Harry Melling, president of Melling Tool Co. and owner of the NASCAR team on which Bill Elliott enjoyed his greatest success, died Saturday. He was 54.
Melling suffered a heart attack at his home Saturday morning and was taken to Otsego Memorial Hospital in Gaylord.
"My dad loved racing," said Mark Melling, vice president and general manager of Melling Racing, told The Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot. "He met so many wonderful people over the years. Prayers from the competitors and the fans would mean so much to my family right now."
Mark Melling was in Charlotte, N.C., where the team was preparing for Sunday's Coca Cola 600 race.
"This is very shocking, very tragic, and very sad, not only for racing, but for the Jackson community and Harry's family," said Gene Haskett, president of Michigan Speedway. "It's just a sad situation."
Harry Melling was in his 20th year of NASCAR Winston Cup Racing. Melling Racing won the Winston Cup points championship with Elliott behind the wheel in 1988.
Three years earlier, Melling's team won a then-record $1 million bonus -- the Winston Million -- from R.J. Reynolds for winning three of the four major races on the Winston Cup schedule that year -- the Daytona 500, the Winston 500 and the Southern 500.
Elliott drove for the team from 1981-92, getting 34 of his 40 career victories.
Melling started in Winston Cup racing as first an associate and then a primary sponsor for driver Benny Parsons in 1979.
Winston Cup Scene, the leading publication covering stock car racing, in 1997 named Melling one of the 40 most important people in NASCAR history.
Melling was the grandson of George Melling Sr., who founded Melling Tool in Jackson, in 1944. The firm grew to become a leading supplier of oil pumps. The business also makes and distributes other automotive products, such as gears, sprockets and camshafts.
Harry Melling, who graduated from Ferris State University with a degree in business, was elected president of Melling Tool in September 1975. He succeeded his father, Benjamin Melling.
Melling had interests outside of his job as president of Melling Tool in Jackson. In 1983, he purchased Sylvan Ski Resort in Gaylord. He turned it into a year-round travel destination by adding golf courses designed by Robert Trent Jones and Tom Fazio and renamed it Treetops Sylvan Resort. He later added another course.
In 1975, the firm of Ray Greene and Co., which made Rebel sailing boats, went bankrupt. Melling led a group of investors that took over the firm and ran it under the Melling Tool banner.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Melling suffered a heart attack at his home Saturday morning and was taken to Otsego Memorial Hospital in Gaylord.
"My dad loved racing," said Mark Melling, vice president and general manager of Melling Racing, told The Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot. "He met so many wonderful people over the years. Prayers from the competitors and the fans would mean so much to my family right now."
Mark Melling was in Charlotte, N.C., where the team was preparing for Sunday's Coca Cola 600 race.
"This is very shocking, very tragic, and very sad, not only for racing, but for the Jackson community and Harry's family," said Gene Haskett, president of Michigan Speedway. "It's just a sad situation."
Harry Melling was in his 20th year of NASCAR Winston Cup Racing. Melling Racing won the Winston Cup points championship with Elliott behind the wheel in 1988.
Three years earlier, Melling's team won a then-record $1 million bonus -- the Winston Million -- from R.J. Reynolds for winning three of the four major races on the Winston Cup schedule that year -- the Daytona 500, the Winston 500 and the Southern 500.
Elliott drove for the team from 1981-92, getting 34 of his 40 career victories.
Melling started in Winston Cup racing as first an associate and then a primary sponsor for driver Benny Parsons in 1979.
Winston Cup Scene, the leading publication covering stock car racing, in 1997 named Melling one of the 40 most important people in NASCAR history.
Melling was the grandson of George Melling Sr., who founded Melling Tool in Jackson, in 1944. The firm grew to become a leading supplier of oil pumps. The business also makes and distributes other automotive products, such as gears, sprockets and camshafts.
Harry Melling, who graduated from Ferris State University with a degree in business, was elected president of Melling Tool in September 1975. He succeeded his father, Benjamin Melling.
Melling had interests outside of his job as president of Melling Tool in Jackson. In 1983, he purchased Sylvan Ski Resort in Gaylord. He turned it into a year-round travel destination by adding golf courses designed by Robert Trent Jones and Tom Fazio and renamed it Treetops Sylvan Resort. He later added another course.
In 1975, the firm of Ray Greene and Co., which made Rebel sailing boats, went bankrupt. Melling led a group of investors that took over the firm and ran it under the Melling Tool banner.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Harry Melling, president of Melling Tool Co. and owner of the NASCAR team on which Bill Elliott enjoyed his greatest success, died Saturday. He was 54.
