Larry McClure, a former NASCAR Cup Series team owner most well known for capturing three Daytona 500s as an owner in the early 1990s, passed away on Wednesday. He was 81.
McClure, who built Morgan-McClure Motorsports into a NASCAR powerhouse alongside business partners Tim Morgan and brother Jerry McClure, died in an Abingdon, Virginia hospital, according to a statement from the McClure family.
The statement did not reveal a cause of death.
“We would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support during this most difficult time,” the statement concluded, after announcing McClure’s passing.
Larry McClure Left Lasting Mark On NASCAR Over 25 Years
Led by Larry McClure, Morgan-McClure Motorsports fielded a car in NASCAR’s premier series from 1983-2007. Over that 25-year span, the team celebrated 14 Cup Series victories. The most notable of those triumphs came in the 1991 Daytona 500 with driver Ernie Irvan, and in 1993 and 1994 with driver Sterling Marlin.
The team earned its first Cup Series win in the 1990 night race at Bristol Motor Speedway. In that event, Irvan led 120 of 500 laps and edged Rusty Wallace at the finish by just over two-tenths of a second.
Morgan-McClure Motorsports went to Victory Lane for the final time in 1998. With the late Bobby Hamilton as its driver, the team scored a dominant win from the pole at Martinsville Speedway.
Others who suited up for the team during its quarter-century run in the NASCAR Cup Series included Mark Martin, Joe Nemechek, Robby Gordon, Mike Skinner and Todd Bodine. Martin, a 40-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner, ran six races for the team in its debut season.
The Abingdon-based outfit entered its final race in 2007, with 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton behind the wheel. Not surprisingly, prominent members of the NASCAR world offered swift reactions on Wednesday to the news of McClure’s death.
NASCAR Community Shares Memories Of Larry McClure
Sterling Marlin drove for Larry McClure from 1994-1997 and won six times over those four years in the team’s now iconic No. 4, Kodak-sponsored Chevrolet. His reaction to Wednesday’s news couldn’t have been more candid.
“My heart hurts finding out Larry McClure passed away,” Marlin wrote on social media platform X. “He took a chance on me, saying, ‘I know you’ll drive the hell out of it.’ He gave me a fast race car & back to back Daytona 500s.”
Marlin went on to describe McClure as “innovative, smart and a hell of a guy.” Check out his full post on X.
My heart hurts finding out Larry McClure passed away. He took a chance on me saying “I know you’ll drive the hell out of it.” He gave me a fast race car & back to back Daytona 500s. He was innovative, smart & a hell of a guy. Glad i got to see him last year. gonna miss him pic.twitter.com/b538TPYe5O
— Sterling Marlin (@SMR_114) June 25, 2025
Former NASCAR driver turned broadcaster Hermie Sadler, a Virginia native, also paid tribute to the former team owner from his home state.
“I send my deepest condolences to the family of Larry McClure,” Sadler wrote on X. “Many years ago I went to Chicagoland with one car and one engine. My engine blew in practice. He gave me an engine to run. He said, ‘If you out qualify my car, you can race that engine for free.’ RIP.”
I send my deepest condolences to the family of Larry McClure. Many years ago I went to Chicagoland with one car and one engine. My engine blew in practice. He gave me an engine to run. He said, “if you out qualify my car, you can race that engine for free.” RIP 🙏🙏🙏
— Hermie Sadler (@HermieSadler) June 25, 2025
