by Cindy Shanks

Created on: August 02, 2008   Last Updated: December 19, 2008

Born 1st August 1932, near Catawba, North Carolina Robert Isaac did not have an easy life. He lived on a farm and had one younger sibling and seven older brothers and sisters. It was through hard work he managed to rise out of poverty and make a name for himself. Without the sheer determination and perseverance he wouldn't be remembered for winning 37 NASCAR cup series races today.

Life was made more difficult for the Isaac family when they became a one parent family. When he was six, Bobby's father, Jerry, died and his mother Kathy had to work in a furniture shop to support the family. Due to the family's circumstances no one really checked on what Bobby was up to and whether or not he even attended school. He skipped school and by the time he was in sixth grade he finally quit for good and obtained a job in a saw mall. He drifted in and out of different jobs and tragedy struck a second time for his family, when Bobby was 16 his mother died.

His life could easily have been one of aimless drifting but something changed his life. One day when he was 17 he happened to watch his first ever car race and this sparked something inside of him making him long to do the same. Suddenly he had a purpose. He decided that he would work and train in his spare time. It it wasn't easy and there were setbacks. By 1956 through sheer determination he was racing full time but it would take a further seven years before he managed to break into the Grand National Division.

In 1958 he raced against Ned Jarret and David Pearson. This gave him the opportunity to know the drivers although he didn't manage to try out their cars. Jimmy Thompson's team gave him the chance to act as a stand-in for a Grand National event but the car wasn't good enough to finish the race.

Bondy Long employed Bobby to race for him but unfortunately he couldn't finish his qualifying race. Continuing to train hard, Bob finally got a job in 1963 as a driver for the Nichel's team when Bud Allman who worked for them asked them employ Bobby. This was the start of great success.The team ran 19 races in 1964 and he had 7 top 10 finishes.

Then, another setback followed. There were disputes in 1965 and 1966 and Isaac missed out on races. In 1969 he won 17 races. By 1970 he had won the Grand National championship driving the 71 Dodge Charger Daytona. He had come along way from his days as a teenager drifting from job to job. In 1973 he decided to quit the team and said he was retiring. However this didn't last long. He carried on racing. It was in his blood.

He also set 28 land speed world records when he went to Bonneville, Salt Flats in Utah in 1971. His last win was in 1972 in Rockingham, North Carolina. His career was cut short. Sadly in 1977, at Hickory Motor Speedway, Bobby suddenly pulled out of the race and suffered a heart attack, he died the next day in hospital and never knew all the accolades he would later receive such as being in the top 50 of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers of all time.

Further information

http://www.legendsofnascar.com/Bobby_Isaa c.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Isaac

Learn more about this author, Cindy Shanks.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.