Melling suffered a heart attack at his home Saturday morning and was taken to Otsego Memorial Hospital in Gaylord.
"My dad loved racing," said Mark Melling, vice president and general manager of Melling Racing, told The Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot. "He met so many wonderful people over the years. Prayers from the competitors and the fans would mean so much to my family right now."
Mark Melling was in Charlotte, N.C., where the team was preparing for Sunday's Coca Cola 600 race.
"This is very shocking, very tragic, and very sad, not only for racing, but for the Jackson community and Harry's family," said Gene Haskett, president of Michigan Speedway. "It's just a sad situation."
Harry Melling was in his 20th year of NASCAR Winston Cup Racing. Melling Racing won the Winston Cup points championship with Elliott behind the wheel in 1988.
Three years earlier, Melling's team won a then-record $1 million bonus -- the Winston Million -- from R.J. Reynolds for winning three of the four major races on the Winston Cup schedule that year -- the Daytona 500, the Winston 500 and the Southern 500.
Elliott drove for the team from 1981-92, getting 34 of his 40 career victories.
Melling started in Winston Cup racing as first an associate and then a primary sponsor for driver Benny Parsons in 1979.
Winston Cup Scene, the leading publication covering stock car racing, in 1997 named Melling one of the 40 most important people in NASCAR history.
Melling was the grandson of George Melling Sr., who founded Melling Tool in Jackson, in 1944. The firm grew to become a leading supplier of oil pumps. The business also makes and distributes other automotive products, such as gears, sprockets and camshafts.
Harry Melling, who graduated from Ferris State University with a degree in business, was elected president of Melling Tool in September 1975. He succeeded his father, Benjamin Melling.
Melling had interests outside of his job as president of Melling Tool in Jackson. In 1983, he purchased Sylvan Ski Resort in Gaylord. He turned it into a year-round travel destination by adding golf courses designed by Robert Trent Jones and Tom Fazio and renamed it Treetops Sylvan Resort. He later added another course.
In 1975, the firm of Ray Greene and Co., which made Rebel sailing boats, went bankrupt. Melling led a group of investors that took over the firm and ran it under the Melling Tool banner.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Melling suffered a heart attack at his home Saturday morning and was taken to Otsego Memorial Hospital in Gaylord.
"My dad loved racing," said Mark Melling, vice president and general manager of Melling Racing, told The Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot. "He met so many wonderful people over the years. Prayers from the competitors and the fans would mean so much to my family right now."
Mark Melling was in Charlotte, N.C., where the team was preparing for Sunday's Coca Cola 600 race.
"This is very shocking, very tragic, and very sad, not only for racing, but for the Jackson community and Harry's family," said Gene Haskett, president of Michigan Speedway. "It's just a sad situation."
Harry Melling was in his 20th year of NASCAR Winston Cup Racing. Melling Racing won the Winston Cup points championship with Elliott behind the wheel in 1988.
Three years earlier, Melling's team won a then-record $1 million bonus -- the Winston Million -- from R.J. Reynolds for winning three of the four major races on the Winston Cup schedule that year -- the Daytona 500, the Winston 500 and the Southern 500.
Elliott drove for the team from 1981-92, getting 34 of his 40 career victories.
Melling started in Winston Cup racing as first an associate and then a primary sponsor for driver Benny Parsons in 1979.
Winston Cup Scene, the leading publication covering stock car racing, in 1997 named Melling one of the 40 most important people in NASCAR history.
Melling was the grandson of George Melling Sr., who founded Melling Tool in Jackson, in 1944. The firm grew to become a leading supplier of oil pumps. The business also makes and distributes other automotive products, such as gears, sprockets and camshafts.
Harry Melling, who graduated from Ferris State University with a degree in business, was elected president of Melling Tool in September 1975. He succeeded his father, Benjamin Melling.
Melling had interests outside of his job as president of Melling Tool in Jackson. In 1983, he purchased Sylvan Ski Resort in Gaylord. He turned it into a year-round travel destination by adding golf courses designed by Robert Trent Jones and Tom Fazio and renamed it Treetops Sylvan Resort. He later added another course.
In 1975, the firm of Ray Greene and Co., which made Rebel sailing boats, went bankrupt. Melling led a group of investors that took over the firm and ran it under the Melling Tool banner.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
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Founder of Treetops, golf course in Gaylord Michigan
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