Sterling Marlin was one of the best drivers in the Cup Series during his 32 year career.  Marlin was Rookie Of The Year in 1983, and went on to record ten wins in his 748 starts.  He is one of only three drivers to win back-to-back Daytona 500’s, pulling off the feat in 1994 and 1995.  The other two are Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough, that’s pretty fast company.

But bless his heart, it’s been a rough year.  Sterling revealed about a month ago that he has been diagnosed with Parkinsonism.  It’s not full-blown Parkinson’s Disease, and it supposedly is well controlled with medication.  But victims do show some symptoms, like trembling and some difficulty with things like buttoning a shirt.  When he made the announcement, he shrugged it off, basically saying it was no big deal.

Now, a fire has destroyed three race cars and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage in a garage in Middle Tennessee he owns. The fire started Friday morning, and destroyed his 2,500-square-foot garage in Maury County and three cars that belonged to his son-in-law, Michael House. He said he believed that there was a leak on a propane heater and welding sparks ignited the fire. A shop worker who was inside the garage when the fire stared was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Thank heaven the injuries weren’t too serious, and that no firemen were hurt.  Here’s hoping the rest of the year brings happiness to Sterling Marlin!