By Vincent Delforge, Special to Kickin’ the Tires
It is with immense sadness that we learned of the death of Rolland Gene “Ron” Gautsche, a former driver, owner and crew chief between 1974 and 1989 of the NASCAR West Series (now known as the ARCA Menards Series West). He died peacefully this Thursday, August 22, 2024 at the age of 89 at his home in Eugene, OR.
Born on July 6, 1935 at Truckee, Calif., Ron began his career racing on a dirt track near Reno, Calif. before moving on to the Modified Series and finally the NASCAR West Series and then-Winston Cup Series in 1971. With his wife Shirnell, he had a great career in the West Series, totaling 130 races with 17 top-fives and 71 top-10s.
His best result was a second position obtained at Altamont, Calif. in 1974. It was also that year that he obtained his best ranking in the championship with a final fourth position. A season where out of the 25 races he contested, he finished 19 times in the top-10. That is as many as Sonny Easley and Jack McCoy who had nevertheless done the 28 races that the season had. Only the champion Ray Elder did better with 20 top 10s.
He made his first West Series race at Riverside, Calif in 1971, a combined race with the Cup, and made his last start in 1984 at Mesa Marin, Calif. A race won by his friend Sumner McKnight and he finished in ninth position.
He ran the Gautsche Racing team with his wife Shirnell where he spent the majority of his career (103 races) with his famous No. 82 and his blue cars sponsored by Tognotti’s Speed Shop & Auto Parts. It was only between 1976 and 1978 that he drove for the teams of Don Guy (26 races with No. 57) and Gene Thonesen (one race with No. 77). Gautsche Racing also ran drivers such as Ross Kusah, Neil Bonnett, J.C Danielsen. He was also the preparer for many years of Sumner McKnight’s cars.
In 1988 Gautsche Racing traveled to Australia for the first international exhibition race organized by NASCAR in the land of kangaroos with driver J.C. Danielsen who finished in ninth position.
To his family and friends, the entire Kickin’ The Tires team sends its most sincere condolences.