Harry Scott Jr., a former NASCAR team owner has died at age 51.
A statement from the family of Harry Scott Jr.: “We are shocked and saddened to confirm that Harry Scott, Jr., age 51, passed away yesterday, August 2, 2017. Harry will be remembered as a loving family man and successful business owner. We ask that everyone please keep Harry’s smile, generosity and essential kindness in your thoughts and prayers. Details about funeral services will be announced when they are finalized.”
Scott entered the sport as a XFINITY Series sponsor with AccuDoc Solutions in 2009 with Braun Racing. The Raleigh, N.C. native quickly moved into the ownership side, first with Todd Braun and driver Brian Scott.
Then he partnered with Steve Turner in 2013 and Turner Motorsports became Turner Scott Motorsports.
That season, the Mooresville, N.C.-based operation won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East title with Dylan Kwasniewski. The organization also fielded entries in XFINITY and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Later that year, Scott formed HScott Motorsports when he purchased the assets of Phoenix Racing and brought XFINITY Series driver Justin Allgaier to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in a limited schedule.
The South Carolina-entrepreneur also provided rides for aspiring drivers Ben Rhodes and Justin Haley in K&N and ARCA, while fielded entries in XFINITY with Kyle Larson, Justin Marks and Brennan Poole with a partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing. Ganassi later took sole control of the XFINITY team in 2016.
In 2014, HScott Motorsports expanded to a full-time Cup schedule with Allgaier but remained a partner in K&N, XFINITY and Trucks with Turner.
The team won the K&N championship with now Truck Series standout Ben Rhodes.
For 2015, Scott took control of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East operation and partnered with longtime racer Justin Marks to field five Chevrolet teams under the banner HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks with drivers Scott Heckert, William Byron, JJ Haley, Dalton Sargeant and Rico Abreu.
Byron won the series championship with an astounding four wins.
On the Cup side, Scott went from one to two cars adding Michael Annett to the organization in the No. 46 Chevrolet.
“I’ve always been interested in racing, always been a race fan, always been attracted to it,” Scott told NASCAR.com in 2015.
“Growing up in Raleigh I wasn’t in the racing scene, I didn’t grow up in it. My father was a physician. The first real inside exposure that I had was with Todd and that group. I was introduced to them in Daytona in February of 2009. We built a friendship and then we built a partnership in 2010.
“It was almost an internship. I had the ability to get the exposure; they welcomed me. It was a really good opportunity to get the experience that prepared me for what it’s become today through a series of other opportunities.”
Last year, the K&N East program added Harrison Burton, Tyler Dippel and Hunter Baize to the lineup, while Haley returned and ultimately scored the series championship. It was the third consecutive K&N championship with Scott’s name attached.
Allgaier moved back to the XFINITY Series with JR Motorsports, opening the door for Clint Bowyer to drive the No. 15 5Hour Energy Chevrolet in a one-year deal while awaiting to take over at Stewart-Haas Racing for the departing three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart.
The team struggled in Cup with Bowyer only earning three top-10 finishes and finishing a distant 27th in points. Annett failed to produce a single top-10 finish and moved back to XFINITY in 2017 with JR Motorsports.
At the end of the year, Scott sold his No. 15 charter to Premium Motorsports and ceased operations in December in both K&N Pro East and Cup.
“Over the past several months, I considered a number of options for moving forward with the team,” Scott said at the time in a statement. “Regrettably there are not viable sponsor/driver options immediately available to allow the team to participate in 2017.”
As word spread Thursday of his passing, Marks issued a statement on Twitter as well as tweeted a photo of the two together.
— Justin Marks (@JustinMarksDG) August 3, 2017
— Justin Marks (@JustinMarksDG) August 3, 2017
Thursday afternoon, NASCAR released a statement reflecting on Scott and his impact to the sport.
“Harry Scott Jr. possessed an endless passion for racing. Owning cars in the national series and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, his crowning achievements were his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championships. The sport was proud to have Harry as our champion owner during that storybook era. NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to his family and friends.”
Steve Turner, a successful businessman from Texas and former partner of Scott’s at Turner Scott Motorsports passed away last May.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
