Mike Alexander Firsts

In racing circles, Franklin, TN may be best known as the home of retired Cup driver and NASCAR on FOX announcer Darrell Waltrip. Franklin was also home, however, to the late R.C. Alexander, owner and operator of Harpeth Ford car dealership - and a successful late model sportsman racing team.

Alexander's Fords raced primarily at Nashville's Fairgrounds Speedway though they did compete at other regional tracks as well. His roster of successful drivers included Jimmy Griggs, Red Farmer, Flookie Buford, and Waltrip among others. More often than not, Alexander's Fords sported #84.

In the mid 1970s, Alexander's cars gained another occupant - his son Mike. Mike Alexander began his racing career in Nashville's limited sportsman division. After a couple of years of banging around on Nashville's quarter-mile, he moved to the Late Model Sportsman division on the .596-mile oval. Career success - locally, regionally, and nationally - followed; however, the run didn't last as long as many had hoped.

Several of Mike Alexander's racing career firsts are noted below.

First race - April 13, 1974 - Nashville Speedway - 50-lap limited sportsman race, a preliminary event to the season-opening Permatex 200 LMS race. Driving a #83 Ford, Alexander earned a DNF in his first start resulting from an early race wreck. Coincidentally, Waltrip in R.C.'s #84 Ford also exited the LMS race following a tangle with Ray Hendrick.

Source: Nashville Banner

Courtesy of Mike Alexander

First win - April 19, 1975 - 50-lap Limited Sportsman race - Nashville Speedway - preliminary event to the season-opening Winston 200 LMS race

Courtesy of Mike Alexander

First LMS win - May 15, 1976 - Nashville Speedway - 25 lap feature - second feature won by friend and second year LMS racer, P.B. Crowell III (Crowell was not a rookie in 1976 as noted in the article.)

Source: The Tennessean - TMC Archives

Alexander tallied ten more victories in his first LMS season. Though he fell short of capturing the points championship, he easily won the 1976 Rookie of the Year.

First championship - Nashville Speedway - 1978 LMS division

Others outside of middle Tennessee began to take notice of Alexander's numerous wins and 1978 track title. Mike himself began pondering the what-ifs of racing at a higher level. On May 10, 1980, he earned the opportunity to start his first Winston Cup race.

Source: The Tennessean - TMC Archives

Driving for independent driver turned owner D.K. Ulrich in Nashville's Music City 420, Alexander qualified 12th and finished an impressive 10th. As an aside, he also became the first driver with the last name Alexander to start a NASCAR GN / Cup race.

Courtesy of Mike Alexander

By the way, the winner of that particular Cup race? Aww yeaaahhh, Ol' King Richard.

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After a part-time Cup schedule in 1981, Alexander returned to full-time late model racing the next couple of years. In 1983, he won 51 of 75 late model features and notched his first Winston Racing Series national championship.

Courtesy of Mike Alexander

Alexander realized another career milestone the following season. Driving for Dave Marcis, Alexander started his first Daytona 500 on February 19, 1984.

Alexander had engine issues in his 125-mile qualifying twin and made the 500 via an owner's provisional. He started 42nd - shotgun on the field - but had familiar company near him. Starting 41st and to his left was 1974 Nashville LMS champion Jimmy Means. In front of him in 40th was Nashville rival and 1980-81-82 Nashville Grand American champion, Sterling Marlin.

Courtesy of Mike Alexander

Alexander's tenure with Marcis was short-lived as were stints with additional underfunded Cup operations over the next couple of years. Mike pushed reset, pursued a different approach, and launched his own team full-time in 1987 in NASCAR's Busch Series.

A few months into his new venture, Alexander captured his first Busch Series win. On May 2, 1987, he won the Hampton 200 at Langley Speedway.

Courtesy of Mike Alexander

With solid finishes and another Busch Series victory in 1988, things were again tracking in the right direction for Alexander. In mid 1988, a devastating, career-ending injury for Bobby Allison at Pocono opened the door once again for Alexander.

He took the wheel of Bill and Mickey Stavola's Miller High Life Buick, raced competitively the rest of the season, found a little sump'n sump'n for 1989, signed a deal, changed the car number to 84, and had his best shot with a top-level Cup team.

This post should include a nod to his first Cup win. But it won't.

Racers race - and Mike did. As he'd done since the mid 1970s, Alexander headed to Pensacola in early December 1988 to compete in the Snowball Derby. A savage crash ended his race - and essentially his career. He returned to race in the 1989 Daytona 500 but soon realized he wasn't fully ready for what a Cup ride required.

Alexander continued his recovery therapy, received clearance to return to limited short track racing, and found his way back to Cup in February 1990. After a handful of races, however, he stepped away from Cup. He continued to race at Nashville, but his days at NASCAR's top level were done.

Mike retired from driving in November 1992 - after he won his second track championship at Nashville.

TMC