Ronald Richard Esau[1] (October 9, 1954 – January 24, 2022) was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver who competed from 1975 to 1990.
For the first half of the race, Esau was able to avoid the predicted wrecks and was among the leaders, swapping the lead many times with regular Winston Cup stars Neil Bonnett and Bobby Allison.
Since 2013, Esau has operated a racing team in the independent circuits of stock cars that feature the old V8 engines that are rarely used in major league motorsports anymore.
He worked as a mentor to young stock car drivers like Brandon Whitt and Brendan Gaughan.
Occasional jobs that Esau did after his NASCAR career include stints as the head driving instructor for Drivetech Racing School and doing fundraisers for people with various handicaps.