| abstract | - Frank Luptow (November 20, 1905 - September 21, 1952) was a NASCAR driver from Tampa, FL. He competed in five Nextel Cup Series events in his career. ==Prior to NASCAR== Luptow started racing class "B" midgets in the early forties, but it was after the war that he emerged as a top driver, racing regularly in the IMCA (International Motor Contest Association) series. Driving his famous #9 Black Panther Offy he became the 1949, 1950 and 1951 IMCA champion. In 1949 he graded winning 38 of the 47 races he started. Luptow achieved a record of 98 wins in the six years he raced in IMCA. ==NASCAR Career== Luptow's debut came in 1950, when he competed at Daytona Beach. Starting 11th in the field of forty-one, Luptow fell five laps down in the race and drove to a solid 18th place effort. Luptow's final four races came in the 1951 season, when he finished 69th in points. It was a mixed season for Luptow, who this time struggled to 53rd (of fifty-four) in his season opener at Daytona Beach and then was a poor 30th at Hillsboro in his final career race. But in between Luptow was solid, recording a career-best 5th place effort at Charlotte and 11th at Mobile.
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