Dick Brooks was born in Porterville, California, in 1942, and always wanted to race. He began with go-carts and motorcycles, but quickly moved to dirt track. However, California at that time was no place to be if you wanted a serious career in racing, so in 1969 – the very first time he had ever been present at a NASCAR event – he came to Daytona International Speedway and competed in the Speedweek”s activities. He did well enough to earn a ride. He started 33rd and finished 32nd in the 500, which featured a 50 car field.
Dick, his wife, and two year old daughter then moved to the hub of racing at that time, Spartanburg, SC - home of championship team owners Bud Moore and Cotton Owens, and NASCAR driver David Pearson.
Mr. Brooks quickly established himself as a plenty capable driver, scoring three top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 28 races en route to the 1969 rookie title. In addition to his winning the 1973 Talladega 500, Mr. Brooks had 57 top fives, 150 top tens, 4 top ten point finishes, and 358 career races. His final race was the 1985 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he finished 10th. After retiring from racing, he served as a NASCAR sportscaster on MRN radio for a period of time, always wearing his signature blue jean overalls.
In addition to racing and helping broadcast races, Mr. Brooks became a successful businessman. He bought his first Honda dealership in Albemarle, NC, in 1978, and quickly found an affinity for business. Over the next two decades, Mr. Brooks acquired 11 dealerships and 15 franchises, several hotels, convenience stores, and other ventures. Dick Brooks Honda of Greer, which he built in 1985, would be the only dealership he decided to hold onto while downsizing in the last few years of his life.
Mr. Brooks was more than a local racing celebrity and businessman; he was also lauded for his charity work with such groups as The Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, The Red Cross, and The American Cancer Society.
After complications from a plane crash in late 2004, Dick Brooks passed away of pneumonia on February 1, 2006. He left behind Stacey and Bill, a daughter and son-in-law who have continued running the dealership he held so close to his heart, his granddaughters Alex, Addie Grace and grandson Cooper, and many loyal employees who work tirelessly to carry on his vision of what a great Honda dealership is supposed to be.