 Tim Richmond ( June 7 , 1955 – August 13 , 1989 ) was an American race car driver from <unk> , Ohio . He competed in <unk> racing before transferring to <unk> 's Winston Cup Series ( now <unk> Cup Series ) . Richmond was one of the first drivers to change from open wheel racing to <unk> stock cars full @-@ time , which has since become an industry trend . He won the 1980 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award and had 13 victories during eight <unk> seasons . 
