Danny Letner

American racecar driver (1928–2018)

NASCAR driver

Danny Letner

Born| (1928-01-03)January 3, 1928
Downey, California
Died| March 30, 2018(2018-03-30) (aged 90)
Orange, California
Awards| West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2002 - Inaugural Class)
NASCAR Cup Series career
27 races run over 8 years
Best finish| 33rd (1954 NASCAR Grand National Series)
First race| 1951 Race 4 (Carrell Speedway)
Last race| 1963 Riverside 500 (Riverside International Raceway)
First win| 1954 Race 27 (Oakland Stadium)
Last win| 1955 Race 14 (Tucson Rodeo Grounds)
| Wins | Top tens | Poles

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2 | 10 | 1

Danny Lewis Letner[1] (January 3, 1928 – March 30, 2018) was an American racecar driver who won two races in what is now the NASCAR Cup Series.[2]

## Career

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In 1951, Letner ran five NASCAR Grand National Division races in cars owned by his father, Bert. He earned two top-fives that year with a best finish of eighth. Letner then competed in a handful of races each year from 1954 to 1957, adding seven more top tens, including wins at Oakland and Tucson.[3][2]

In 1954, Letner won two races and finished in second place in the NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model standings. The next year, he won three races en route to a championship in his only full-time season. He won three of the twelve races he entered in 1957, his final season in the series.[2]

In 1956, Letner ran 23 races in the inaugural season of the short-lived NASCAR Convertible Division, winning at Langhorne Speedway.[4]

Letner retired from stock car racing in the early 1960s, but later took up off-road racing. He won the SCORE Parker 400 in 1989 at the age of 61,[5] and would go on to finish tied for second in the championship standings that year.[6]

In 2002, he was inducted into the first class of the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.

## Personal life

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Letner was born in Downey, California. His son Marty and grandsons Kory and Harley have also competed in off-road racing.[7][8]

## References

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1. ^ "Danny L Letner from Orange, CA". Radaris.com. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
2. ^ a b c "Driver Danny Letner Career Statistics". racing-reference.info. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
3. ^ "O'Connor Wins Big Car Race; Letner Nabs Stock Car Victory". San Bernardino Sun. No. 2 August 1954. 2 August 1954. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
4. ^ "Letner Takes Auto Title Race". The New York Times. No. May 21, 1956. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
5. ^ "Letner first finisher in Parker 400 race". San Bernardino Sun. No. 29 January 1989. 29 January 1989. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
6. ^ "Letner racing crowned unlimited class one champions". kingshocks.com. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
7. ^ "NASCAR West champion Danny Letner passes". nascar.com. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
8. ^ "Harley Letner carries on a family tradition at Laughlin that stretches back to the 1940s". snoreracing.net. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.

## External links

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* Danny Letner driver statistics at Racing-Reference

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ARCA Menards Series West Champions

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1954 L. Dane
1955 D. Letner
1956 L. Dane
1957 L. Dane
1958 E. Gray
1959 B. Ross
1960 M. Porter
1961 E. Gray
1962 E. Gray
1963 R. Hornaday Sr.

1964 R. Hornaday Sr.
1965 B. Amick
1966 J. McCoy
1967 S. Cain
1968 S. Cain
1969 R. Elder
1970 R. Elder
1971 R. Elder
1972 R. Elder
1973 J. McCoy

1974 R. Elder
1975 R. Elder
1976 C. Bown
1977 B. Schmitt
1978 J. Insolo
1979 B. Schmitt
1980 R. Smith
1981 R. Smith
1982 R. Smith
1983 J. Robinson

1984 J. Robinson
1985 J. Robinson
1986 H. McGriff
1987 C. Little
1988 R. Smith
1989 B. Schmitt
1990 B. Schmitt
1991 B. Sedgwick
1992 B. Sedgwick
1993 R. Carelli

1994 M. Chase
1995 D. George
1996 L. Hooper
1997 B. Gilliland
1998 K. Harvick
1999 S. Woodside
2000 B. Gaughan
2001 B. Gaughan
2002 E. Norris
2003 S. Lynch

2004 M. Duncan
2005 M. Duncan
2006 E. Holmes
2007 M. David
2008 E. Holmes
2009 J. Bowles
2010 E. Holmes
2011 G. Pursley
2012 D. Kwasniewski
2013 D. Thorn

2014 G. Pursley
2015 C. Eggleston
2016 T. Gilliland
2017 T. Gilliland
2018 D. Thorn
2019 D. Kraus
2020 J. Love
2021 J. Love
2022 J. Drew
2023 S. Hingorani

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*[Best finish]: Best finish in the championship
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