Sonny Easley

5/6/1939 - 15/1/1978

Record updated 04-Jun-09

Sonny Easley took nine Winston West wins in his short NASCAR career. He finished second in the series in 1973 and 1975. He was killed in practice for a modified sportsman race at Riverside International Raceway.

Lynwood Lacey 'Sonny' Easley was a popular and hard-driving competitor from Virginia, who took nine Winston West wins in his short NASCAR career. He finished second in the championship standings for the NASCAR winston West Series in 1973, including taking a fine win at the first stock car race ever held at the Laguna Seca Raceway. He and Chuck Bown battled lap after lap with Easley taking the chequered flag. He finished fifth in 1974 and second again in 1975.

In 19 Winston Cup starts, Easley had a best finish of 5th place on January 16, 1977 in the Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway.

Easley was killed in January of 1978 in an accident during practice session for a NASCAR modified sportsman race at Riverside International Raceway. During a yellow-flag caution period, Easley's 1968 Camaro slid sideways across the track into a trailer and pickup parked on an access road into the pit area. Douglas Grunst, a member of Tiny Keith's pit crew was crushed between the parked vehicles and Easley also sustained fatal injuries.



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