Arrest made in burglary targeting retired NASCAR Cup driver Dave Marcis

The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office has apprehended an individual in connection with a burglary targeting former NASCAR champion Dave Marcis. Marcis was away at the time of the incident, and the heist saw the theft of numerous valuable NASCAR memorabilia items. With a career spanning 883 NASCAR Cup races from 1968 to 2002, Marcis is the third most-active starter in the sport's history.

He secured five race victories and was the 1975 championship runner-up. At 85 years old, Marcis now resides in Arden, North Carolina, where the break-in occurred. A stranger alerted his daughter, Shawna Beam, via Facebook that they had acquired some of the stolen items at a local flea market in Fletcher, North Carolina. This led to the arrest of a suspect, charged with felony breaking-and-entering.

Despite the intruders failing to recover all the stolen goods, the items taken hold significant sentimental value for the retired racer. Among the stolen items were Rolex watches gifted to Marcis by Roger Penske upon his retirement, one-of-a-kind rings, rifles, including one from Dale Earnhardt Sr., and a firesuit. Marcis expressed his distress, stating that it felt as though the thieves had taken everything, even though Beam tried to reassure him that not everything was taken.

The year has been particularly challenging for Marcis, as his spouse of 60 years, Helen, passed away in January, eight months prior to this incident.