As we prepare to usher in a new year, we would like to pay our respects to some of the most important figures in motorsport who have said goodbye to us in 2025, listing them in chronological order of their passing.
eddie jordan
Eddie Jordan (1948-2025) After a successful career as a driver, he formed his own team, Eddie Jordan Racing, to race in F3 and then F3000. The team enjoyed success with Martin Brundle, Johnny Herbert and Jean Alesi, and Jordan then turned his attention to F1.
He founded Jordan Grand Prix in 1991 and under his management the team won four races and achieved their best result of 3rd place in the Constructors’ Championship in 1999. It also provided the impetus for Michael Schumacher to make his F1 debut at Spa in 1991. The German Schumacher’s seventh place qualifying made such an impression on the rest of the paddock that Benetton swooped in and signed him before the next race.
Jordan remained at the helm until the team was acquired by Midland Group at the end of 2005, and in 2006 the Jordan Grand Prix name replaced the MF1 Racing grid.
After his time as a team manager ended, Jordan continued to be involved in the sport through various broadcasting and media roles.
SHIGEAKI HATTORI
Born in Japan Shigeaki Hattori (1963-2025) He spent almost his entire professional racing career in the United States. He emigrated from Japan after winning the Formula Toyota title in 1994 and began racing in Indy Lights in 1995 at the age of 32.
Hattori stepped up to CART in 1999 with Bettenhausen Motorsports and made seven starts before losing his competition license after one accident. He then moved to the IRL and made sporadic appearances for various teams from 2000 to 2003. He then competed in NASCAR’s Truck Series before stepping out of the cockpit and into the team owner’s chair and founding Hattori Racing Enterprises. The team initially focused on NASCAR’s Truck Series, but later added part-time Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series programs. The high point came in 2018, when Brett Moffitt won the Truck Series championship and HRE won the team title.
HRE ran its final full-time season in 2023 and concluded in 2024, but Hattori also entered the GT4 America Series in 2022 under the Hattori Motorsports banner.
Lee Kunzman
Lee Kuntzman (1944-2025) A career was built by overcoming adversity. A USAC star in the late 1960s, the Iowan had just inflated his resume with a win on the eve of the 1970 IRP 500, only to suffer a major crash on Interstate 70 the following week. Although he suffered multiple fractures and burns to 40 percent of his body, he returned in 1971 and began a new chapter of success in sprint cars from 1971 to 1973. During this period, he also made his first start in the Indianapolis 500, finishing 17th in 1972 and rising to 7th in 1973. However, disaster struck again later that year when he crashed during tire testing at Ontario Motor. Swedway suffered a severe head injury and was sidelined in 1974, paralyzed on his left side. He returned in 1975 with an impressive 4th place finish in the Ontario 500 Mile Race, and then raced twice at Indy in 1977 and 1979.
Seventh place was his best finish at the Indy 500 as a driver, but he achieved even better results as a team manager. He was part of the Hemelgarn Racing Team, winning the race with Buddy Lazier in 1996 and the championship in 2000.
Kuntzman was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2006.
ed pink
Ed Pink (1931-2025), known as “Old Master,” was drag racing’s preeminent builder during the 1960s, 1970s, and beyond. The reputation he earned through the power and reliability of the blown fuel drag engines that came out of the Ed Pink Racing Engine Shop eventually led to his expansion into other forms of racing such as Can-Am and F5000.
His company was also involved in converting the Cosworth DFV F1 engine into the methanol-burning, turbocharged DFX used at Indy during the best part of the decade, and left its mark on the sports car world with programs such as former Top Fuel racer Jim Busby’s Porsche 962. A subsequent change of focus to USAC engines led to 10 championships and more than 100 wins in the midget to midget series. Silver crown car.
jochen mass
Jochen Mass (1946-2025) He had a long career and achieved success in both F1 and sports cars. On the F1 side, the German made 105 starts out of 114 entries for the likes of Surtees, Arrows and March, but his most fruitful period was his three years with McLaren from 1975 to 1977. During that time he recorded his only Grand Prix win (1975 in Spain), but a pattern of either good finishes or no finishes in his other races meant he finished the year in 8th place in the points.
