Eric Norris

Eric Scott Norris (born May 20, 1965) is an American former stock car racing driver and stuntman. He won the 2002 NASCAR Winston West Series Championship.

Eric Norris
Norris at the Milwaukee Mile in 1997
Born
Eric Scott Norris

(1965-05-20) May 20, 1965 (age 58)
SpouseStephanie Norris
Children4
Parent
RelativesMike Norris (brother)
Aaron Norris (uncle)
Achievements2002 NASCAR Winston West Series Champion
AwardsWest Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2019)
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
2 races run over 1 year
Best finish112th (2005)
First race2005 Stater Brothers 300 (California)
Last race2005 Sam's Town 300 (Las Vegas)
WinsTop tensPoles
000
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
19 races run over 8 years
Best finish42nd (1997)
First race1997 Pennzoil Discount Center 200 (New Hampshire)
Last race2007 Sam's Town 400 (Texas)
WinsTop tensPoles
000
NASCAR K&N Pro Series West career
Years active1996–2004, 2012
Car number31
Starts66
Wins3
Poles2
Best finish1st in 2002

Norris is also a director and directed several episodes of the TV-series Walker, Texas Ranger, which starred his father, Chuck Norris.

Early life

Norris was born on May 20, 1965, in Redondo Beach, California, the son of Dianne (née Holecheck) and Walker, Texas Ranger star Chuck Norris. Norris began racing in 1982 with his father in the SCORE Off-Road Series, but retired to study at Arizona State University.[1]

Career

1983–1997: Formula Ford Series to Craftsman Truck Series, and early film work

Following his graduation, he began racing at Willow Springs Raceway and the Formula Ford Series.

On September 27, 1985, Invasion U.S.A. premiered with his father as the lead. In it, Norris is credited for stunts.[2]

In 1986, Norris played roles in The Delta Force and Invaders from Mars.[3][4] That year, Norris was a stunt player on Avenging Force.[5]

In 1988, Norris was a stunt player for the motion pictures starring his father Hero and the Terror.[6]

In 1990, Norris returned as a stunt player for his father in Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection.[7]

In 1990, Norris was credited for stunts in Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time and Necessary Roughness.[8][9] That year, Norris got a stunt performer credit in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.[10]

In 1992, Norris appeared in Universal Soldier.[11]

On December 3, 1993, Norris played the role of a thug in the film Rescue Me.[12] That year, Norris is credited for utility stunt on Benefit of the Doubt and Best of the Best II.[13][14] Also that year Norris was as a stunt player for the films Sidekicks, where he also played a biker,[15] and Three of Hearts.[16]

Norris' father went on to star in the long lasting hit TV show Walker, Texas Ranger,(1993-2001) where, he acted in nineteen episodes, directed nine, and produced four.[17]

In 1994 Norris provided stunts for the film Hellbound.[18]

Norris made his Craftsman Truck Series debut in 1997, running five races in the No. 02 Wolverine Vinyl Siding Ford F-150 for Ultra Motorsports. His best finish that season came at Watkins Glen International, where he finished 13th.[19]

1998–present: continued racing and stunt work in films

From 1998 to 2000, Norris worked with his father on Logan's War: Bound by Honor (1998),[20] The President's Man (2000),[21] and The President's Man: A Line in the Sand.[22]

Norris ran again in 1999, when he ran both races at Texas Motor Speedway. He finished 35th in the first race, which he ran with Ultra's No. 02 Ford, and 22nd in the second race, driving the No. 4 Coca-Cola Dodge Ram for Bobby Hamilton Racing.[23] That season, he began running in the West Series full-time, finishing tenth in points.

In 2000, Norris worked on the television film Also that year, he made one start in the No. 5 Ultra truck at Texas, but finished 35th after being caught up in a lap 2 crash.[24] He also won his first NASCAR race at Mesa Marin Raceway in the West Series and finished seventh in the series points.[citation needed]

Norris ran the No. 32 Jani-King Chevrolet Silverado for Matt Stowe in three 2001 races. His best finish of the season was a 17th at Texas. In the fall, a 23rd at California Speedway was the first time that Norris ran at a track other than Texas since 1997.[25] He finished fifth in the standings in the West Series, but did not win another race.[26] He won the championship by 119 points in 2002, winning twice and finishing in the top ten for every race during the season.[27]

Norris did not return to the Craftsman Truck Series until 2004, when once again, Jim Smith and Ultra Motorsports gave Norris a two-race deal. Norris was 36th in his first start at Texas, but in his next start at Homestead-Miami, Norris finished 14th.[28]

In 2005, Norris ran four races, all for Green Light Racing. In his first start of the year at Texas, Norris had his best career weekend to date, churning in his best career start and best career finish of 12th. There, he also led his first career lap. He only finished one of the other three starts, which was a 20th at Kansas Speedway.[29]

He made his Busch Series debut in 2005, running a pair of races for MacDonald Motorsports. He qualified 35th and finished 41st in his debut at California in February, after the No. 72 P4OT.com Chevy broke an engine. Norris then returned at Las Vegas, finishing 35th, ten laps off the pace.[30]

Norris returned to Green Light early in 2006, running their No. 07 truck at California. However, an early crash put him to 35th in the results. Norris competed in some more races for Green Light in 2006 with some good runs.[31]

Ever since, Norris consistently works in the stunt department in both films and television. Some these credits includes Mike Judge's Office Space (1999), Jon Turteltaub's National Treasure (2004), Ben Affleck's The Town (2010) among many others.[32][additional citation(s) needed]

In 2015, Norris was nominated at the 67th Emmy Awards for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie for his participation as a stunt coordinator on the hit show Sons of Anarchy created by Kurt Sutter.[33]

Personal life

Norris and his brother Mike are the two sons of the union of actor Chuck Norris and Dianne Holecheck. Through his father, Norris is the nephew of Aaron Norris, the stepson of Gena Norris, and has a half brother and two half sisters.

