Phil Barkdoll, born September 9, 1937, in Garrison, Iowa, passed away peacefully at his home in Vinton, Iowa, on September 2, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. He was one of twelve children born to Gerald and Isabelle Barkdoll.Between 1984 and 1997, Barkdoll competed in 23 NASCAR Cup Series races, primarily on large tracks, often with limited sponsorship. Barkdoll was known for being persistent, but he never won a race, injuring himself in several memorable and spectacular mishaps, including Daytona flips and collisions. He would also, on occasion, drive cars on behalf of other drivers.Barkdoll had limited best results, no top-10s, no wins, but demonstrated the capability to qualify and run in the very competitive superspeedway events. He primarily ran in the Daytona 500; his best finish was 17th in 1992, and he usually had trouble qualifying in the early years. His style and career described the problems small independent teams had at the time, particularly the problem of competing with larger teams that had more money than they did.CBS Sports' Steven Taranto reported the news on X, writing:"Longtime independent NASCAR driver Phil Barkdoll died Tuesday at his home in Vinton, Iowa. He was 87. Barkdoll made 23 Cup starts as a superspeedway specialist and is best remembered as a fixture in Daytona 500 qualifying throughout the 80s and 90s. He made The Great American Race five years in a row from 1988 to 1992, with a best finish of 15th in 1989."He further added:"Barkdoll qualified for the Daytona 500 for the final time in 1997, making a comeback after a battle with cancer to earn a spot in the starting field, but sold his ride to Joe Nemechek after his team failed to qualify themselves. Barkdoll ran time trials for the 1998 Daytona 500 then turned the car over to Mike Wallace, who made the field in Barkdoll's car and finished 23rd. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be directed to the Stead Family Children’s Hospital at the University of Iowa."Barkdoll's legacy includes his contributions as a team owner, running the iconic No. 73 car, and giving opportunities to drivers such as Ken Bouchard and Mike Wallace.NASCAR spotter mourns the passing of Phil BarkdollFreddie Kraft, a well-known NASCAR spotter and media personality, expressed his condolences on the passing of Phil Barkdoll. Kraft revealed he never had the chance to meet Phil Barkdoll personally, but described the latter's son, Steve, as one of the kindest, most generous, and genuine people he has ever met. He shared a post on X, writing:"RIP Phil Barkdoll. I never got a chance to meet Phil, but his son Steve is simply one of the kindest, generous, and most genuine people I’ve ever met. We’re thinking of you buddy."Phil Barkdoll’s perseverance in NASCAR as a persistent racer and team owner exemplifies traits that resonate with many racing figures, including Kraft.