This... was Spencer Clark

Spencer Clark
January 29, 1987 - May 21, 2006

Nineteen-year-old Spencer Clark, a former track champion at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and a standout on the NASCAR Autozone West Series circuit, died Sunday, May 21, in an automobile accident near Albuquerque, N.M.

According to police reports, Clark was a passenger in a vehicle driving west on Interstate 40 approximately 40 miles east of Albuquerque. The vehicle rolled, killing Clark and 28-year old Andy Phillips of Phoenix. The two were returning from North Carolina and were towing Clark's race car back to Las Vegas.

Clark made his NASCAR Busch Series debut in this past March's Sam's Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He started 33rd and finished 35th in that race. Clark also started in the top 10 of all three NASCAR West Series events this season and captured his first pole position in the season-opener at Phoenix and recorded a career-best fourth-place finish in that race.

Phillips was a crew member for Clark's Allegiant Air Racing Team and was a former all-Western Athletic Conference offensive lineman for the University of Hawaii football team.

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IN MEMORY OF SPENCER CLARK
Debbie and TJ Clark

At the age of 19, Spencer Clark leaves behind a great racing legacy. While he had not become a household name yet at the age of 19, he had accomplished great things behind the wheel of a variety of race cars. Racing had been a part of everyday of Spencer’s life. Whether he was spending time with his dad while he was competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series or preparing his own Legend, Super Late Model, ASA Speed Truck or Grand National West series car, Spencer’s love of racing propelled him into becoming a respected, talented and successful driver at a very young age.

At the age of five, Spencer began his racing career in the Mickey Thompson PeeWee Motorcycles Series. At eight, Spencer moved into racing go-karts following his dad, T.J. Clark footsteps. T.J. a respected race car driver himself won a National Karting Championship, numerous events in the Mickey Thompson off-road series and fielded a truck in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for four years. In 1997, Spencer began competing in the Junior and Junior Sportsman Go-Kart Classes. After several successful years of go-kart racing, in 2000 Spencer moved to the INEX Legend car series where he won over 50 races including winning 28 of 31 races in 2001 when he won the Young Lions National Champion title, National Semi-Pro Legends Champion and was the Semi-Pro Legends track champion at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring track.

Spencer continued to race and win in the Legend series in 2002 and 2003. In 2003, Spencer raced in the NASCAR Super Late Model series at the Bullring where he continued show what a mature and talented race car driver he was at the age of 16. In his rookie year in the Super Late Model series, Spencer won Rookie of the year honors, finished fourth in points with two victories and six pole awards. In addition to running the NASCAR Super Late Model series, Spencer entered selected ASA Speed Truck Challenge events at those tracks that would allow young drivers to compete. Spencer took three poles, finished in the top four in all four ASA series events he entered in 2003. In 2004, Spencer continued his winning streak by winning three ASA Speed Truck events and finishing 5th in points in the NASCAR Super Late model series with two wins and six poles.

2005 saw tremendous success for Spencer in both the ASA Speed Truck series as well as in the Super Late Model series. Spencer won nine poles and eight events in the Super Late model series and finished third in points. In addition, Spencer entered five events in the AutoZone NASCAR Grand National West series scoring two top five finishes.

2005 also brought Spencer great new opportunities with sponsorship from Las Vegas based Allegiant Airlines. This sponsorship was expanded in 2006 with plans to race the entire AutoZone NASCAR Grand National West series along with selected NASCAR Busch and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races later in 2006. This new relationship with Allegiant Airlines was what Spencer was looking for. In the first race of the year in the AutoZone NASCAR Grand National West series at Phoenix International Raceway, Spencer won the pole, led the most laps and finished fourth. After three races in the AutoZone NASCAR Grand National West series Spencer was 5th in points.

Spencer was also able to fulfill a lifelong dream when Allegiant Airlines provided sponsorship for Spencer to enter the Sam’s Town 300 Busch race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Spencer qualified 33rd and finished 35th in his first ever attempt in the Busch series. This was a great accomplishment but only a sign of great things to come from Spencer.

Spencer’s career and life were cut short on May 21, 2006 when he was a passenger in a fatal car accident outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to police reports, the truck Spencer was a passenger in lost control towing Spencer’s AutoZone NASCAR Grand National West series car back from Charlotte to Las Vegas in preparation to race in this weekend’s West series race in Irwindale, California. Both Spencer and his teammate Andy Phillips of Phoenix were killed when the vehicle rolled.

Spencer career was marked by a lot of victories made even more special by the fact that a majority of his victories came from cars and trucks prepared by Spencer and his dad along close friends, family members helping in the pits and with his mom, Debbie who was Spencer’s greatest fan and promoter. Spencer is survived by his parents T.J. and Debbie Clark, his sister Candice, his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins as well as his Allegiant Air race team, race fans and friends. Spencer will truly be missed on and off the track.

A memorial fund in honor of Spencer has been established. Donations may be sent to the Spencer Clark Memorial Fund 1930 Village Circle Center, #3-976, Las Vegas, NV 89134.

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