Ron Esau

Ronald Richard Esau (October 9, 1954 – January 24, 2022) was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who competed from 1975 to 1990.

The primary vehicle for this driver was the No. 56 Marc Reno-owned Gear Vendor Chevrolet. He completed 1,704 laps - the equivalent of 3,425.5 miles (5,512.8 km) of racing - while picking up eight DNQs in the process. Esau started in an average of 31st place and finished in an average of thirtieth place; keeping him near the rear of the average racing grid. His total career earnings are $44,290.

Even though he acquired a seventeen-race winless streak throughout his entire career as a NASCAR driver, Esau climbed as high in the championship rankings to 62nd place in the 1984 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season in addition to falling as low as 114th place in the 1986 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship standings.

In February 1988, Esau drove in the first ever NASCAR sanctioned stock car race held outside of North America when he was one of 32 starters in the Goodyear NASCAR 500 held at the Calder Park Thunderdome in Melbourne, Australia. Driving in place of the critically injured Jim Robinson with all proceeds (including Esau s driving fee) going to the Jim Robinson Fund to help with medical bills, Esau's Oldsmobile Delta 88 started fifth, qualifying at 138.200 mph. For the first half of the race, Esau was able to avoid the predicted wrecks and was among the leaders, swapping the lead many times with regular Winston Cup stars Neil Bonnett and Bobby Allison. However his race was over on lap 160 (of 280) with engine failure.

From 2013 until his death, Esau operated a racing team in the independent circuits of stock cars that feature the old V8 engines that are rarely used in major league motorsports anymore.

Esau was married to Marsha; they had one son. He worked as a mentor to young stock car drivers like Brandon Whitt and Brendan Gaughan. Occasional jobs that Esau did after his NASCAR career include stints as the head driving instructor for Drivetech Racing School and doing fundraisers for people with various handicaps.^{[citation needed]} Esau died on January 24, 2022, at the age of 67.

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

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