News

Mills River, county honor stock car great

Cecil Gordon built cars at his Mills River garage.

By Bill Moss, Published: October 18, 2012

MILLS RIVER — The Henderson County Board of Commissioners honored longtime stock-car driver Cecil Gordon, who built and raced cars from his garage in Mills River.

Gordon died Sept. 19 at his home in Lexington at age 71. He had 29 top-five, 111 top 10, and 304 top 20 finishes. He finished a career-high third in the Cup standings in 1971.
The son of Rupert and Mildred Gordon, Cecil Owen Gordon was survived by sons Douglas Gordon and Tyler Carpenter of Morganton; a daughter, Stefanie Gordon, of Durham; and a brother and sister, Lee Gordon and Carolyn Carland of Mills River.
The resolution honoring Gordon was adopted first last month by the Mills River Town Board.
Here is the resolution honoring Gordon:
WHEREAS, Cecil Gordon was one of Nascar's racing pioneers; and
WHEREAS, Cecil Gordon built and raced cars from his garage in Mills River; and
WHEREAS, in his lengthy career as a driver, Cecil Gordon ran 450 races as a driver, most of them with his own independent team, and drive a total of 112,907 total laps; and
WHEREAS, in those races Cecil Gordon had 29 top-five, 111 top-10, and 304 top-20 finishes; and
WHEREAS, Cecil Gordon finished a career-high third in the Cup standings in 1971; and WHEREAS, the Board salutes the homegrown efforts of Cecil Gordon, and his legacy of
racing from a garage in Mills River;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Cecil Gordon's career as the first Gordon to race the #24 car will long be remembered by citizens in Henderson County and Western North Carolina.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the County of Henderson to be affixed.
Adopted this the 17th day of October, 2012.