Roland Wlodyka

Roland Wlodyka was an American stock car racing driver and mechanic, driving in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in the 1970s and later crew chiefing in the Cup and Craftsman Truck Series in the 1980s and 1990s.

Roland Wlodyka
BornRoland Leonard Wlodyka[1]
(1938-10-15)October 15, 1938
Boston, Massachusetts
DiedJanuary 30, 2020(2020-01-30) (aged 81)
Lake Wylie, South Carolina[2]
NASCAR Cup Series career
11 races run over 2 years
Best finish44th (1978)
First race1977 Cam 2 Motor Oil 400 (Michigan)
Last race1978 World 600 (Charlotte)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0

Racing career

Wlodyka quit drag racing to begin oval track competition in 1970. By the beginning of the 1977 season, Wlodyka had joined Rod Osterlund to drive in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. By May 1978, Roland had given up the driver's seat after 11 races[3] to take on his new role of Team Manager of Osterlund Racing, while Dave Marcis finished out the 1978 season behind the wheel. For the 1979 season, Wlodyka hired Dale Earnhardt who drove for Osterlund until the conclusion of the 1981 season.[4] In the late 1980s, Wlodyka served as a part-time crew chief in the Cup Series, working with Buddy Baker, Rodney Combs and Hut Stricklin.[5] In the late 1990s, Wlodyka crew chiefed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, working for Akins-Sutton Motorsports, Circle Bar Racing, Liberty Racing and Phelon Motorsports,[5] working with future Cup champion Kevin Harvick while at Liberty.[6]

Death

Wlodyka died in Lake Wylie, South Carolina on January 30, 2020. [1]

References
  1. "Roland Wlodyka Obituary". Legacy.com. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  2. "Roland Wlodyka Obituary". Tributes. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  3. Career statistics for Roland Wlodyka at Racing Reference
  4. "Whatever happened to...Roland Wlodyka?". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, ME. April 14, 2006. p. C5. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  5. "Roland Wlodyka Crew Chief Statistics". Racing Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  6. "Ford Racing Roland Wlodyka - Crew Chief". Motorsport. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
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