Larry Phillips becomes the next NASCAR driver to be included in 75 Greatest drivers

Larry Phillips is the latest driver to be inducted into NASCAR's exclusive list of the 75 greatest drivers in the history of the sport. Phillips' addition to the list was announced on Thursday (May 4), as he joined NASCAR's most elite drivers.

A short-track ace, Larry Phillips has won a record five national championships in the series now known as NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. The Springfield, Missouri native has won 220 of his 289 NASCAR-sanctioned starts from 1989-96. With these stats, the legendary driver has an astonishing 76.1 percent winning rate.

Born on July 3, 1942, Larry Phillips' racing career spanned over four decades from the 1960s to the early 2000s. Starting his career in the NASCAR touring series and the dirt Late Model Racing, he switched to racing on the asphalt in 1989. He made a single start in the Cup Series at the Ontario Motor Speedway in 1976.

Joining forces with his crew chief James Ince in 1990, Phillips went on to achieve unprecedented success in the NASCAR Weekly Series. He won the national championship in the year 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, and 1996. He also has 13 track championships to his name.

Phillips might have more race wins to his name as record-keeping back then wasn't as rigorous as it is currently. His crew chief Ince estimates that Phillips won at least 1000 times in his racing career.

The legendary short-track driver is regarded as one of the most notable drivers not in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, despite being nominated twice in 2013 and most recently in 2020.

He was inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in 2001. Before making it into NASCAR 75 greatest drivers' list, he was named one of the 25 Greatest Whelen All-American Series Drivers of All-Time in 2006.

Diagnosed with lung cancer in 2000, he retired from racing the following year. He passed away in 2004 at the age of 62.

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Who were added alongside Larry Phillips to the 75 greatest drivers list this week?

NASCAR 75 Greatest Drivers is a continuation of the list of the 50 greatest drivers announced in 1998 in its 50th Anniversary. For its 75th anniversary, 25 drivers will be added to the list before the throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway.

NASCAR has been announcing roughly one driver per day and five a week. this week Two Cup Series champions Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski were added to the list before Larry Phillips' inclusion.

The 2017 Cup Series champion announcement came after the weekend he took his 32nd career win at Dover Motor Speedway. Keselowski, the 2012 Cup Series champion was included in the list earlier this week.