John Blewett III

John Richard Blewett III (October 25, 1973 – August 16, 2007) was a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver.[1]

John Blewett III
NationalityAmerican
Born(1973-10-25)October 25, 1973
Howell Township, New Jersey
DiedAugust 16, 2007(2007-08-16) (aged 33)
Thompson, Connecticut
Related toJimmy Blewett (brother)
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Years active1995–2007
TeamsDick Barney (1995–1996, 1998)
Mario Fiore (1999)
Curt Chase (2000–2004)
Sheba Racing (2004)
John Blewett Inc. (1997-1998, 2005–2007)
Starts164
Wins10
Poles4
Best finish3rd in 2001 and 2003
Awards
1992Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
4 races run over 3 years
Best finish74th (1998)
First race1996 Stevens Beil/Genuine Parts 200 (Flemington)
Last race1998 Virginia Is For Lovers 200 (Richmond)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0

Career

Blewett started racing go karts at the age of 10. In 1996, at age 22, he won the coveted NASCAR's Northeast Regional Championship, falling only a few points shy of the National Title. During his career he recorded 97 wins between 1993 and 2007, including track championships at Flemington Speedway, Wall Township Speedway, New Egypt, as well as New Hampshire. In 2006, he was honored during the motorsports show in Atlantic City as the northeasts Winningest Pavement Driver, for that year, as tallied by Area Auto Racing News.

Death and memorial

On August 16, 2007, while competing in a Whelen Modified race at Thompson Speedway, Blewett lost his life in a crash where he spun and was hit in the driver's door by his brother Jimmy's car.[2] On August 18, 2007 Wall Township Speedway held a Special Memorial for John. Fans, family, and friends attended the Speedway to pay their final respects. On the final lap of the scheduled 40 lap modified event, 1990 NASCAR Whelen Modified Titlist Jamie Tomaino piloted the famed No. 76 for a solo lap in John's honor. Three months later, at the season ending Turkey Derby, the Speedway decided to reserve the No. 76 exclusively for use by the Blewett family, effectively retiring the number except that any Blewett family owned team or driver can use it, meaning any car owned by the Blewett family, or driven by brother Jimmy or his son John IV, who started racing in 2017.[3]

The North-South Shootout, a race meet now featuring "Tour-type" Modified (similar to NASCAR Modified Tour cars, but the races are unsanctioned), SK Modified (Jack Arute owns the trademark, a Stafford Motor Speedway formula), Late Model, Super Late Model, and four-cylinder races held at various North Carolina short tracks, was renamed the John Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout starting with the 2007 edition.

Previous rides
  • John Blewett, Inc. No. 5 – 1992–1993 (Wall Stadium)
  • John Blewett Inc. No. 76 – 1993–1994 (Flemington Speedway)
  • Lou Vasquez No. 9/No. 5 1994–1996 (New Egypt Speedway Paved)
  • Dick Barney No. 14 – 1995–1996, 1998–1999 (Flemington Speedway)
  • John Blewett, Inc. No. 05 – 1997 (Flemington Speedway)
  • Mario Fiore No. 44 – 1999 (Nascar Whelen Modified Tour)
  • Curt Chase No. 77 – 2000–2004 (Nascar Whelen Modified Tour)
  • Timmy Shinn No. 66 – 2002–2004 (Wall Stadium)
  • John Blewett, Inc No. 76 2005–2007 (Wall Stadium)
  • Sheba Racing No. 8 2004 (Nascar Whelen Modified Tour)
  • John Blewett Inc. No. 66 2005–2007 (Nascar Whelen Modified Tour)

Accomplishments
  • Rookie of the Year (1992)
  • Thanksgiving Classic (1993)
  • Race of Champions (1995)
  • NASCAR Northeast Regional (1996)
  • Challenge of Champions (1996, 1997)
  • North-South Shootout (2003, 2005)
    • After his death, the race was named in his memory, the John Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout.
  • Turkey Derby (2000, 2001, 2004, 2005)
    • Tour-Type Modified Division
  • Garden State Classic (2003, 2004, 2006)

Track titles

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Craftsman Truck Series
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 NCTC Pts Ref
1996 John Blewett Inc. 0 Ford HOM PHO POR EVG TUS CNS HPT BRI NZH MLW LVL I70 IRP FLM
22		 GLN NSV RCH NHA MAR NWS SON MMR PHO LVS 109th 97 [4]
1997 05 Chevy WDW TUS HOM PHO POR EVG I70 NHA TEX BRI NZH MLW LVL CNS HPT IRP FLM
30		 NSV GLN RCH
DNQ		 MAR
33		 SON MMR CAL PHO LVS 87th 137 [5]
1998 WDW HOM PHO POR EVG I70 GLN TEX BRI MLW NZH CAL PPR IRP NHA FLM
DNQ		 NSV HPT LVL 74th 85 [6]
Greenfield Racing 09 Dodge RCH
26		 MEM GTY MAR SON MMR PHO LVS

