Robert Nold "Red" Byron (March 12, 1915 – November 11, 1960) was an American stock car racing driver, who was successful in NASCAR competition in the sanctioning body's first years.

[1] Born in Washington County, Virginia,[2] he moved to Colorado at a young age, and then to Anniston, Alabama, which he considered his hometown.

While racing at Lakewood Speedway, he was noticed by Raymond Parks, a former bootlegger and illegal gambling kingpin and current vending machine operator, as well as his mechanic, Red Vogt.

It is speculated that the freed bomb exploded while falling out of the aircraft but Byron strongly believed that he had been hit by anti-aircraft fire.

[8] A large amount of shrapnel was removed from Byron's leg at a makeshift air base hospital, before being sent to Fitzsimons Army Medical Center where he spent 27 months in rehabilitation.

[6] While in rehabilitation, Byron began sketching devices that would help him return to racing despite the limited movement of his left leg.

[9] In 1946, while working on ideas with Vogt, Byron fabricated two stirrup pins on his clutch pedal to help support his left leg.

[9] Before World War II, Byron raced in the AAA Indy series, mainly in Sprint Cars and Midgets.

He achieved his first Stock Car victory in July 1941, while on two-day liberty from training with the USAAF, and with the war intervening, did not return to racing for five years.

He won the Hankinson Memorial on February 24, 1946, at Seminole Speedway, beating Roy Hall and Bill France.

The race took place at the Daytona Beach Road Course, where Byron beat Marshall Teague and Bob Flock.

[17] Byron would win the next race he started on May 2 at Lakeview Speedway, beating Fonty Flock and Marshall Teague.

[20] On May 16, Byron would win at the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, beating Bill Blair and Fonty Flock.

[21] Flock wouldn't find himself in a points paying position again until May 30, when he finished second at North Wilkesboro Speedway to Marshall Teague.

[24] Byron would race on July 18 at North Wilkesboro Speedway but missed the points due to an issue.

On October 3, during a double header at Central City Speedway, Byron would finish third at in race one, ahead of Fonty Flock, shrinking the points deficit.

[37] On October 17, a day after finishing second to Flock at Greensboro, Byron would win at North Wilkesboro Speedway in a one hundred lap feature race.

[38] On October 24, Byron would win another one hundred lap feature race at Charlotte Speedway, with Fonty Flock coming in second.

[47] on May 15, Byron would head back to Charlotte Speedway and win his second consecutive modified race at the track.

[50] Flock would then have two third-place results on June 26 during a double header at Harris Speedway, finishing behind Curtis Turner and Jack Smith in race one.

[51] Byron would move to focusing on the NASCAR Strictly Stock series full time, not making another start in the Modified Division.

On March 5, Byron won a one hundred lap race at Charlotte Speedway, beating Al Keller and Tommy Coates.

In race one on June 19 at Charlotte Speedway, Byron would finish 3rd behind Jim Roper and career rival Fonty Flock.

[56] On August 7, during the third race of the season at Occoneechee Speedway, Byron finished twenty-second[57] after being involved in a five-car pileup on the thirty-ninth lap.

After battling with Curtis Turner and Bob Flock for two hundred laps, Byron finished the race in the third position.

[61] The victory at Martinsville all but wrapped up the championship for Byron, leading him to sit out of race seven at Heidelberg Raceway on October 2.

Byron finished sixteenth and was crowned Strictly Stock Champion at the conclusion of the race by a margin of 117.5 points over Lee Petty.

[65] In race two on April 2 at Charlotte Speedway, Byron finished fourth after leading forty two laps.

He worked with Briggs Cunningham, who was trying to develop an American sports car that could win Grand Prix races, then become manager of a Corvette team with the same goal.

[6] At the time of his death, Byron was managing the Scarab SCCA team which was owned by Augi Pabst and Harry Heuer.