John Dillard "Monk" Tate (March 29, 1934 – May 15, 2020) was an American racing driver, moonshine runner, tobacco farmer and business owner. He was a competitor in the NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series, winning the 1975 Cardinal 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
| Monk Tate | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | John Dillard Tate March 29, 1934 Ruffin, North Carolina | ||||||
| Died | May 15, 2020 (aged 86) Ruffin, North Carolina | ||||||
| Achievements | 1971 Trico Motor Speedway late model sportsman champion[1] | ||||||
| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| 1982 position | 173rd | ||||||
| Best finish | 173rd (1982) | ||||||
| First race | 1982 Dogwood 500 (Martinsville) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Statistics current as of October 2, 2020. | |||||||
Racing career edit
After becoming a racing fan in his youth, Tate started his racing career with a 1938 Chevrolet, driving it at Rainbow Speedway in his late teens. He later raced locally at tracks like Concord International Speedway, Draper Speedway and Log Cabin Raceway.[2][3] He later expanded to regional racing in the eastern United States, running races as far away as the World Series of Asphalt in Florida.[4] Tate claimed a NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division win at the Cardinal 500 at Martinsville Speedway in 1975, inheriting the lead late after Butch Lindley slowed from tire wear.[5] After briefly retiring from competitive racing in the 1980s, Tate began vintage racing in 1996 and continued to do so until 2004.[2] Bouncing between stock car racing, late model racing and modified racing, Tate estimated that he won over 1,000 races in his career, including 50 in one particularly successful season.[2]
Tate also dabbled in car ownership, fielding a ride for Cale Yarborough in 1977 at Trico Motor Speedway.[6] In the 2010s, Tate was a modified car owner at Ace Speedway.[7]
Personal life edit
Tate was nicknamed "Monk" after he climbed a falling tree in his childhood.[2] He ran moonshine, leading police to trap him one time by blocking both ends of a bridge on the Dan River. The incident landed Tate one night in jail and a probationary period.[2] Tate was a tobacco farmer in the beginning portions of his adult life and later owned Tate Trucking Company until 2019.[8]
Motorsports career results edit
NASCAR edit
Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series edit
| NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman 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 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | NBLMSSC | Pts | Ref |
| 1982 | Monk Tate | 88 | Olds | DAY | RCH | BRI | MAR 32 |
DAR | HCY | SBO | CRW | RCH | LGY | DOV | HCY | CLT | ASH | HCY | SBO | CAR | CRW | SBO | HCY | LGY | IRP | BRI | HCY | RCH | MAR | CLT | HCY | MAR | 173rd | 67 | [9] |
References edit
- ^ "Sam Ard, Monk Tate Latest Entries in Permatex 100 at South Boston Speedway". The Danville Register. July 25, 1972. Retrieved October 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e "John 'Monk' Tate raced in NASCAR's early days". Greensboro News & Record. June 7, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Stephenson, Morris (October 21, 2008). "Morris catches up with old racing buddies". The Franklin News-Post. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "Ruttman Nabs Feature Win". Orlando Evening Star. February 18, 1972. Retrieved October 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Monk Cops Cardinal". United Press International. October 6, 1975.
- ^ Dyer, Bill (May 31, 1977). "Pit Stop". The Danville Bee. Retrieved October 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Smith, Adam (May 30, 2019). "York drives new path to success at Ace Speedway". Burlington Times-News. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "Sad News – John Dillard "Monk" Tate". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 1, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "Monk Tate – 1982 NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
External links edit
- Monk Tate driver statistics at Racing-Reference