His sports car career overlapped somewhat with his time in Formula One. His first appearance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans was in 1972, the year before his F1 debut. After competing only once in 1978, he became a regular at La Sarthe from 1981 to 1991, missing only the 1984 and 1990 events. The highlight was his complete victory in 1989 with Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens in the Team Sauber Mercedes C9, bettering his second place seven years earlier in the Rothmans Porsche 956 he shared with Vern Schuppan.
Mas shared victory at Le Mans in 1989 with this team Sauber-Mercedes C9/88. Getty Images
Other notable victories include winning the 1987 12 Hours of Sebring with Bobby Rahal.
Later in his career, he mentored Mercedes’ stable of young drivers and drove Mercedes-Benz museum vehicles. He also worked in the media as part of German broadcaster RTL’s F1 broadcast team in the 1990s.
Ed Delport
Ed Delport (1971-2025) was one of the original employees of Ed Carpenter Racing, and the electronics engineer remained with the team until his death from pancreatic cancer in June. The Indiana native attended 13 Indy 500s as a fan before working the next 30 races, the team notes, and was celebrated at this year’s Indy 500 with a tribute sticker on his ECR car.
walker evans
Walker Evans (1938-2025) He is one of the all-time greats in off-road racing history, with 12 championships and 142 wins (including multiple victories in the Baja 500, Baja 1000, Fireworks 250, Mint 400, and Parker 400), all of which contributed to his apt nickname, “Legend.”
Later in his career, he also competed in the NASCAR Truck Series as an owner/driver, making 41 starts in 1995-1996 and earning four top-10 finishes.
Evans is a member of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (inducted in 2004), the American Motorsports Hall of Fame (2015), and the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2017).
Chris Raschke
Chris Raschke (1964-2025) was a prominent figure in the land speed record scene. His motorsports career spans more than 40 years, starting at the age of 16 as Ventura Raceway’s first official employee. After racing ATC three-wheelers and mini-stock Ford Pintos, his aptitude for building and preparing cars led to an invitation to join Kenny Dutweiler’s team, which inspired him to work on everything from drag racing engines to boats, and ultimately opened the door to joining the Speed Demon team. He took over as Speed Demon driver after George Poteet passed away in 2024.
robbie brewer
Robbie Brewer (1971-2025) is a veteran of the Sportsman division of stock car racing, making 311 starts in various series at Bowman Gray Stadium, earning 11 wins and winning the 2011 division title.
bumpy car
Howard Augustine “Humpy” Wheeler (1938-2025) He was a track promoter who helped propel NASCAR onto the national stage with his outrageous pre-race shows and created a new standard for track facilities. During his more than 30 years as steward of Charlotte Motor Speedway, the track became the first track of its size to host racing under the lights. This move paved the way for other tracks to follow suit and for night races to become a regular part of the NASCAR schedule.
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Wheeler ranks among the most original race promoters of all time. HHP/Harold Hinson Photo
In addition to overseeing Charlotte Motor Speedway, Wheeler is also president of SMI, a group that owns and operates several other NASCAR tracks, and was instrumental in creating the popular Legends cars that continue to race in regional events across the country.
Wheeler has been inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2006), the Motorsports Hall of Fame (2009), and the Carolinas Boxing Hall of Fame in honor of the early chapters of his career, when he was on the verge of taking up professional boxing.
Barry Bose
Barry Bose (1971-2025) was a longtime competitor in Trans Am’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, racking up 89 National and Western Championship starts and winning the 2024 TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge with seven wins. He was leading the points in the 2025 TA2 Pro/Am Challenge when he died in a plane crash in August.
Away from the circuit, he graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in computer engineering and founded and served as president of the software company Accio Data in 2005.
robert clarke
Robert Clark (1949-2025) helped found Honda Performance Development (HPD), Honda’s American motorsports division, now known as HRC US.
Mr. Clark not only helped create Honda’s entry into CART in the 1990s, but also helped develop the Torrance, Calif., facility where the first 2.65-liter turbo V8 engines were serviced. The first engine, codenamed HRX, got off to a modest start, but its successor, the lighter and more powerful HRH, made a much better impression. Eventually, Honda attracted the attention of Chip Ganassi Racing, and the two companies worked together to dominate the 1996 CART season, opening the floodgates to success for Honda.
