On behalf of the National Motorsports Press Association, we offer our most sincere condolences to the family and many friends of longtime, award-winning racing journalist, sportswriter and author Monte Dutton, 68, of Clinton, S.C. who passed away Oct. 8, according to his family.
Dutton began covering NASCAR during one the sport’s most celebrated eras, working in the 1990s for the Spartanburg (S.C.) Herald-Journal and Gastonia (N.C.) Gazette newspapers then transitioning to magazine work and a steady dose of freelance stories for on-line outlets. His work received multiple awards from a variety of press associations, including the NMPA, where his stories were honored five times. He was a former vice president of the organization as well.
Dutton – a Furman University graduate – also fostered and maintained a long career covering local prep and college sports in the Carolinas, posting stories through mid-September of this year.
A prolific and highly-praised author, Dutton wrote nine books on a wide range of subjects – from non-fiction biographies on NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart – to well-received novels showcasing his love of all things “Americana.”
Dutton was respected in the garage and a hugely popular personality in media centers. During his career circling the country covering NASCAR, he was prone to organizing post-race gatherings in media center parking lots – offering up cold beer and then regaling the crowd with his guitar and original songs as the traffic thinned out and the moon rose.
He always showed up at track with a quick smile and quip – his big sense of humor and personality eclipsed only by his huge heart. As important to him as the prose he crafted, however, were the lifelong friendships he made everywhere he travelled and the extended family he so cared for and loved.
“In his coverage of NASCAR, Monte always had a unique point of view and folksy style that made it seem he was sitting there chatting with the reader,’’ said author Bob Zeller, an award-winning former motorsports writer on the NASCAR beat and longtime friend of Dutton’s.
“As much as he loved covering NASCAR and, later, local high school sports, Monte was devoted to a wide range of interests. He was an accomplished musician and songwriter and deeply knowledgeable about American and country music,” Zeller said. “And after his work was finished at the speedways, he would often pull out his guitar and sing a tune for anyone who might be nearby.”
There is no information yet on services for Dutton, however the NMPA will keep the membership informed.
— National Motorsports Press Association —