NASCAR has lost one of its true old-school legends. Larry McClure, the man behind some of the sport’s most memorable moments in the 1990s, died Wednesday at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Abingdon, Virginia. He was 81.
McClure co-founded Morgan-McClure Motorsports, the team that sent shockwaves through Daytona three times during its prime. His family confirmed his passing, adding, “We would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support during this most difficult time.”
Life Built Around Racing
McClure didn’t just run a team. He built a racing identity that fans and drivers respected. Alongside partners Tim Morgan and his brother Jerry McClure, he launched Morgan-McClure Motorsports in 1983. Over the next three decades, the Abingdon-based team became a fixture in the NASCAR Cup Series garage, racking up 14 wins and 63 top-five finishes in 702 starts, according to Racing America.
At the heart of those victories were three triumphs at the Daytona 500. Ernie Irvan delivered the first one in 1991, but Sterling Marlin turned the team into a back-to-back powerhouse by winning the Great American Race in both 1994 and 1995.
My heart hurts finding out Larry McClure passed away. He took a chance on me saying “I know you’ll drive the hell out of it.” He gave me a fast race car & back to back Daytona 500s. He was innovative, smart & a hell of a guy. Glad i got to see him last year. gonna miss him pic.twitter.com/b538TPYe5O
— Sterling Marlin (@SMR_114) June 25, 2025
Marlin, still synonymous with those iconic yellow No. 4 Chevrolets, paid tribute to McClure on social media. “My heart hurts finding out Larry McClure passed away,” he wrote on X. “He took a chance on me saying, ‘I know you’ll drive the hell out of it,’ he gave me a fast race car and back-to-back Daytona 500s. He was innovative, smart, and a hell of a guy.”
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McClure’s eye for talent and fearless approach to racing set him apart. ESPN’s Ryan McGee shared a recent encounter with the veteran team owner. “This here is the man who owned the slickest looking bullet that ever cut through Daytona,” McGee told a friend. McClure responded with a grin: “Hi, I’m Larry, and he’s damn right.”
Fans and fellow racers echoed that sentiment. “Larry McClure was a racer thru and thru, but he was an even better Christian man,” one fan posted.
Larry McClure was a racer thru & thru, but he was a even better Christian man. Rest Easy Larry
— crewchief (@crewchief5) June 27, 2025
McClure stepped away from the sport when Morgan-McClure shut its doors in 2012. But the roar of his engines and the legacy of those Daytona wins still echo through NASCAR’s history. Larry McClure wasn’t just part of racing. He helped define it.
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