With most of the motorsports world on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve decided to highlight some of the sport’s legends on a daily basis. We begin each story within the pages of National Speed Sport News.

“If there’s a half a hole, you got to make a hole,” said Jimmy Spencer after an April 1984 NASCAR modified triumph at Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Mass.

It was a quote that Spencer lived up to time and time again during his racing career.

On this night, Spencer pushed the lapped car driven by Jamie Tomaino out of the way and made a hole that allowed him to pass Bob Polverari for the victory.

The following day (Easter), Spencer doubled down in modified competition by winning the 13th annual Spring Sizzler at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway.

It was victories like these that paved the way for the Berwick, Pa., native to make the jump to the NASCAR Cup Series.

Spencer made 478 NASCAR Cup Series starts with a pair of victories, both of which came in 1994 when he drove to summer victories at Daytona Int’l Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Spencer also won 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and earned a single NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series triumph in 2003.

He was a 15-time winner in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competition.