Catchfence

WATKINS GLEN, NY – Jimmy Bedford, former Master Distiller for Jack Daniel’s, passed away suddenly on Friday, Aug. 7, at his home in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Bedford is one of only seven Master Distiller’s the company has ever had; a position he held for 20 years from 1988 to 2008.

Bedford, 69, was born and raised in Moore County, the home of Jack Daniel’s, and worked for the distillery for 41 years.

In his memory, the Old No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Impala SS, driven by Casey Mears, will carry a special decal with the famous Jack Daniel’s logo on it for this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International. In addition to the logo, the decal will say “In Memory of Jimmy Bedford.”

The other three Sprint Cup Series cars of Richard Childress Racing; Kevin Harvick in the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet, Jeff Burton in the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet and Clint Bowyer in the No. 33 Hamburger Helper/Cheerios Chevrolet, will carry a black and white decal with the saying “In Memory of Jimmy Bedford.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release