Melling Racing
Melling Racing was an American stock car racing team that competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now NASCAR Cup Series) from 1982 to 2002, achieving prominence in the 1980s under the ownership of Harry Melling.[1][2] Founded in December 1981 when Harry Melling, a Michigan-based automotive parts manufacturer, purchased the Elliott family's racing operation, the team quickly rose to prominence with driver Bill Elliott at the helm.[2] In 1985, Melling Racing secured 11 victories, including wins at the Daytona 500, the Winston 500, and the Southern 500, earning the inaugural Winston Million bonus of $1 million.[3][2] Elliott set the fastest qualifying lap in NASCAR history at 212.809 mph for the 1987 Winston 500.[2] The team's pinnacle came in 1988, when Elliott clinched the Winston Cup Series championship with six wins, 115 top-five finishes across its history, and a total of 34 victories, 183 top-10 finishes, and 43 pole positions.[1][2] Following Elliott's departure to Junior Johnson & Associates in 1992, Melling Racing fielded cars for drivers such as Phil Parsons, Chad Little, Ricky Bickle, and Lake Speed, but struggled to replicate earlier success amid increasing competition and sponsorship challenges.[2][4] The team ceased operations in 2002 under the leadership of Mark Melling, Harry's son, after 545 starts and earning 56,719 points in the series.[1][2] Post-NASCAR, the Melling family continued motorsports involvement through sponsorships, including full-time support for NHRA Pro Stock racer Erica Enders starting in 2016, contributing to her four championships (part of her six total) and record 50 wins (as of 2025) as the winningest female in motorsports history.[3][5]Team Background
Founding and Ownership
Harry Melling, a third-generation leader of the family-owned Melling Tool Company, entered the NASCAR Winston Cup Series as a sponsor in 1979, initially supporting driver Benny Parsons with his auto parts manufacturing business based in Jackson, Michigan.[6] The company, founded in 1946 by Melling's grandfather George and father Ben, specialized in engine components and grew into a prominent supplier in the automotive industry.[7] By 1980, Melling expanded his sponsorship to include a modest $500 deal for Bill Elliott's one-off appearance at the National 500 in Charlotte, marking his early connection to the Elliott family operation.[8] In December 1981, Melling purchased the racing operation from George Elliott, Bill's father, and officially established Melling Racing on December 1 of that year, securing Ford as the team's manufacturer for the 1982 season.[3] This acquisition transformed Melling's sponsorship role into full team ownership, with the operation initially based in Dawsonville, Georgia, and leveraging the company's expertise in automotive parts. The move integrated Melling's business resources directly into the team's development, providing a foundation for competitive entries in the Winston Cup Series. Harry Melling owned and led the team until his death from a heart attack on May 29, 1999, at age 53.[7] Following his passing, ownership transitioned to his son, Mark Melling, who managed the team through its final years until suspending operations in December 2002 due to lack of sponsorship, effectively closing it by 2003.[9] The team's operations were closely tied to Melling's family enterprises, particularly through Melling Performance Springs, a division focused on high-performance valve springs and engine components that supported the team's Ford engines and parts needs.[10] This integration allowed for in-house development of critical racing hardware, enhancing the team's technical capabilities during its active period.[2]Operations and Facilities
Melling Racing initially operated from a modest facility in Dawsonville, Georgia, where the team was formed in late 1981 following Harry Melling's purchase of the Elliott family operation.[11] This location allowed close collaboration with the Elliott brothers, leveraging their mechanical expertise during the team's early years. To gain better access to NASCAR's Winston Cup Series resources, suppliers, and talent pool in the Charlotte area, the team relocated to North Carolina sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s.[12] By the late 1990s and into the 2000s, the operation was based in a 21,500-square-foot shop in Concord, North Carolina, which served as a turn-key facility for fabrication, assembly, and maintenance until the team's closure in 2002.[13][14] The team's technical infrastructure included an in-house fabrication shop for chassis and body work, supporting their competitive efforts across multiple seasons. Engine development and building were handled through the family's Melling Engine Parts division, which provided specialized components like oil pumps and timing chains tailored for racing applications.[15] As a Ford-aligned team, Melling Racing benefited from factory support, including prototype vehicles such as the Thunderbird in the mid-1980s and later models like the Taurus, enabling access to advanced engineering and parts. Staffing evolved from a small, family-oriented group in the early 1980s to a more professional organization as the team scaled up during its competitive peak. Ernie Elliott, Bill Elliott's brother, served as a key crew chief in the 1980s, overseeing technical preparations that contributed to the team's success.