If asked to describe former NASCAR Cup Series crew chief Harry Hyde, colorful, smart, innovative, descriptive, bold and interesting are among the words that would paint the picture.
Hyde was determined to build winners. His old-school tactics were often criticized but produced 56 Cup Series victories, 88 poles and the 1970 series championship with driver Bobby Isaac and team owner Nord Krauskopf.
Born among six children on Jan. 17, 1925, Hyde lied when he enlisted in the Army in 1941 at age 16. He was wounded in World War II and, after recovering from his injuries, became a mechanic servicing jeeps and tanks.
Upon returning home, Hyde worked as an auto mechanic and drove race cars for a couple of years. Realizing that driving wasn’t for him, he turned his attention to working with local drivers competing at short tracks in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. Hyde gained a reputation for winning, which attracted the attention of Krauskopf, and he was offered a job as a NASCAR crew chief in 1965.
In 1969, Isaac and Hyde won 17 races together, and they claimed the NASCAR Cup Series championship the following year after amassing 11 wins. Hyde remained with Krauskopf through the 1978 season with Isaac, Buddy Baker, Dave Marcis and Neil Bonnett driving.
In 1978, Krauskopf sold his team to coal magnate J.D. Stacy. Hyde parted ways with Stacy by mid-June, and sued Stacy over the team’s shop and equipment. While Hyde eventually won the suit, he lost his life’s savings and his place in the sport as a result.
From 1979 to ’85, Hyde worked with drivers Tighe Scott, John Anderson, Ricky Rudd, Tim Richmond, Donnie Allison, Mark Mertin and Bobby Hillin Jr. in select events. His best finish was a fourth with Scott at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway in 1980.
From there, Hyde built engines for various Cup Series teams, which kept him active in the sport. But he longed for a chance to work with a top Cup Series driver and team. He knew he could build a winning operation; all he needed was a team owner to have faith in him.
Along came Charlotte car dealer Rick Hendrick. With a leased building, two race cars and five employees, Hyde convinced Hendrick to take a chance on him. He told Hendrick that if his cars didn’t meet specific speeds at Daytona Int’l Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway he didn’t have to pay him.
The team, known as All-Star Racing, headed to Daytona Beach, Fla., for the 1984 Daytona 500 with New York modified standout Geoff Bodine driving.
After six Cup Series races, Bodine had three top-10 finishes. Despite the respectable results for a first-year team, Hendrick had to have a realistic conversation with Hyde about the team’s immediate future.
“I just told Harry I was going to have to close the doors,” Hendrick said. “We have some sponsorship but not a lot and I could no longer fund the team out of my own pocket. I couldn’t sacrifice my car dealership business to race. Harry asked me to try one more race and that was Martinsville. Geoff was good there and won in modifieds there. The car was ready so I said, ‘OK.’”
The April 29, 1984, NASCAR Cup Series event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway proved to be a milestone race for Hendrick, Bodine and Hyde. Bodine qualified sixth and led 55 of 500 laps. On lap 451, Bodine passed Bobby Allison and held the lead to the checkered flag. The victory solidified All-Star Racing as a winner.
It also brought much-needed sponsorship to the team and put Hyde back on top as a winning crew chief.
Hyde and Bodine won again on July 14 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and concluded the season by visiting victory lane at California’s Riverside Raceway.
Hendrick has often told a story of how he tried to get Bodine and Hyde to communicate halfway through a winless 1985 season. The tactic didn’t go exactly as planned.