Appalachian Figures
A Lewis County start
David Fain “Dave” Sisco was born June 26, 1937, the son of Ira Guy Sisco and Cuba Irene Fain. He later made his home in Bon Aqua and died on July 25, 2016. He was a U. S. Army veteran and was buried at Edwards Cemetery in Hohenwald. Those core facts come straight from the funeral home record and contemporaneous obituary, which also list the service and burial details.
Nashville roots and a 1969 title
Before he ever lined up with the national stock-car stars, Sisco built his name on the Middle Tennessee short-track circuit. In 1969 he won the Late Model Sportsman championship at Nashville’s Fairgrounds Speedway. The track’s official champions list preserves that title, and a Tennessean “Nashville Then” photo from April 18, 1970, identifies Sisco as the previous year’s Fairgrounds points champion.
More than a half century later, the Fairgrounds community formally honored that resume when the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Hall of Fame inducted Sisco as part of its Class of 2023. The Hall’s official alumni page lists “Sisco, David” among the inductees. Local and regional outlets covered the ceremony as well.
An independent on NASCAR’s biggest stage
Sisco graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series in 1971 and competed through 1977. Over that span he made 133 Cup starts, recorded 31 top tens, and earned a pair of third-place finishes at Darlington in 1974 and 1975. Statistical compilers that aggregate NASCAR’s official box scores show he ran for seven seasons, predominantly in car No. 05, and that every one of his Cup starts came in Chevrolets.
If you are measuring consistency at specific venues, the numbers bear out what Nashville fans remember. Sisco’s average Cup finish at the Fairgrounds was a stout 11.8 across a dozen starts, one of his best tracks by the data.
The breakout year: 1974
Sisco’s strongest Cup season came in 1974, when he finished inside the top ten in the final standings. Multiple independent stat archives that reproduce NASCAR’s year-end table show him 10th overall. That top-ten season included two third-place finishes and nine top tens. Some local summaries have printed ninth in points, but the standings reproduced from NASCAR’s records place him 10th.
Nashville’s two Cup races that season underline his form. He finished eighth in the spring Music City USA 420 and fourth in the summer Nashville 420, both at the Fairgrounds. Those results appear in contemporary race-result compilations that pull from the original box scores and period press reports.
Hall of Fame and legacy
Sisco’s induction into the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Hall of Fame in 2023 placed him alongside names like Richard Petty and Charles “Preacher” Hamilton in a class that celebrated drivers and contributors who shaped the track’s history. The Hall’s own roster and news coverage from the week of the ceremony confirm his selection.
For Hohenwald, Sisco’s career became civic lore. A City of Hohenwald publication that profiles notable natives highlights his 1974 Cup points finish, reflecting how his national-series run has long been part of local memory.
Final years and remembrance
Sisco died in 2016 at age 79. The funeral home obituary and Legacy notice give the dates, service times, and burial details at Edwards Cemetery in Hohenwald. Family researchers and community historians can corroborate the cemetery information through the memorial page noted above. For those who need legal documentation beyond published obituaries, certified death certificates are issued by the Tennessee Office of Vital Records.
Sources and Further Reading
McDonald Funeral Home, Hohenwald: original obituary with full biographical and service details for David Fain Sisco. McDonald Funeral Home, Inc.
Find A Grave: memorial and headstone photos for David Fain Sisco, Edwards Cemetery in Hohenwald. Find a Grave
Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway champions list: confirms Sisco as the 1969 Late Model Sportsman champion. Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway
Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Hall of Fame: official alumni page listing Sisco in the Class of 2023. Nashville Fairgrounds Hall of Fame
The Tennessean photo archive, “Nashville Then” features with captions referencing Sisco’s Fairgrounds status and mid-1970s race weeks. Tennessean+1
Tennessee Office of Vital Records: official channel to order certified death certificates. Records under 50 years are maintained by the state, older records shift to the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Tennessee State Government+1
Lewis County Public Library & Archives: local repository for county records, photos, and manuscripts related to Hohenwald residents. Lewis County Public Library and Archives
Tennessee State Library & Archives portals: Death Records index and TeVA digital archive for statewide primary materials. TSLA Indexes+1
DriverAverages: Sisco career summary, car numbers, average finishes by track, and 1974 season line, including top-ten points finish. Driver Averages+3Driver Averages+3Driver Averages+3
Racing-Reference selections and equivalent archives for track-specific tallies. Racing Reference+1
Nashville 420 and Music City 420 archives: event pages compiling contemporary reporting and full classifications for Sisco’s 1974 Fairgrounds results. Nashville 420+1
SportsCredential (Nashville): announcement and bios for the 2023 Hall of Fame inductees, including Sisco. The Sports Credential
WSMV-TV (NBC Nashville): report from induction night listing Sisco among 2023 honorees. https://www.wsmv.com
Lewis County Herald: local paper of record noting the Hall of Fame honor. Lewis County Herald