Earl Barban
Five-time Cup champion spotter and former team owner.
via Wikipedia: Earl Barban · see source
Earl Paul Barban Jr. (born October 5, 1964) is an American stock car racing spotter and former team owner. He is a five-time Cup Series champion with Jimmie Johnson and has won three Xfinity titles with JR Motorsports' Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Tyler Reddick.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Earl Paul Barban Jr.
- Nickname
- "The Duke", "Big Earl"
- Born
- 5 October 1964
- Birthplace
- St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
- Education
- St. Louis Community College–Florissant Valley; University of Missouri
- Sport
- Auto racing
- League
- NASCAR Cup Series
- Position
- Spotter
Facts from the source article.
Early life
Barban grew up in St. Louis and attended Jennings High School in Jennings, Missouri. As a youth he held many jobs, including handing out pizza flyers at age 13, cooking at Steak 'n Shake, operating a forklift, driving an airport bus, and applying deodorant balls for Ban Roll-On. In 2020 he recalled his father joking that he had 21 jobs and 21 cars before turning 21. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1983, serving as a truck driver until 1988 and receiving the Navy Achievement Medal. He attended St. Louis Community College–Florissant Valley and the University of Missouri.
Racing career
Barban began in motorsports as a mechanic for a friend's sprint car team and briefly drove at Pevely Speedway in St. Louis. He was hired by Penske Racing, working in souvenir sales and driving the team's hauler, and also served as gas man on Rusty Wallace's pit crew. Promoted to jackman and mechanic in 1997, he became Wallace's spotter in 2002, except for the Coca-Cola 600 when he returned to jackman duties. In November 2002 he was injured in a motorcycle accident while riding to North Carolina Speedway, suffering three broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a ruptured spleen; he returned for preseason testing in January 2003. In 1995 Barban fielded a truck for Kenny Wallace in the NASCAR SuperTruck Series with Penske support; Wallace ran three races in the No. 90 Ford, recording two top-tens and a best of fourth at Martinsville Speedway, before moving to Penske's own Truck team in 1996. His first race as Johnson's spotter was the 2006 Daytona 500, which Johnson won; Johnson won that year's championship, though Barban left for Yates Racing and Stevie Reeves took over. He returned to the No. 48 team in 2009, and the pair won four more titles in 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2016. Barban also spots in the Xfinity Series for Hendrick affiliate JR Motorsports, overseeing the No. 9 car and winning championships in 2014, 2017, and 2018 with Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Tyler Reddick. Before JRM, he spotted for Rusty Wallace Racing's No. 64 team in 2006.
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