Al Pearce, who reported on NASCAR racing for more than a half-century, died Wednesday. He was 82.
Pearce, a native of Rocky Mount, won every major auto-racing journalism award, including the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, and is a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame as well as the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Pearce was a correspondent for Autoweek for decades, reporting from Daytona Beach, Indianapolis, Darlington and every other stop on the NASCAR circuit. His travels took him to all 50 states, Le Mans and other racing capitals, and he interviewed and wrote about every significant racing champion from across the wide spectrum of motorsports.