| |
| Nationality |  American
|
| Born | 10 December 1978 |
| New York City, New York, United States | |
| Achievements | 4-Time Snowball Derby winner (1995, 1997, 1998, 2002) |
| World Stock Car Championship | |
|---|---|
| 0 races run over 23 season(s). | |
| Rookie Season | 1999 |
| Team(s) | Stafford Race Engineering |
| Championships | 0 |
| Pole Positions | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Top 5s | 0 |
| Top 10s | 0 |
| Best Finish | |
| World Stock Car Lites | |
| 0 races run over 3 season(s). | |
| Rookie Season | 1996 |
| Team(s) | Stafford Race Engineering |
| Championships | 0 |
| Pole Positions | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Top 5s | 0 |
| Top 10s | 0 |
| Best Finish | |
| WSCC Canon Driver | |
Francis Raymond "Frank" Stafford (born 10 December 1978) is an American race car driver currently driving for Monster Energy Mercedes Motorsports in the World Stock Car Championship. Stafford is a fourth-generation driver from one of America's most prominent racing families; his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all professional race car drivers, as were as several uncles and cousins. His other grandfather, Howard Joyce, is widely regarded as one of the greatest racing drivers of all time.
Early Life[edit | edit source]
Stafford was born on December 10, 1978 in Brooklyn, New York; he is the oldest child of Ray Stafford and Pattie Joyce. His younger brother R.J. Stafford and sister Kristen Stafford are both active in motorsports; R.J. races in the North American Stock Car Tour, while Kristen is a multi-time drag racing champion in the Top Fuel division. Stafford attended Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, a private Catholic school, from grades 6 - 12, where he was a varsity swimmer.
Stafford and the family would spend summers on the road following his father in the World Stock Car Championship from early in his childhood. Young Frank was a fixture at the race track, often seen with his mother or his aunt Sandy, who toured with Ray as his business manager.
Racing Career[edit | edit source]
1990's[edit | edit source]
Stafford became the second-youngest winner of the Snowball Derby in 1995; he won the race at 16 years 358 days, while his second cousin, Danny, won the 1984 race at 16 years 251 days. He won the race three more times between 1997 and 2002, becoming the winningest driver in the history of the event.
2000's[edit | edit source]
2010's[edit | edit source]
2020's[edit | edit source]
Personal Life[edit | edit source]
Stafford married April Summers on December 31, 1999. The couple have four children: Andrew (born 4 August 2002), Ricky (born 15 December 2005), Diana (born 2 October 2008), and Jenna (born 11 May 2010).
He is very close to his aunt, Sandy, who would often look after him at the race track when his mother was unable to attend races. When Sandy came out to her family in 1992, the then 14-year-old Stafford was (according to Sandy) the first to embrace her. Stafford has been a staunch supporter of LGBT rights since the late 1990s, something that has put him at odds with several members of his extended family. He reportedly refused to speak to his father's cousin Bobby for nearly two decades; the two only reconciled after the death of family patriarch Jimmy Stafford in 2007.
Charity Work[edit | edit source]
Like many members of his family, Stafford donates much of his time to charitable causes. He has been most prominent in fighting for equal rights for the LGBT community, and is currently a board member for both the Family Equality Council and Athlete Ally, the latter of which he represents as the only member active in motorsports.
Racing Record[edit | edit source]
Complete World Stock Car Championship Results[edit | edit source]
| Year | Entrant | Number | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | WSCC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Stafford Race Engineering | 4 | Pontiac | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Stafford-Red Bull Race Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Chevrolet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Mercedes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Stafford Race Engineering | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | SRE-Monster Energy-Mercedes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 |
Complete World Stock Car Lites Results[edit | edit source]
Links[edit | edit source]
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous Archer Hawking Stewart Young Trevor Richmond |
Snowball Derby Winners 1995 1997, 1998 2002 |
Next Stewart Young Billy Savage Sheldon Rogerson |