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.
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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