Clyde Vickers
{{Short description|American motorsport industry businessman (1951–2025)}}
Clyde Vickers (August 24, 1951 – January 3, 2025) was an American motorsport industry businessman, and a stock car racing driver and team owner. Vickers owned CV Products which manufactures and distributes race parts and accessories,[http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/19990416/NEWS/904160312 "His woodworking talents help others"]. The Dispatch, April 16, 1999 as well as several other smaller businesses.
Background
Vickers was raised in Silver Valley, North Carolina, and attended high school there. As a young man, Vickers owned a service station in Thomasville, North Carolina, and worked as a car salesman in High Point, North Carolina.{{cite news|last=Keesler|first=William|title=CV Products honored at banquet|url=http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20070201/NEWS/702010333|accessdate=22 May 2013|newspaper=The Dispatch|date=February 1, 2007}}{{cite news|last=Wehrle|first=Bruce|title=Wayne Covert Tries Something New In Racing|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AFAcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lFEEAAAAIBAJ&dq=clyde-vickers&pg=2274%2C5225826|accessdate=22 May 2013|newspaper=The Dispatch|date=April 26, 1977}} Vickers died on January 3, 2025, at the age of 73.{{Cite web |date=2025 |title=Clyde Lee Vickers |url=https://www.jcgreenandsons.com/obituary/ClydeLee-Vickers |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=J. C. Green & Sons}}
Motorsports career
Vickers began stock car racing in 1973 in the Hobby division and later moved into the Late Model Sportsman division, racing at Caraway Speedway and Bowman Gray Stadium.
Vickers raced intermittently into the early 1980s,{{cite web|last=Pappone|first=Jeff|title=Lucky Numbers: NASCAR Dad Clyde Vickers|url=http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/Article/Lucky-Numbers-NASCAR-Dad-Clyde-Vickers-021242916827864|work=Red Bull|publisher=Red Bull North America, Inc.|accessdate=22 May 2013}}[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/29952201/ "'Tuneup, 9 Drives To Victory At Trico"]. The Danville Register, Danville, Virginia, July 2, 1977, Page 11 with downtime caused by financial difficulties. In the mid-1970s he went to work on several NASCAR crews, including those run by Morgan Shepherd and Richard Childress.{{cite news|last=Long|first=Dustin|title=Morgan Shepherd >>> Life in the fast lane|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=VP&p_theme=vp&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=10B9E86531CD34E0&p_field_direct-0=document_id|accessdate=22 May 2013|newspaper=The Virginian-Pilot|date=July 24, 2005}}{{cite web|title=CV Products|url=http://northcarolinamotorsportsassociation.org/2012/07/cv-products/|work=North Carolina Motorsports Association|accessdate=22 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150228061212/http://northcarolinamotorsportsassociation.org/2012/07/cv-products/|archive-date=28 February 2015|url-status=dead}}
In 1988, Vickers founded CV Products, an auto racing and powersports parts company located in Thomasville, North Carolina.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160309060747/https://business.highbeam.com/435576/article-1G1-162883120/cv-products-recognized "CV Products recognized.(Racin' Around)"]. Circle Track, 1 July 2007. via Highbeam.[http://www.nvdaily.com/sports/2013/07/murto-vickers-shows-no-quit-spirit/ "Murto: Vickers shows no-quit spirit"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062854/http://www.nvdaily.com/sports/2013/07/murto-vickers-shows-no-quit-spirit/ |date=2016-03-04 }} The Northern Virginia Spirit. July 16, 2013 Vickers remained active in racing during this period, working as a spotter and crew member for former Winston Cup driver Jimmy Means until 1993.{{cite web|last=Hagey|first=Justin|title=Riding the fast track to fame|url=https://www.espn.com/racing/news/story?id=1732817|work=ESPN|date=12 February 2004 |publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|access-date=22 May 2013}}[http://www.gaffneyledger.com/news/2008-06-13/sports/048.html "Doing it for dad "] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305224132/http://www.gaffneyledger.com/news/2008-06-13/sports/048.html |date=2016-03-05 }}. The Gaffney Ledger.
In 1993, in addition to his work with his new company, Vickers began helping his son Brian Vickers with his career as a Go-Kart racer. The younger Vickers later began racing stock cars at age 13 in the Winston Cup series.{{cite news|last=Long|first=Dustin|title=As his career path twists and turns, Brian Vickers races on|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/story/2012-06-20/Brian-Vickers-returns-to-Cup-seat-at-Sonoma/55716682/1|accessdate=22 May 2013|newspaper=USA Today|date=June 20, 2012}}{{cite news|last=James|first=Brant|title=So young, so smart, so fast|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2003/10/24/Sports/So_young__so_smart__s.shtml|accessdate=22 May 2013|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=October 24, 2003}}
In 2001, Vickers owned a team which raced in the NASCAR Busch Series.[http://www.sportsmedia101.com/motorsports/2013/07/15/brian-vickers-scored-a-feel-good-win-and-teaches-to-never-give-up/ "Brian Vickers Scored a Feel Good Win and Teaches to Never Give Up"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202163022/http://www.sportsmedia101.com/motorsports/2013/07/15/brian-vickers-scored-a-feel-good-win-and-teaches-to-never-give-up/ |date=2016-02-02 }}. Motorsports, July 15th, 2013 by Mark Eddinger. in which Brian Vickers was a driver. The team was not a financial success.[http://www.greensboro.com/at-brian-vickers-admires-albert-einstein-paraphrases-winston-churchill-and/article_7ad744ad-1498-5ca4-96d5-7cc3fbebe398.html "AT 19, BRIAN VICKERS ADMIRES ALBERT EINSTEIN, PARAPHRASES WINSTON CHURCHILL AND IS HOOKED ON SCOOBY-DOO. AND NOW TONIGHT HE'LL RACE AS NASCAR'S NEWEST BOY WONDER"]. Greensboro.com. Brian later went on to drive for other teams and win many races.
In 2007 Vickers also was owner of another motorsport company, [http://www.xceldyne.com Xceldyne].[http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20070201/NEWS/702010333 "CV Products honored at banquet"]. By WILLIAM KEESLER, The Dispatch, February 1, 2007 By 2009 the companies had merged and were presented with a North Carolina Motorsports Industry Association award as the best large company.[http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20090211/ARTICLES/902110302 "CV Products-Xceldyne Technologies gets industry award"]. The Dispatch, February 11, 2009
In 2013 CV Products employed 160 people.[http://www.dragzine.com/features/behind-the-scenes-cv-products-shop-tour/ "Behind The Scenes: CV Products Shop Tour"]. DragZine That year, Vickers was appointed to the North Carolina Motorsports Council.[https://web.archive.org/web/20241228030730/https://www.ncpoliticalnews.com/?p=4794 "Governor McCrory Announces Appointments to North Carolina Motorsports Council"]. October 24, 2013 orth Carolina Governor's Office[http://sgrtoday.com/categories/state-government/4562-nascar-whos-who-among-two-dozen-names-to-north-carolina-motorsports-council.html "NASCAR Who's Who Among Two Dozen Named To North Carolina Motorsports Council"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304142051/http://sgrtoday.com/categories/state-government/4562-nascar-whos-who-among-two-dozen-names-to-north-carolina-motorsports-council.html |date=2016-03-04 }}. SGR Today/
References
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External links
- {{Racing-Reference owner|Clyde_Vickers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vickers, Clyde}}