Clark spent 15 years with HPD, his last major activity being to launch Acura’s factory LMP2 program in the American Le Mans Series. His post-Honda career included serving as CEO of the De Ferran Motorsports ALMS LMP2 team and two years as president of SCCA Pro Racing.
He also actively participated in STEM instructional initiatives and created the EarthPrix concept, which aims to promote the feasibility of future road car technology through a series of automotive challenges designed to foster innovation without the regulatory constraints of a racing series.
bill davis
Bill Davis (1951-2025) used the wealth he earned in the trucking industry to found a NASCAR team. Bill Davis Racing established itself as a competitive force in the 1990s and early 2000s, competing in all three national series during its 20 years of operation. The high point came in 2002 when he won the Daytona 500 with Ward Burton, ending a 28-year Daytona drought for engine partner Dodge in the process.
Financial difficulties and a falling out with Dodge ultimately led to the team being sold in 2008 to Triad Racing Technologies, which closed its racing division and now produces chassis and engines for some Toyota teams.
The Unger
Unger family (1943-2025) He was the manager of Toyota’s American motorsports program for many years. During his 30 years at the helm, he directed the company’s involvement in IndyCar, IMSA, NASCAR and NHRA competition, as well as USAC, NORRA and SCORE off-road programs.
His influence was far-reaching. He was instrumental in Toyota’s long-standing sponsorship of the Long Beach Grand Prix and its accompanying, highly popular professional/celebrity race that ran for many years. Unger also supported Toyota’s gradual entry into NASCAR and supported the Toyota Atlantic Championship, which nurtured a whole generation of American open-wheel stars. He stepped down as National Motorsport Manager in 2014.
Al Speyer
Al Speyer (1952-2025) It played a major role in Bridgestone/Firestone’s return to American open wheel racing. Trained as a mechanical engineer and with nearly 40 years at Firestone, Speyer and colleague Joe Barbieri hit the ground running in 1990 when they signed with Firestone as the sole tire supplier for the Indy Lights Series, stepping up to compete against arch-rival Goodyear in CART in 1995 and the IRL the following year.
The company won its first CART Championship in 1996 and has shut Goodyear out of head-to-head competition every year since then. On the IRL side, the first title was won in 1999. Goodyear withdrew and Firestone has since remained as the sole supplier to the now unified IndyCar Series.
In the mid-1990s, Speyer quickly led Bridgestone/Firestone to a position of IndyCar dominance, a position it has held ever since. Jamie Squire/All/Getty Images
In recognition of his accomplishments, Speyer was promoted to executive director of motorsports for Bridgestone Americas in 2001, a position he held until his retirement in 2012.
Alan Pagan
Alan Pagan (1955-2025) He was one of the first participants in the Indy Racing League. The Pagan Racing Team, founded by Alan and his father Jack, got its start by purchasing equipment from Kenny Bernstein’s defunct King Racing team and running a car for Jeff Andretti in the 1993 Indy 500.
They continued to make one-off entries over the next few years before competing full-time in the IRL after an open-wheel split. Initially, the team had some success thanks to the efforts of veteran Roberto Guerrero, but the change to Infiniti engines in 1997 brought the team back to form, and they were forced to switch to an Oldsmobile midway through the season.
In 1998, sponsor Pennzoil withdrew in favor of the new Panther Racing team formed by former Pagan crew chief John Burns, leading to Guerrero’s departure and a shortened season, but he returned in 1999 with help running Jeff Ward at Indy. Ward’s second places at Phoenix and the Indy 500 were the team’s best finishes, but he had only two more top-10 finishes the rest of the year. Pagan Racing returned for the final run of the 500 race with Richie Hearn in 2000, then closed its doors.
michael annett
Michael Annett (1986-2025) He was a NASCAR driver who spent most of his career in the then-Xfinity Series, making 321 starts in 11 years. He had 95 top-10 finishes along the way, but his only win came at Daytona in 2019 with JR Motorsports, the team he spent nearly half his career with.
He also competed in the Cup Series for three full seasons with Tommy Baldwin Racing and HScott Motorsports from 2014 to 2016, and made occasional appearances in the Truck Series.