[2] In the 1990s, figures like Jerry Pitts took on crew chief duties, guiding drivers such as Stacy Compton amid shifting manufacturer alliances.[16] The operation grew to employ dozens of mechanics, engineers, and support personnel at its height, reflecting the demands of full-time Winston Cup competition. Financially, Melling Racing depended heavily on sponsorship deals, such as the long-term partnership with Coors in the 1980s and Cartoon Network in the late 1990s, to fund operations with annual budgets reaching $4.5–5 million by 1998.[17] Revenue from the Melling family's automotive parts business provided additional stability, subsidizing engine and component needs. However, escalating costs in the post-1990s era—driven by technological advancements and fiercer competition—strained the mid-tier team, contributing to downsizing and eventual closure by 2002, when staffing had shrunk to around eight employees.[18]NASCAR Involvement
Car Numbers and Sponsorships
Melling Racing's flagship entry was the No. 9 car, which competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series from 1982 to 2002. The team relied exclusively on Ford as its manufacturer, using the Thunderbird body style for entries from 1983 to 1997 before adopting the Taurus in 1998 as part of NASCAR's generational body change. This transition was tested by drivers like Lake Speed at Daytona International Speedway in late 1997 to prepare for the new aero package. The team switched to Dodge in 2001. The No. 9 secured its primary sponsorship from Coors Light starting in 1982, a partnership that lasted through 1991 and fueled the team's competitive peak during the 1980s with substantial funding for full-season operations. After Coors Light departed following Bill Elliott's exit to Junior Johnson & Associates, sponsorship became more fragmented, leading to part-time schedules from 1992 to 1994 before a return to full-time competition in 1995 and 1996. Notable later sponsors for the No. 9 included Cartoon Network in 1998, which provided colorful branding and financial support for Lake Speed's season. In the team's final years, Kodiak served as the primary sponsor for the No. 9 in 2000, backing rookie Stacy Compton's effort. Melling Racing introduced a secondary entry, the No. 92 car, in 2001 and 2002, with full-time competition in 2001 before shifting to part-time in 2002. The No. 92 featured sponsors such as Levi Garrett and Kodiak in 2001, with the latter ending its involvement at the close of that season amid funding challenges.[19] Post-1991 sponsorship reductions, including the loss of long-term partners like Coors, forced Melling Racing into scaled-back operations, contributing to inconsistent schedules and the eventual suspension of activities in 2002.Key Drivers and Lineups
Melling Racing's most prominent driver was Bill Elliott, who served as the full-time pilot of the team's #9 Ford from 1982 to 1991, establishing the organization as a competitive force in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series during its formative and peak years. Elliott's tenure marked the team's commitment to a single-car, full-time operation, with occasional relief appearances by other drivers. Following Elliott's exit, Melling Racing transitioned to a part-time schedule due to funding constraints, relying on a rotating lineup of drivers including Phil Parsons (2 races in #9 in 1992), Hut Stricklin (9 races in #9 in 1992-1993), and Wally Dallenbach Jr. (9 races in #9 in 1994), without returning to full-time competition or expanding to multiple cars on a consistent basis.[20][21][22] Chad Little filled a relief role in several races from 1993 to 1995, driving the #9 and #97 Fords in a total of six starts, often at superspeedways where his experience as a Ford affiliate proved valuable.[23] Lake Speed took over as the primary driver starting in 1995, helming the #9 Ford full-time through 1997 (25 starts in 1997) and into mid-1998, bringing veteran stability to the operation amid sponsorship challenges from Cartoon Network.[24] Speed's injury in July 1998 led to Jerry Nadeau stepping in as a replacement for the remainder of that year and continuing full-time in 1999, focusing on the #9 entry while emphasizing reliability for the Ford loyalist team.[25] In the team's final years, Stacy Compton emerged as a young prospect, driving the #9 Ford full-time for 27 starts in 2000 and the #92 Dodge full-time for 34 starts in 2001, before a single start in the #92 Dodge in 2002 under crew chief Chad Knaus. Robert Pressley closed out the team's Cup Series involvement with a single start in the #92 Dodge at the 2002 Daytona 500, marking Melling's last competitive outing before ceasing operations.[26][27][28][29] Throughout its history, driver selections prioritized experienced Ford-aligned talents to align with the team's manufacturing partnerships, though family connections occasionally influenced brief opportunities, such as exploratory talks with prospects tied to the Melling network.[30]| Driver | Tenure | Primary Car Number | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Elliott | 1982–1991 | #9 | Full-time primary |
| Phil Parsons | 1992 (2 races) | #9 | Relief/Part-time |
| Chad Little | 1993–1995 | #9, #97 | Part-time/Relief |
| Lake Speed | 1995–1998 (mid) | #9 | Full-time primary |
| Jerry Nadeau | 1998 (mid)–1999 | #9 | Full-time primary |
| Stacy Compton | 2000–2002 | #9 (2000), #92 (2001–2002) | Full-time primary (2000–2001), part-time (2002) |
| Robert Pressley | 2002 (1 race) | #92 | Part-time/Closing entry |