Joe Shear (May 8, 1943 – March 9, 1998) was an American racecar driver from Clinton, Wisconsin. He won an estimated 350 races in his career, including four of his last five races.<ref name="GrubbaChapter">Template:Cite book</ref> Fred Nielsen, Shear's car owner from 1975 to 1984 and 1986 to 1994, said that his team won 250 races and he estimates that Shear won 600 races.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> He won at least 30 track or touring series championships in his career.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> Even though he was known as a pavement driver, two of those championships were on the dirt at Freeport, Illinois.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" />
Racing career
Shear began racing karts as a youth.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> While he was still under age, he would sneak in the pits to work on his father Al Shear's racecar at Rockford Speedway.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> His father won the track's championship in 1951, 1962, and 1965.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> Joe Shear was named the track's Outstanding Mechanic for 1962.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" />
Joe Shear began racing at Rockford in 1964 and he won the track's Rookie of the Year award.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> He had his first win at the track on his birthday May 8, 1965.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> In 1972, Shear was awarded his sixth straight Rockford track championship.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> That year he won the first of his eight National Short Track Championship events at the track.<ref name="NSSN">Kalwasinski, Stan. "Tradition Is The Keyword For Rockford’s Annual Biggie". National Speed Sport News. Retrieved on 2008-10-13.</ref>
Shear finished second behind Dick Trickle with 58 ARTGO wins and he won the championship of the Midwestern touring series in 1986 and 1989.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> In 1979, 1987, and 1989 he won the Red, White, and Blue State championship races at Wisconsin International Raceway.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> During the Daytona Speedweeks, he won the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway in 1988 and 1988, and in 1990 he won the Volusia County Speedway championship.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> The four-time winner at the Slinger Nationals at Slinger Super Speedway (1987, 1990, 1991, 1993)<ref>Kallmann, Dave (2006-07-17). "Slinger Nationals a really big deal for Trickle, Kenseth". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Retrieved on 2008-10-13.</ref> also won the 1994 Wisconsin Short Track Series title in 1994.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" />
Shear won six ARTGO events in 1996 plus five out of six special events at Wisconsin International Raceway.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> He could feel cancer returning in May 1996, but he decided to continue racing.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> On February 1997 he had surgery to remove his lymph nodes and muscles on his neck.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> He was unable to prepare his car for the upcoming season and he received five weeks of radiation.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" />
With his health failing, he won four of the last five races in his career.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> His final victory was winning the 1997 National Short Track Championship race at Rockford.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> He was recorded laps 0.2 seconds faster than the rest of the cars at his final event at the Oktoberfest race at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway until his motor blew up.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> He had won the event five times, mainly later in his career.<ref>Panure, Matt (2007-10-05). "In Elite Company: Oktoberfest Winner Will Join a Legendary List". ASA Midwest Tour. Retrieved on 2008-10-13.</ref>
Personality
Shear was known for being very quiet. His wife Connie said, "There were times, especially early in his career, when he would not talk to a soul. He would go to the track, unload the car, set a track record, win the feature, and leave."<ref name="GrubbaChapter" />
Death
Shear found out that he had cancer three years before he died.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> He went to the doctor in November 1997 and found out that cancer had returned.<ref name="GrubbaChapter" /> He died in March 1998.
Additional Reading
References
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