Gary Myers, a former NASCAR Cup Series driver who became a Bowman Gray Stadium modified racing icon and the patriarch of one of short-track racing's most decorated families, died on September 10, 2026, at the age of 76. A native of Walnut Cove in North Carolina's Stokes County, Myers spent the latter half of his career as a fixture at the famed "Madhouse" quarter-mile in Winston-Salem, where his sons Burt and Jason Myers went on to become two of the track's all-time winningest modified drivers. His death was reported on September 11 by Scott Page of Jayski's Silly Season Site, one of NASCAR's most prominent news outlets.
A Five-Year NASCAR Cup Career and a Lifetime in Modifieds
Long before the Myers name became shorthand for Bowman Gray Stadium success, Gary Myers chased a career in NASCAR's top division. Between 1974 and 1979, he made 46 starts in what was then known as the Winston Cup Series, driving Chevrolets and Pontiacs for a string of small, independent teams. His debut came in the 1974 Yankee 400 at Michigan International Speedway, and his final Cup start was the 1978 Los Angeles Times 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway in California.
His best single-season result arrived in 1978, when he finished 27th in the final points standings. Across his five partial seasons, Myers never recorded a victory, a top-10 finish or a pole position — a reflection of the resource gap between independent racers like him and the factory-backed operations that dominated the era. He also entered the Daytona 500 three times but never made the "Great American Race," recording a DNQ in 1976 and withdrawals in 1978 and 1979.
Beyond the Cup Series, Myers competed in the NASCAR Grand National East Series and, later, spent more than a decade as a regular on the NASCAR Featherlite (now Whelen) Modified Tour, logging starts from 1985 through 1997. His crowning achievement came in 1996, when he won the SMART Modified Tour championship. He also turned laps in the USAR Hooters Late Model Series and the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
The Bowman Gray Connection: Building a Racing Dynasty
Myers' deepest mark on the sport was written at Bowman Gray Stadium, the flat quarter-mile oval that has hosted weekly stock car racing since 1949 and earned the nickname "the Madhouse" for its bumper-to-bumper, tempers-flaring brand of competition. A 2000 Winston-Salem Journal headline captured the family's grip on the place in a single phrase: "Myers, Bowman Gray Are Linked."
That link now runs through two generations. Burt Myers, born in 1975, is an 11-time Bowman Gray Stadium Modified champion and a three-time SMART Modified Tour titleholder who made his own NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2025. Jason Myers, born in 1978, has competed in the SMART Modified Tour and Bowman Gray's weekly series since 1999 and drove early in his career for his father's team. Alongside relatives Bobby, Billy and Slate Myers, the brothers turned the family surname into one of the most recognizable names in East Coast modified racing.
Timeline: Gary Myers' Racing Journey
The arc of Myers' career stretches from the independent days of the 1970s Cup Series to the weekly short-track ranks where his family still competes today.
- March 4, 1950: Born in Walnut Cove, North Carolina.
- 1974: Makes his Winston Cup Series debut in the Yankee 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
- 1976: Attempts his first Daytona 500 but fails to qualify.
- 1978: Posts his best Cup season with a 27th-place points finish and runs his final Cup race, the Los Angeles Times 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway.
- 1985–1997: Competes on the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour.
- 1996: Wins the SMART Modified Tour championship.
- September 10, 2026: Dies at the age of 76.
Why Gary Myers' Legacy Endures Beyond the Cup Series
Gary Myers never won a NASCAR Cup Series race, and his 46 starts produced no top-10 finishes. Judged strictly by the numbers of stock car racing's highest level, his record was modest. But that framing misses the significance of his career and the influence he carried.
In the 1970s, drivers like Myers were the backbone of the sport — independent, small-budget racers who hauled their own cars to the track and competed against well-funded operations on a fraction of the resources. That same grit carried into modified racing, where Myers and his family became the standard at Bowman Gray and across the SMART Modified Tour. His 1996 championship cemented him as a title-winning racer in his own right, long after his Cup days had ended.
His greatest victory, however, was the foundation he laid. Two sons became champions. A family team became a regional institution. And a surname that first appeared in Winston-Salem racing decades ago remains attached to Bowman Gray's weekly program today.
Where the Myers Legacy Stands Now
As of September 2026, the Myers racing operation carries on through Burt and Jason Myers, who remain active in modified competition and Bowman Gray's weekly racing series. Burt Myers added to his championship haul as recently as 2024, capturing his 11th Bowman Gray Stadium Modified title, and continues to be a headliner on the SMART Modified Tour.
The family's continued presence means Gary Myers' influence will be visible every week the gates open at the track he helped make famous.
What Happens Next: A Legacy That Keeps Racing
No immediate changes to the family's racing program have been announced following Myers' death. Given the depth of the Myers operation — and the fact that Burt and Jason have long since established themselves as stars in their own right — the family's presence at Bowman Gray and on the SMART Modified Tour is widely expected to continue without interruption.
For a racing community that has watched the Myers name compete at the Madhouse for decades, the most fitting tribute may simply be what happens next Saturday night: another Myers-modified rolling to the starting grid, carrying a legacy Gary Myers built from the ground up.
The Bottom Line: Key Facts About Gary Myers
- Former NASCAR Cup Series driver who made 46 starts from 1974 to 1979.
- Best Cup Series points finish was 27th, in 1978.
- Won the 1996 SMART Modified Tour championship.
- Father of modified racing champions Burt Myers and Jason Myers.
- A Bowman Gray Stadium fixture whose family remains a weekly-racing institution.
- Died September 10, 2026, at age 76.
