Most NASCAR fans can recite facts about their favorite driver: date and place of birth, races won, sponsors, etc. But few fans of such NASCAR drivers as Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, and Kenny Wallace, can tell you the name of the driver who had the greatest influence on their early careers. That common thread was Larry Phillips of Springfield, Missouri, a driver who raced in the former Winston Racing Series, now called the NASCAR Whelen Series. Before his life was cut short by cancer, Phillips won an unprecedented five championships–a record no one has equaled since. This is the compelling story of a man who had a tremendous effect on shaping NASCAR into the empire we know today.