Dad at home with Rusty and Jolie.

BORN:  Edward Glenn Roberts, Jr. on January 20, 1929, in Tavares, Florida

 
Fireball at Age 4

LIVED:  Tavares, Apopka, and Daytona Beach, all in Florida 

FAMILY TREE:  

PARENTS: Doris Patrick Roberts,  Edward Glenn Roberts

 SISTER: 
Jo Anne Roberts Funderburke married to Dickie

NIECES: 
Cindy & Cassandra

BROTHER: 
Thomas Hill Roberts

DAUGHTER:
Pamela Jane Roberts Trivette

School Photo, Age 6

School Photo

HIGH SCHOOL:  Apopka High*, Seabreeze High, Mary Karl Vocational School

*Went back to Apopka to graduate with his high school class there. 

MILITARY:  
Joined Air Force in (?????Year), medical discharge for asthma 

Air Force Photo

COLLEGE:  
University of Florida, Gainsville, FL, mechanical engineering 

HOBBIES:  
Baseball prior to racing

Walking, running or playing anything on the beach

Training our dogs

Flying his Comanche airplane

Riding his ‘650 Triumph on the beach

Jai Alai (played amateur & spectator)

Dabbling in the stock market

Golf/Shooting Pool/Dancing/Weight Lifting

Hunting Duck & Dove

FAVORITE FOODS:  
Bologna & cheese (Velveeta) with lots of salad dressing on white bread, Mother’s Roast/Gravy with all the fixings 

FAVORITE MUSIC:  
Classical- Tchaikovsky, Pop, Rock & Roll to dance

 

FINAL RESTING PLACE:
Fireball's final resting place is in a mausoleum in the Daytona Memorial Park located closely behind the third turn at Daytona International Speedway.

Bronze Plauqe on the mausoleum, the enscription reads:

E. GLENN "FIREBALL" ROBERTS

JANUARY 20, 1929 - JULY 2, 1964

HE BROUGHT TO STOCK CAR RACING A FRESHNESS, DISTINCTION, A CHAMPIONSHIP QUALITY THAT SURPASSED THE REWARDS COLLECTED BY THE CHECKERED FLAG.

Florida Sportswriters' Award for the most outstanding athlete, 1958
Voted NASCAR's most popular driver, 1957
Daytona 500,1962 Daytona Firecracker 1959-62-63
Rebel 500 at Darlington 1957-1959
Atlanta Dixie 400, 1960

The Roberts' mausoleum; During Speedweeks, checkered flags lead up the path to to Fireball's grave. (Click image for larger version)

 

All photographs are property of Fireball Roberts Inc. and are not to be duplicated or used without the permission of Fireball Roberts Inc. or www.fireball22.com.