| 250px | |
| Nationality |  American
|
| Born | 10 December 1916 |
| New York City, New York, United States | |
| Died | 14 August 1993 |
| Rochester, Minnesota, United States | |
| Cause of Death | Pancreatic cancer |
| World Stock Car Championship | |
|---|---|
| 16 races run over 2 season(s). | |
| Team(s) | Stafford Brothers Garage |
| Championships | 0 |
| Pole Positions | 3 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Podiums | 5 |
| Top 5s | 8 |
| Top 10s | 9 |
| First Start | 1950 Icebreaker Sweepstakes |
| First Win | 1950 NSCS Race 04 |
| Last Win | 1951 NSCS Race 06 |
| Last Start | 1951 NSCS Race 06 |
| Best Result | 2nd (1950) |
| WSCC Canon Driver | |
Peter Owen Stafford (December 10, 1916 - August 14, 1993) was an American stock car driver who competed during the 1950's and 1960's. He is the younger brother of fellow 1950's competitor Jimmy Stafford
Background[edit | edit source]
Born in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn, Peter Stafford began racing midget cars in the early 1930's; his racing career was put on hold due to World War II, when he served in the U.S. Army as a mechanic.
Racing Career[edit | edit source]
Stafford was introduced to stock car racing during naval training; he befriended Lester Sherman, a soldier from North Carolina. The two won several races in 1942 when they were on a two-month leave; Stafford would not return to racing until 1948.
After returning from the war, Stafford joined his brother Jimmy at the service center the former had opened in 1943. Peter convinced Jimmy to offer engine tuning for stock car racing soon after. The brothers became renowned in the local racing scene for their prowess with engines, and Stafford-tuned engines soon dominated the New York stock car scene. Peter rejoined motorsports at Islip Raceway, beating Elliot Crawford and Amos Thompson.
Peter would join the newly-formed National Stock Car Series in 1950 alongside Jimmy, with their youngest brother Gerry running the service center when they were racing. Peter had a successful run in the first season, winning two races and leading the championship for several weeks. An untimely engine failure at Riverside during the Turkey Bowl cost Stafford the championship, as title rival Cameron Yost finished a strong third and took the inaugural series championship by 99 points.
In 1951, despite his heavier Oldsmobile being outclassed by the smaller and more nimble Hudson Hornet and Studebaker Champion driven by many of his prominent rivals, Stafford managed to win the race at Wall Stadium Speedway, secured several podium finishes, and qualified on the pole at North Wilkesboro Speedway. An accident during the qualifying race at Daytona nearly sidelined him for the next race in Atlanta, but he was able to make the race after securing a new Oldsmobile 88, and finished a solid third place. Stafford would finish fourth in points behind Yost, Howard Joyce, and Emmett Newton, the latter two of whom had full factory support from Hudson.
Personal Life[edit | edit source]
Stafford married Elizabeth Arnold in 1938; she died on March 13, 2004 at age 86. The pair had three children - Charlie Stafford, Logan Stafford, and Molly Stafford-Cusmano. Many members of the Stafford family, particularly those descended from his brother, Jimmy, have followed his footsteps into motorsports.
Death[edit | edit source]
Stafford was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in September 1992; he went public with his diagnosis and relocated to Rochester, Minnesota to seek treatment at the Mayo Clinic. Despite aggressive treatment, Stafford died in the early morning hours of August 14, 1993, just shy of one year after his initial diagnosis.