Featherlite Modified Series
NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series results
Year Car owner No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 NFMSC Pts Ref
1995 Dick Barney 14 Chevy TMP
23		 NHA STA NZH
36		 STA LEE TMP RIV BEE NHA JEN
8		 RPS HOL RIV NHA STA TMP NHA STA TMP TMP 42nd 291 [7]
1996 TMP STA NZH STA NHA JEN RIV LEE RPS HOL TMP RIV NHA GLN STA NHA NHA STA FLE
30		 TMP NA - [8]
1997 John Blewett Inc. 05 Chevy TMP
22		 MAR STA NZH STA NHA FLE
18		 JEN RIV GLN NHA
9		 RPS HOL TMP RIV NHA GLN STA NHA STA FLE
16		 TMP
24		 45th 494 [9]
77 Chevy RCH
27
1998 John Blewett Inc. 05 Chevy RPS TMP
13		 MAR
32		 STA
28		 STA
3		 GLN JEN RIV NHA
5		 NHA
11		 LEE HOL TMP
8		 NHA RIV STA NHA TMP
7		 24th 1562 [10]
Dick Barney 1 Chevy NZH
7		 FLE
32
76 Chevy STA
37		 TMP
14
1999 Mario Fiore 44 Pontiac TMP
33		 RPS
26		 STA
33		 RCH
13		 STA
17		 RIV
1		 JEN
5		 NHA
37		 NZH
28		 HOL
9		 TMP
7		 NHA
37		 RIV
3		 GLN
22		 STA
8		 RPS
13		 TMP
34		 NHA
35		 STA
36		 MAR
6		 TMP
13		 16th 2227 [11]
2000 Curt Chase 77 Chevy STA
28		 RCH
6		 STA
30		 RIV
6		 SEE
22		 NHA
1		 NZH
34		 TMP
6		 RIV
5		 GLN
29		 TMP
11		 STA
1		 WFD
8		 NHA
3		 STA
2		 MAR
18		 TMP
8		 7th 2209 [12]
2001 SBO
13		 TMP
5		 STA
1		 WFD
15		 NZH
3		 STA
6		 RIV
11		 SEE
5		 RCH
13		 NHA
7		 HOL
9		 RIV
5		 CHE
3		 TMP
2*		 STA
7		 WFD
7		 TMP
11		 STA
7		 MAR
4		 TMP
25		 3rd 2891 [13]
2002 TMP
23		 STA
23		 WFD
25		 NZH
34		 RIV
3		 SEE
10		 9th 2377 [14]
78 RCH
18
77 Pontiac STA
DNQ		 BEE
3		 NHA
4*		 RIV
21		 TMP
13		 STA
11		 WFD
3		 TMP
4		 NHA
3		 STA
31		 MAR
5		 TMP
1*
2003 TMP
2		 STA
7		 WFD
7		 NZH
2		 STA
10		 LER
2		 BLL
1*		 BEE
5		 NHA
3		 ADI
25		 RIV
8		 TMP
6		 STA
4		 WFD
7		 TMP
29		 NHA
1*		 STA
6		 TMP
27		 3rd 2610 [15]
2004 TMP
13		 STA
11		 WFD
7		 NZH
33		 STA
27		 RIV
2		 LER
11		 BLL
26		 BEE
12		 NHA
26		 SEE
7		 RIV
DNQ		 STA
15		 TMP
27		 WFD
14		 TMP
38		 NHA
20		 STA
31		 TMP 16th 1863 [16]
2005 Blewett Motorsports 66 Chevy TMP
31		 STA RIV WFD STA JEN MAR
3		 TMP
18		 NHA
10		 STA
9		 TMP
13*		 21st 1509 [17]
80 Chevy NHA
40
00 Dodge BEE
20		 SEE
2		 RIV
27		 WFD
28
Blewett Motorsports 66 Dodge STA
8		 TMP
6
2006 Chevy TMP
36		 STA
21		 JEN TMP
11		 STA
1		 NHA
1		 HOL RIV STA
23		 TMP
22		 MAR TMP
3		 NHA
1		 WFD TMP
20		 STA
5		 23rd 1439 [18]
2007 TMP
29		 STA
28		 WTO
2		 STA
27		 TMP
33		 NHA
10		 TSA RIV STA TMP
16		 MAN MAR NHA TMP STA TMP 36th 720 [19]

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2007-08-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Race+driver,+33,+killed%3B+Death+on+Thompson+track.-a0167751466
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2010-12-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "John Blewett III – 1996 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  5. "John Blewett III – 1997 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  6. "John Blewett III – 1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  7. "John Blewett III – 1995 NASCAR Winston Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  8. "John Blewett III – 1996 NASCAR Winston Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  9. "John Blewett III – 1997 NASCAR Winston Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  10. "John Blewett III – 1998 NASCAR Winston Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  11. "John Blewett III – 1999 NASCAR Winston Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  12. "John Blewett III – 2000 NASCAR Winston Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  13. "John Blewett III – 2001 NASCAR Winston Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  14. "John Blewett III – 2002 NASCAR Winston Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  15. "John Blewett III – 2003 NASCAR Winston Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  16. "John Blewett III – 2004 NASCAR Winston Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  17. "John Blewett III – 2005 NASCAR Winston Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  18. "John Blewett III – 2006 NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  19. "John Blewett III – 2007 NASCAR Featherlite Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
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