Michael Moats photo

Retired Tennessee Late Model racer Herman Goddard, a co-founder of Warrior Race Cars and a National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer, died this morning after a brief illness. He was 90.

Warrior Race Cars announced his passing of the driver who raced for more than 50 years and collected more than 500 career victories, including his final Super Late Model victory on Aug. 14, 2004, at the age of 68 at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn.

Among track championships and special event victories, he captured the 1980 Memorial 100 at Atomic Motor Speedway near Knoxville, Tenn. Inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in 2008, he’s also a member of thee Tennessee Dirt Racing Hall of Fame, Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame and the East Tennessee Racing Hall of Fame. He competed against Tennessee standouts including Bill Corum, J.T. Kerr, John A. Utsman, Buddy Rogers, Tootle Estes and H.E. Vineyard, who also competed as a senior citizen.

“I guess ol’ H.E. and I are probably the only two left from that era who are still running,” Goddard said after a 2003 victory. “This region has been a hotbed of great racers and it still is today. I’ve got some great memories and I’ve been fortunate to win a lot of races over the years.”

He founded and operated Goddard Construction with his brothers Rusty and Sanford Goddard, joining them in 1984 to found Warrior Race Cars along with Goddard Performance Parts.

Goddard’s racing career started in the 1950s and continued even after he had at pacemaker installed, competing until age 75.