multi-crash initially of the 1973 British GP introduced a untimely finish to his F1 profession. De Adamich additionally dabbled in sports activities vehicles, successful two races within the 1971 World Sportscar Championship in an Alfa Romeo T33/3 (pictured, high of web page) and ending fourth at Le Mans in 1972.
Following his retirement, de Adamich turn into a TV pundit and commentator in his native Italy, and he was additionally concerned with the Alfa Romeo-affiliated racing group N.Expertise.
ALLAN MOFFAT
Allan Moffat (1939-2025) was one of many icons of Australian touring automotive racing. Sitting totally on the Ford aspect of the Ford/Holden rivalry that outlined Australian touring vehicles for years, Moffat was a four-time winner of the Australian Touring Automotive Championship, a six-time winner of the Sandown 500, and a four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000/500. He was one in every of solely two drivers to have gained at Bathurst in each the 500km and 1000km codecs.
Canadian-born, Moffat additionally made his mark internationally with victories on the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1982, driving a GTU class Mazda RX-7 he shared with Kathy Impolite and Lee Mueller, an outright win on the Sebring 12 Hours in 1975 as a part of BMW’s line-up, a Div.3 class win on the Spa 24 Hours in a Group A Holden Commodore, and a sixth at Le Mans within the IMSA GTX class in 1982, when he drove a Mazda RX-7 with Yojiro Terada and Takashi Yorino.
His final race as a driver – which he gained – was the InterTEC 500 at Fuji in 1989. However he’d additionally been a crew proprietor for years, and continued in that capability with Allan Moffat Enterprises, which ran Ford Sierra RS500s till the top of the Group A period in 1992. He continued to discipline vehicles on a one-off foundation at Sandown and Bathurst for one more 4 years, and likewise dabbled in TV commentary.
GREG BIFFLE
Greg Biffle (1969-2025) had a protracted profession in NASCAR, most notably as driver of Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 16 Ford between 2002 and 2016. He made 515 Cup Sequence begins over 16 years, choosing up 9 wins, 175 high 10s and 13 poles. His greatest championship end in Cup was second to Tony Stewart in 2005, though he did win titles within the then-Busch Sequence (2002) and Truck Sequence (2000). Biffle’s full-time Cup profession led to 2017, though he returned to make a handful of begins with NY Racing Group in 2022. He additionally stored busy with different types of racing, making 10 appearances over three years in Stadium Tremendous Vehicles, and 9 appearances over the identical interval in SRX.
Outdoors of racing, he was well known for his catastrophe aid work within the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which devastated Asheville and different communities throughout Western North Carolina in 2024. Biffle used his helicopter to make repeated visits to websites throughout the area, a lot of which had been troublesome to entry because of the terrain, and delivered provides and support.
