Posey\u2019s advocacy prompted NASCAR to nickname Posey, \u201cOur Car Guy in Congress<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d but Posey not only advocates all-things-automotive \u2013 but he also drives and maintains his own classic car. (Read on!)<\/p>\n All of this stems from a past life \u2013 a time before Washington politics consumed his time \u2013 when he was heavily involved in auto racing.<\/p>\n Back in Time<\/strong><\/p>\n Like many who are involved in drag or circle track racing, Posey\u2019s interest in racing was passed down from his father.<\/p>\n \u201cMy interest in cars probably began when I lived in California and began attending short track races with my father at the age of five\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n Several years later in 1959, Posey witnessed the 1st<\/sup>-ever race at the new Daytona International Speedway where Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp took the checkered flag side by side.<\/p>\n \u201cIt took three days of reviewing photograph from different angles to declare a winner,\u201d Posey said.<\/p>\n (It took NASCAR founder\u00a0Bill France Sr.\u00a0three days to decide the winner with the help of photographs and\u00a0newsreel\u00a0footage. Lee Petty was officially declared the winner on the following Wednesday.)<\/p>\n Posey himself began racing in 1963, driving a car owned by local service station owner, Chuck Warner. Posey first drove a 1933 Ford with a fuel injected Hemi.<\/p>\n \u201cI won a whole bunch of races in that Ford,\u201d Posey said.<\/p>\n In 1965, Posey wanted a daily driver that he could also race, but not just any<\/em> driver would suffice. He dropped out of high school sports and got an after-school job, so he could buy and race NASA astronaut Gus Grissom\u2019s fuel-injected 1963 Corvette after Grissom had traded it in for a new one.<\/p>\n Posey with his \u201963 Corvette convertible \u2013 once owned by astronaut Gus Grissom.<\/em><\/p>\n Throughout the 1960s, Posey continued racing at Eau Gallie Speedway in Melbourne, FL and at Orlando Raceway.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Posey was working at NASA on the Apollo program until the moon landing in August of 1969 was accomplished and he was laid off.\u00a0 He decided to form an organization he called the Mid-Florida Racing Association, Inc., which eventually bought, renovated and successfully operated the Eau Gallie Speedway. He wrote a book about race promotion in 1971.<\/p>\n In the early 80s, Posey got the itch to go racing again, so he returned to Orlando Speedworld, but also raced at New Smyrna Speedway, Columbia Lake City Speedway, and Hialeah Speedway, where he won dozens of races.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Bill](\"http:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/PoseySema.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n