was born on
June 24 ,
1961 , in
Calera, Alabama . He soon became a legend in racing and married Pam Allison, the daughter of
NASCAR legend
Donnie Allison . Hut was the last member of the
Alabama Gang .
In
1986 , he won NASCAR's Dash Series Championship. The next year, he made his debut in NASCAR Winston Cup.
Two years later he finished second to
Dick Trickle in the
NASCAR Rookie Of The Year championship with
Rod Osterlund . In his sophomore season, he only competed in only three events before taking over the driving chores of
Bobby Allison 's #12 Raybestos Brakes
Buick .
1991 turned out to be one of his best seasons yet, as he finished 16th in the championship point standings as well as a career high 2nd place at
Michigan International Speedway . Halfway through
1992 , Hut left Allison to drive
Junior Johnson 's
McDonald's Ford . The next year, Stricklin paired with owner
Travis Carter to form a new team, the Number 23
Camel Cigarettes Ford . It was a disappointing year for all, and Hut finished 26th in points.
After he couldn't find a ride for
1995 , he served as a consultant for
Kenny Bernstein 's rookie driver
Steve Kinser , a
World Of Outlaws Sprint Car champion who was struggling to transition from dirt to pavement. During the season, Kinser resigned, and Stricklin took it over, posting five top 10 finishes. Unfortunately, Bernstein sold the team to driver
Brett Bodine , and Hut had to find a new job.
He joined the Stavola Bros. Racing #8
Circuit City Ford in
1996 . He had a second-place finish at
Darlington Raceway , and ended up 22nd in points that year.
In
1998 , Stricklin went between jobs, first the 8 car, which closed because of sponsorship woes, then drove substitute duty for
David Green and
Robert Pressley for the rest of the year.
1999 presented Hut with a new challenge. He was now the crew chief for
Gary Bradberry 's 78 Ford for
Triad Motorsports . When that team was sold, He took over the 58
Ford for businessman
Scott Barbour . He posted some of the best finishes of the year for that team, including a top-ten finish at
Michigan . Despite posting three consecutive DNQ's, Strickling appeared to have found solid footing, as Barbour announced Stricklin would be his driver through 2003, and would have
Motorsports Safety Technologies as his sponsor. Unfortunately, sponsorship again plagued Stricklin, as shortly after Stricklin signed the deal, MST produced a
Bounced Check , causing Stricklin's team to close its doors forever.
In
2000 , Stricklin drove for longtime owner
Junie Donlavey at the
Brickyard 400 and finished 14th. The next year he had a 6th place finish at Michigan. However, sponsor Hills Brothers wanted to find a new team, and they both moved to Bill Davis' #23
Dodge .
In
2002 , Stricklin struggled mightily and was soon released. That was the last time he has driven a
NASCAR race. He made his NASCAR Busch Series debut in 1985. He never won a Busch Series race.
Hut Stricklin's family now owns an Auto and Truck parts company.