Annette retired from racing after a frustrating 2021 Xfinity Series season that saw her miss several races with a broken femur and then three more races with a reinjured leg injury.
bill haskins
Bill Haskins (1925-2025), who served in the Army Signal Corps and the U.S. Navy before competing in NASCAR’s first year in 1948, was thought to be the last surviving starter from the series’ first season when he died in October at age 100. Haskins competed in several NASCAR Modified National Championship events, but his day job was as a member of and participated in the North Carolina Highway Patrol. 1951. After 34 years, he retired as a lieutenant. A former Highway Patrol technical sergeant, he won first prize at the 1971 New York International Film Festival for a feature film about road safety.
Nancy Wager
Nancy Wager (1949-2025) was Chevrolet’s trackside communications representative for many years. Already an accomplished communications professional when she joined GM, her journey with Bowtie began in 1995 when she worked with GM/Chevrolet and Jimmie Johnson to build trackside public relations programs for both off-road truck racing and stadium truck racing.
She then teamed with fellow Chevrolet trackside representatives Sam Brown and Judy Kouba Dominick to form Inside Track Communications, where she led the NASCAR Cup program until her retirement in 2021.
john edwards
John Edwards (1972-2025) was a communications professional whose career in NASCAR spanned more than 30 years.
Early stints at North Carolina Motor Speedway and marketing agency Performance PR Plus eventually led to becoming Jeff Gordon’s longtime publicist. Edwards officially joined Jeff Gordon in 2011 and has since become a key figure at Hendrick Motorsports. Most recently, he held the role of Director of Racing Communications at Hendrick, working closely with Kyle Larson.
Andrea by Adamić
Andrea de Adamić (1941-2025) competed in 34 Formula One Grands Prix for various teams between 1968 and 1973. His debut was with Ferrari in South Africa in 1968, his only start for the Scuderia, but his only points were two subsequent fourth places with Surtees (1972 Spain, 1973 Belgium). His F1 career came to an early end after sustaining serious leg injuries in a multiple crash early in the 1973 British Grand Prix. De Adamich also dabbled in sports cars, winning two races in the 1971 World Sports Car Championship in an Alfa Romeo T33/3. (Photo, top of page) and finished fourth at Le Mans in 1972.
After retiring, De Adamich became a TV pundit and commentator in his native Italy, and was also involved with Alfa Romeo’s racing organization N.Technology.
Alan Moffat
Alan Moffat (1939-2025) was one of the icons of Australian touring car racing. Primarily on the Ford side of the Ford-Holden rivalry that has defined Australian touring cars for many years, Moffat won the Australian Touring Car Championship four times, the Sandown 500 six times and the Bathurst 1000/500 four times. He was one of only two drivers to win in both the 500km and 1000km formats at Bathurst.
Canadian-born Moffat won the 1982 24 Hours of Daytona driving a GTU-class Mazda RX-7 shared with Cathy Ruud and Lee Muller, and won the 1975 12 Hours of Sebring. As a member of BMW’s lineup, it won outright, won the Div.3 class in the Group A Holden Commodore 24 Hours of Spa, and won its sixth Le Mans race in 2019, making its name internationally. In 1982, he drove a Mazda RX-7 in the IMSA GTX class with Yojiro Terada and Takashi Yorino.
The last race he won as a driver was the 1989 InterTEC 500 at Fuji. However, he was also a team owner for a number of years, continuing in that capacity at Allan Moffat Enterprises, which ran Ford Sierra RS500s until the end of the Group A era in 1992. He continued to field vehicles on a one-off basis at Sandown and Bathurst for a further four years, and also dabbled in television commentary.
greg biffle
Greg Biffle (1969-2025) He had a long career in NASCAR, most notably as the driver of the No. 16 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing from 2002 to 2016. Over 16 years, he made 515 Cup Series appearances, earning nine wins, 175 top-10s and 13 pole positions. His best finish in a Cup race was second place to Tony Stewart in 2005, but he also won titles in the Busch Series (2002) and Truck Series (2000). Biffle’s full-time Cup career ended in 2017, but he returned to start several games for the New York Racing team in 2022. He has also been busy with other forms of racing, competing in 10 races in three years in Stadium Super Trucks and nine races in SRX over the same period.
Outside of racing, he was widely known for his disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen, which devastated Asheville and other communities in western North Carolina in 2024. Biffle used helicopters to repeatedly visit sites throughout the region, many of which were difficult to access due to the terrain, to deliver supplies and aid.