Norris has lived with his wife, Stephanie, since circa 1993 and they have four children together: three daughters, Camrynn (b. 1995), Chloe (b. 1998) and Chantz (b. 2000), and one son Cash (b. 2010). The family lives in California.

Filmography

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Series

NASCAR Busch Series results
YearTeamNo.Make1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435NBSCPtsRef
2005MacDonald Motorsports72ChevyDAYCAL
41
MXCLVS
35
ATLNSHBRITEXPHOTALDARRCHCLTDOVNSHKENMLWDAYCHINHAPPRGTYIRPGLNMCHBRICALRCHDOVKANCLTMEMTEXPHOHOM112th98[34]
2008Richardson-Haas Motorsports14FordDAYCAL
Wth
LVSATLBRINSHTEXPHOMXCTALRCHDARCLTDOVNSHKENMLWNHADAYCHIGTYIRPCGVGLN95th191[35]

Craftsman Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
YearTeamNo.Make1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526NCTCPtsRef
1997Ultra Motorsports02FordWDWTUSHOMPHOPOREVGI70NHA
37
TEXBRINZHMLW
22
LVLCNSHPTIRPFLM
DNQ
NSV
DNQ
GLN
13
RCH
DNQ
MARSONMMRCAL
31
PHOLVS42nd553[36]
12NSV
22
1999HOMPHOEVGMMRMARMEMPPRI70BRITEX
34
PIRGLNMLWNSVNZHMCHNHAIRPGTYHPTRCHLVSLVL75th158[37]
Bobby Hamilton Racing4DodgeTEX
22
CAL
2000Ultra Motorsports5FordDAYHOMPHOMMRMARPIRGTYMEMPPREVGTEXKENGLNMLWNHANZHMCHIRPNSVCICRCHDOVTEX
35
CAL110th58[38]
2001Matt Stowe32ChevyDAYHOMMMRMARGTYDARPPRDOVTEX
17
MEMMLWKANKENNHAIRPNSHCICNZHRCHSBOTEX
32
LVSPHOCAL
23
62nd273[39]
2004Ultra Motorsports7DodgeDAYATLMARMFDCLTDOVTEXMEMMLWKANKENGTWMCHIRPNSHBRIRCHNHALVSCALTEX
36
MARPHODARHOM
14
67th176[40]
2005Ron Rhodes Racing48DodgeDAYCALATLMARGTY
DNQ
MFDCLTDOV50th360[41]
Green Light Racing07ChevyTEX
12
MCHMLWKANKEN
32
MEMIRPNSHBRIRCHNHALVS
20
MARATL
35
TEXPHOHOM
2006DAYCAL
35
ATLMARGTYCLTMFDDOVTEXMCHMLWKANKENMEMIRPNSHBRINHALVSTALMARATLTEXPHOHOM86th58[42]
200708DAYCALATLMARKANCLTMFDDOVTEX
20
MCHMLWMEMKENIRPNSHBRIGTWNHALVSTALMARATLTEXPHOHOM89th103[43]

K&N Pro Series West

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West results
YearTeamNo.Make123456789101112131415NKNPSWCPtsRef
199698FordTUS
14
AMPMMRSONMADPORTUSEVGCNSMADMMRSONMMRPHOLVS59th118[44]
1998SMS Motorsports67FordTUS
23
LVS
DNQ
14th1441[45]
Matt Stowe32FordPHO
14
CAL
20
HPT
12
MMR
22
AMP
13
PORCAL
12
PPR
18
EVG
9
SON
5
MMR
8
LVS
36
1999TUS
19
LVS
12
PHO
18
CAL
12
PPR
4
MMR
8
IRW
10
EVG
18
POR
12
IRW
19
RMR
12
LVS
6
MMR
17
MOT
3
11th1821[46]
2000PHO
19
MMR
23
LVS
3
CAL
4
LAG
6
IRW
12
POR
6
EVG
15
IRW
18
RMR
11
MMR
1
IRW
12
7th1621[47]
2001PHO
2
LVS
22
TUS
11
MMR
4
CAL
11
IRW
20
LAG
2
KAN
7
EVG
16
CNS
3
IRW
9
RMR
14
LVS
8
IRW
9
5th1945[48]
2002PHO
3
LVS
10
CAL
1*
KAN
3
EVG
1
IRW
2
S99
4
RMR
7
DCS
2
LVS
2
1st1665[49]
2003Bill McAnally Racing16ChevyPHOLVSCAL
7
MADTCREVGIRWS99RMRDCSPHOMMR41st146[50]
2004Gene Monaco85ChevyPHOMMRCAL
11
S99EVGIRWS99RMRDCSPHOCNSMMRIRW54th130[51]
2012Jim Offenbach31ChevyPHOLHCMMPS99IOWBIRLVSSON
15
EVGCNSIOWPIRSMPAASPHO67th29[52]

ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series results
YearTeamNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122ARSCPts
1998Matt Stowe14FordDAYATLSLMCLTMEMMCHPOCSBSTOLPPRPOCKILFRSISFATLDSFSLMTEX
26
WINCLTTALATLNA-
200028FordDAYSLMANDCLTKILFRSMCHPOCTOLKENBLNPOCWINISFKENDSFSLMCLT
34
TALATL137th60

References

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by NASCAR Winston West Series champion
2002
Succeeded by
Scott Lynch