Harry Gant

Harry Gant
Gant in 1996 at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Born	(1940-01-10) January 10, 1940 (age 77) Taylorsville, North Carolina, U.S.
Achievements	1985 IROC Champion 1984, 1991 Southern 500 Winner 1991 Winston 500 Winner
Awards	NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame inductee International Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee 1991 NMPA Driver of the Year
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career
474 races run over 22 years
Best finish	2nd (1984)
First race	1973 National 500 (Charlotte)
Last race	1994 Hooters 500 (Atlanta)
First win	1982 Virginia National Bank 500 (Martinsville)
Last win	1992 Champion Spark Plug 400 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles 18 208 17
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
128 races run over 11 years
Best finish	19th (1988, 1992)
First race	1982 Goody's 300 (Daytona)
Last race	1994 AC Delco 200 (Rockingham)
First win	1982 Mello Yello 300 (Charlotte)
Last win	1994 Busch Light 300 (Atlanta)
Wins Top tens Poles 21 71 14
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
11 races run over 1 year
Best finish	24th (1996)
First race	1996 Coca-Cola 200 (Bristol)
Last race	1996 Carquest 420K (Las Vegas)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 4 0
Statistics current as of December 18, 2012.

Harold Phil Gant (born January 10, 1940), better known as "Handsome Harry", is a retired American racecar driver best known for driving the No. 33 Skoal Bandit car on the NASCAR Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup Series) circuit during the 1980s and 1990s.

He was known as "Handsome Harry Gant" due to his Hollywood-style good looks, the "Bandit" after his longtime sponsor Skoal Bandit, "Mr. September" after winning four consecutive Winston Cup races and two Busch Series races in September 1991, and "High Groove Harry" after the high line he often took through the corner. A humble man, Gant often stated that he was a good race car driver, but a great carpenter.

The North Carolina native began his racing career at the old dirt track in Hickory. He built a hobby class car with his friends, and took turns behind the wheel. Gant became the full-time driver and won the track championship.Hickory Speedway was paved in 1967 after Ned Jarrett became the promoter. Gant excelled on the asphalt, and won his first race in the sportsman division.

He won over 300 races with the car builder and crew chief Kenneth H. Sigmon, in the NASCAR Sportsman on his way to winning three national championships, in 1972, 1973, and 1974. He finished second three times in the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman (now Nationwide Series) in 1969, 1976, and 1977. He finished in the top 10 of the final points standing in several other years.

He sold half of his construction business in 1979 upon deciding to race full-time in the Winston Cup Series.

Gant made his first Cup start in 1973 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, finishing eleventh in the No. 90 Truxmore Industries Ford. He made six starts over the next four years and had two top-ten finishes. His first full season in Winston Cup was in 1979. He competed for the rookie of the year honors against Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte. He finished fourth in the overall rookie battle in the No. 47 Race Hill Farm car for Jack Beebe. He split the next season between the No. 47 and the No. 75 RahMoc Enterprises entry, finishing 21st in points.

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