MOTOR RACING / NASCAR AT HAMPTON, GA. : Adcox, 39, Killed After His Car Hits Wall

Grant Adcox, a late model stock car driver from Chattanooga, Tenn., who made occasional forays into Winston Cup competition, died Sunday from injuries suffered when his family-owned Olds Cutlass crashed during the Atlanta Journal 500 at Atlanta International Raceway.

Adcox, 39, was pronounced dead of massive head and chest injuries after being transported by helicopter to the Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta, track doctor Dr. Robert Fritz said.

His accident occurred while running alone, four laps down, as the leaders ran the the 202nd lap of the 328-lap race. His car hit the outside wall of turn one head-first and slid down, across the track to the infield, trailing flames shooting out of the bottom of the car. Eyewitnesses said it appeared that he brushed the Pontiac of Jim Sauter before hitting the wall.

Emergency crews quickly put out the flames, and track officials used the Jaws of Life to cut away part of the roof to extricate Adcox.

Adcox was a regular on the Automobile Racing Club of America circuit, winning a race in each of 1987 and 1988. Sunday’s race was his 14th in Winston Cup racing, with his best finish a fifth in the Talladega 500 in 1978. He had qualified 39th in the 42-car field in a car owned by his father, Herb Adcox.

Dale Earnhardt went on to win the race, which was the final event of the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup season. Rusty Wallace, who finished 15th, wrapped up the season points championship.

“(The death) overshadows this (championship),” said Wallace. “It was one of the hardest hits I’ve ever seen. My heart goes out to Grant’s family.”

The official car entry was Adcox Group, an organization involved in auto dealerships, communication, finance, banking and motor sports in Tennessee.

Adcox grew up in racing, driving his first event at age 11 in a go-kart. His first auto race came in 1968 at Marysville, Tenn. His last win came in an ARCA race last August at Flat Rock, Mich., a quarter-mile paved oval.

He was ARCA’s all-time super speedway winner, with eight career victories--five at Talladega, two at Atlanta and one at Daytona.

The last death in a Winston Cup race occured in 1984 when Terry Schoonover, a rookie driver from Royal Palm Beach, Fla., was killed in the Atlanta Journal 500.

This was Adcox’ third Winston Cup race this year. He started 39th and finished 14th in the Talladega 500, winning $4,255; and started 37th and finished 13th, on the lead lap, in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona and won $5,520.

Times staff writer Jim Hodges contributed to this story.