Rene Charland (November 13, 1928 – September 30, 2013), nicknamed "The Champ", was an American stock car racing driver.
[2] By the 1960s he was part of a group of Northeastern racers called "The Eastern Bandits" who moved to the Mid-Atlantic and South to compete in NASCAR competition.
He won the title again the following three years,[4] and finished third in the series' 1966 standings despite missing half of the season due to an injury suffered at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.
[3] His run of four straight championships gave Charland the nickname "The Champ",[2] a name he became better known by than his given name, which was pronounced "REE-nee".
[3] Charland also competed in the NASCAR Grand National Series,[3] running nine races between 1964 and 1971, including the 1966 Daytona 500, posting a best career finish of third at Fonda Speedway in 1966.