Fireball Roberts

Edward Glenn Fireball Roberts, Jr. was one of the pioneering race car drivers of NASCAR.

Roberts was born in Tavares, Florida, and raised in Apopka, Florida, where he was interested in both auto racing and baseball. He was a pitcher for the Zellwood Mud Hens, an American Legion baseball team, where he earned the nickname, Fireball because of his fastball. He enlisted with the United States Army Air Corps in 1945, but was discharged after basic training because of his asthma.

Source: Wikipedia