Sonny Hutchins, born May 17, 1929 in Richmond,
Virginia, began his stock car racing career on March 18, 1950,
at the Richmond Fairgrounds when he entered the Hank Stanley
Memorial Race. Hutchins managed to finish second in his
qualifying heat and finished seventh in the feature. He managed
a restaurant fulltime for a living and raced when he could
afford it.In 1951, Hutchins began competing in the NASCAR
Modified Division including the old beach course at Daytona. In
1955, Hutchins made his first NASCAR Grand National Division
start at Richmond Fairgrounds half-mile dirt track driving J. M.
Fitzgibbons #97-A Oldsmobile. Overheating problems 15 laps into
the event dropped him to a 26th place finish after starting
13th.
Hutchins did not get an opportunity again to drive in
NASCAR’s elite division for 10 years. He continued to compete in
Late Models and Modifieds. In 1965, Hutchins convinced Junie
Donlavey to let him drive his #90 Ford in 10 Grand National
events. He recorded a 5th place finish at the .333-mile asphalt
Dog Track Speedway, in Moyock, North Carolina. And a 10th place
finish in the Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville, Virginia. He
also drove in the NASCAR Modified Division campaigning cars for
Donlavey.
In 1966, Donlavey put Hutchins in his #90 for 4 events.
Mechanical problems dropped him from competition in 3 of the 4
events, and he failed to record a top-10. In 1967, the two
teamed up for 7 NASCAR Grand National events. Hutchins recorded
a 7th place finish in the Daytona 500. In 1968, Hutchins and
Donlavey paired up for 4 events but mechanical failures
sidelined them in every event. Hutchins enjoyed success in the
Late Model ranks capturing the 1968 Late Model Division Track
championship at Southside Speedway in Midlothian, Virginia near
Richmond.
In 1969, Hutchins drove Donlavey’s #90 Ford in 8 Grand
National events. He finished second in the Mason-Dixon 300 at
Dover and in the Capital City 250 at Richmond. In 1970, the two
teamed up for two Grand National events. Hutchins finished 5th
in the Capital City 500 at Richmond.
In 1973, Hutchins drove the #82 Harraka Enterprises Chevrolet
in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Richmond 500. He qualified
12th, but a crash on lap 254 put him out of the event early and
relegated him to a 21st place finish.
Hutchins returned to Winston Cup Series competition for his
final time in 1974 driving Emanuel Zervakis’ #01 Dominion Oxygen
& Supply Chevrolet in the Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville. He
qualified second, but was taken out of the event by a crash on
lap 150 and finished 21st.
In 9 years of competition in NASCAR’s elite division,
Hutchins made 38 starts recording 4 top-5s and 7 top-10s.
In 1980, Hutchins won his second Late Model Division Track
Championship at Southside Speedway. In 1981, after a race at
Southside, Hutchins suffered a heart attack and promptly retired
from racing, ending a 31-year racing career. He and his brother
“Piggy” continued to operate the Attaché restaurant on West
Broad in Richmond until his death on November 22, 2005 at the
age of 76.
