Born December 14, 1927 in Bridal Veil, Oregon,
Hershel McGriff launched his stock car racing career in
September of 1945 at the dirt Portland Speedway finishing 13th
in his family’s sedan. In 1950, McGriff won the Pan American
Road Race in Mexico in a 1950 Oldsmobile 88, with an average
speed of 79.2 mph over 27 hours, 34 minutes, and 25 seconds. His
payoff was more than $17,000. The same year McGriff made his
NASCAR debut campaigning his #52 City of Roses Oldsmobile in the
inaugural Southern 500 at Darlington where he finished 9th.
McGriff made 3 starts in the 1951 NASCAR Grand National Division
season driving his own Oldsmobile. He placed 11th at Detroit and
4th in the Southern 500 at Darlington. In 1952, He drove Beryl
Jackson’s #3 Oldsmobile in 2 NASCAR Grand National events
finishing 7th at Detroit and 15th at Niagara Falls. In 1953,
McGriff entered his own #5 in 2 events. In 1954, McGriff won a
feature event in the inaugural year of the NASCAR Pacific Coast
Late Model series, which would later be renamed the NASCAR
Winston West Series. McGriff drove Beryl Jackson’s Oldsmobile in
2 Grand National events setting the pole at Oakland Stadium in
Oakland, California. He then made 22 starts driving Frank
Christian's #14 Oldsmobile winning 4 events including back-toback
wins at Macon, Georgia and at Southern States Fairgrounds at
Charlotte, North Carolina finishing 6th in the championship
points.
McGriff did not return to the NASCAR’s elite division in
1955. He continued to race locally and to compete in what is now
known as the NASCAR Winston West Series. In 1969, he won the
Oregon Auto Racing Championship. In 1970, he won the Oregon Auto
Racing Championship again by winning 23 of 33 races.
In 1971, McGriff reappeared in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series
driving Beryl Jackson’s #04 Plymouth in 2 events and Robert
Koehler’s #41 Plymouth at Ontario but was plagued with 2 DNF’s
in 3 starts. In 1972, McGriff campaigned Beryl Jackson’s #04
Plymouth in 4 Winston Cup Series events scoring 5th places
finishes at Riverside, California and at College Station, Texas.
He added a 6th place finish at Ontario, California to log
4 starts, 2 top-5s and 3 top-10s. In 1973, McGriff finished
5th in the Daytona 500 and 7th at Riverside driving Jackson’s
#04 The Cousins Plymouth. In 1974, McGriff made 4 starts driving
the Petty Enterprises’
#04 Almost Heaven, West Virginia Dodge and 1 start driving
Dick Midgley’s #26W Chevrolet. For 1975, McGriff drove Dick
Midgley’s #29 Mercury Marine Chevrolet, Ken Friez #69 Friez
Enterprises Chevrolet, and Ferrell Harris’
#82 Dan Walters Forever Dodge making 5 starts recording 1
top-10.
McGriff returned to Winston Cup competition campaigning his
own Chevrolets for 1976 entering the race at Riverside and at
Ontario. In 1977, he entered only the 2 events at Riverside. In
1978, He recorded a 6th place finish in the NASCAR Winston Cup
Series season opener, the Winston Western 500 at Riverside
driving George Jefferson’s #95 Ford. He returned for the second
event at Riverside driving his own #48 Chevrolet finishing 17th.
McGriff was absent from Winston Cup Series competition in
1979, but returned in 1980 entering the 2 Riverside events and
the one event at Ontario, California. McGriff competed in the 3
Winston Cup events at Riverside in 1981 driving Gerald Craker’s
#01 Dodge and Buick recording DNF’s in all 3 starts. McGriff
returned for the 2 Riverside events in 1982 driving Gary Smith’s
#04 Matson Graphics Buick suffering transmission failures in
both events. McGriff returned to the Winston Cup Series in
1983 with Smith’s #04 Buick for the 2 Riverside events
scoring an 8th place finish in the final event of the Winston
Cup Series schedule. In 1984, he entered both Riverside events
finishing 9th in the final event of the year. In 1985, 1986, and
1987, McGriff again made both Riverside events. In 1986, McGriff
won the NASCAR Winston West Series Championship.
In 1988, McGriff campaigned his own #04 U. S. Banks Pontiac
in 2 Winston Cup Series events. In 1989 and 1990, McGriff
entered only the NASCAR Winston Cup Series road course event at
Sears Point. In 1991, McGriff competed at Sears Point and
Phoenix driving Bob Lipseia’s #04 U. S. Bank Pontiac. In 1992
and 1993, he entered the road course event at Sears Point.
In 2002, At the age of 74, McGriff announced his retirement
from racing, ``Well, I just retired,'' McGriff said. ``If I
cannot keep up, be near the front, have fun and be comfortable,
which is how it has been, than I think the time has come. I kept
losing the guys and saw the pack coming. That is when I decided
(to retire). I wrecked in Las Vegas two weeks ago, so I don't
want to do that again. I will keep busy with other work and
things will not change that much for me.''
Career Accomplishments:
1969 Oregon Auto Racing Championship
1970 Oregon Auto Racing Championship
1986 NASCAR Winston West Series Championship
NASCAR Winston West Series 236 starts, 34 wins, 96 top-5s,
and 145 top-10s NASCAR Winston Cup Series 85 starts, 5 poles, 4
wins, 17 top-5s, and 31 top-10s