Mike Potter, a veteran of 60 NASCAR Cup Series starts, died Monday after an extended illness. He was 73.
Potter, the son of pioneer mechanic and car owner Jess Potter and the older brother of fellow NASCAR driver Gary Potter, was a Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam.
Racing mainly as an independent, Potter made his Cup Series debut in the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol. It was the same race that seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt scored his first career victory. Potter finished 16th driving his own No. 76 Chevrolet.
Career highlights included qualifying for the 1992 Daytona 500 in the No. 77 Chevrolet, a race that he finished 30th after retiring with a fuel pump issue. He made his last Cup Series start in the 1993 spring race at Darlington for longtime car owner Jimmy Means.