Longtime NASCAR independent campaigner J.D. McDuffie was bucking heavy odds by 1991. With corporate sponsorship financing most of the teams, McDuffie's homespun operation was only able to qualify for a few NASCAR Winston Cup events. McDuffie attempted to qualify 14 times in '91, but only made the field for five events. In the Aug. 11 race on the Watkins Glen road course, McDuffie lost a wheel and slammed into a retaining barrier. Tragically, he died in the acceident. McDuffie competed in races from 1963 to 1991, logging 106 top-10 finishes, but no wins. In October 1998, NASCAR driver Bobby Hillin, Jr. swore he saw the ghost of McDuffie standing in the very spot where his car hit the retaining berriers, while Hillin was in a testing session on the course. Though nobody believed him.
by nascarman April 28, 2005