By Vincent Delforge, special to KickinTheTires.net
It is with sadness that we learned on July 16 of the passing of former NASCAR Winston West Series (now known as ARCA Menards Series West) driver John Soares, Jr.
Born on May 18, 1942 in Hayward, Calif, he had participated in 137 races between 1969 and 1988 almost entirely on behalf of the family team with his father John Soares, Sr. The elder Soares served as his his son’s long time his crew chief. His father, also a former driver, had already left us in 2007.
Together they are one of the rare father-son duos to have won races in the West Series. Soares, Sr. in 1954 in Gardena, Calif. and Soares, Jr. in 1971 in San Jose, Calif..
Soares Jr was a former driver in Sportman, Midget and Super Modified competition. He was also a track champion at Petaluma and Antioch, Calif. speedways.
In addition to Soares, Jr.’s victory, he earned 3 pole positions, 19 top-five and 54 top-10 finishes throughout his NASCAR West career. He competed in 13 NASCAR Cup Series races. Most of which were combination races between the Cup and the West. Soares, Jr. earned a top-five finish, a fourth-place, in his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Riverside International Raceway. In total he had two top-10 finishes in Cup Series competition.
As efficient on the quarter-mile bullring as on the road courses, he was a driver who never let up on the track but whose sympathy was unanimously recognized. After his racing career, he spent more than 20 years managing the Antioch Speedway in California.
To his family, friends, and those that knew him, the entire Kickin’ the Tires team sends its deepest condolences.
Soares Jr.’s complete race stats: www.racing-reference.info/driver/John_Soares_Jr/
Featured Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy of the Delvecchio archives via Vincent Delforge.