Stock car driver who broke down racial barriers by becoming the first black NASCAR driver. He is also the first black driver to win the Sprint Cup Series and is a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame class of 2015.
He served in the U.S. Army in World War II before running an auto-repair shop.
His life was the inspiration for the 1977 Richard Pryor film Greased Lightning.
He was survived by his wife Mary and children Franklin, Sybil and Wendell Jr.
He paved the way for Future black NASCAR drivers like Bill Lester.
