Tim Richmond and Jerry Punch Speak About His Illness, 1987

In this interview with Jerry Punch, Tim Richmond discusses the severity of his pneumonia in 1986 and denies drug abuse rumors (although the idea of being famous enough to go to the Betty Ford Center flatters him.) He also denies cancer or AIDS.
A version of this interview was posted earlier by nascarman History. This is a slightly longer copy.
#NASCAR

[@christopherlucas4620]

I seriously wish NASCAR would put him in the Hall of Fame. He was way different than any other driver and led to the growth of the sport outside the southeast. He did a lot for NASCAR and they don't even consider him because of his "illness"

[@jhaeck1]

why would he make it to the HOF...he won a few faces in a few years then he was gone......maybe if he wouldnt of aquireed aids and been around for awhile then sure

[@Caterpillarjon]

Considering some of the other people that NASCAR has put in the Hall of Fame in the last few years, it really is a smack in the face that Tim isn't in there. When the Hall of Fame started they were putting people in there that really deserved it and now they've got to the point to where they have put most, not all, but most of the greats in there as far as drivers, owners and crew chiefs go, now they are just adding anyone and their brother. I mean, when you have Wendell Scott in there with one career victory and guys like Tim Richmond aren't in there yet, C'mon man.

[@paulwatson4189]

He infected 12 women after he knew he had the aids virus. After his death dateline interviewed some of the women who would go on to die from the disease. Great driver but a selfish and horrible person.

[@AliciaBug120]

​@paulwatson4189 there is absolutely zero evidence this is true. Back then hiv and aids was considered a "gay" disease. It is highly possible he didn't know he had it at first.

[@jhaeck1]

hall of fame?...for what...winning a few races in a couple yrs?..... guy got himself killed a couple years in....he was not HOF worthy at that point

[@rdsledge]

May he Rest In Peace 🙏🏁 Tim is badly missed. I don’t know of a more dynamic driver in any form of racing. Tim was a one of a kind!

[@etodd568]

So sad that in the late 80's and early 90's AIDS was a death sentence.....R.I.P. Tim Richmond you are still missed and was my hero in the 80's peace.....

[@alexstewart9068]

He was crushing it at every level.

[@mikejordan2047]

May have been the best

[@johnhopkins5933]

Charisma, looks, talent, he had it all.

[@CarterSwain-ow8bm]

Now that was a man who could strut without walkin’!!!!!

[@CarterSwain-ow8bm]

Tony Stewart has got nothing on Tim!!!!!!!

[@dougfisher1885]

The 80s was a wild time to live I'm fortunate to have made it thru myself the cocaine flowed freely and alcohol as well I've been sober for 12 years now by the grace of the good lord learned they're many more things in life that are a whole lot better than drugs and alcohol like God ,family friends and Harley Davidson s amen

[@PoppaOn2]

Amen to that likewise

[@holdenv81000]

Turns out ultimately it was A.I.D.S, a real shame a very talented race car driver who would most likely have won multiple Championships & Daytona 500's.

[@muffdiver240]

@Woobiecrew He was never willing to confirm that on camera.

[@joeyjohnson4826]

If you were alive during this period you weren't celebrated if you told the world you had HIV. We were a much more or less forgiving world. Because if you had HIV by this point it came from one of three places. 2 of which are sexual which is where he received it another IV drugs, but all of it is due to your own behavior. At this time in American culture he would at most likely been look down on he would have had to defend accusations of homosexuality and still been judged because he was still sexually promiscuous. During this period in our history we did not celebrate immorality we did not put immorality on a pedestal especially in the culture of NASCAR. I'm not saying it was right I believe what his right is somewhere in the middle. But Tim Richard may he rest in peace he caught HIV through his own behaviors. And by this point we knew how to stop the spread of HIV and wear it came from.

[@rjharold]

@@joeyjohnson4826 wow, very well stated. So true.

[@Mr.Majestic77]

@@muffdiver240 he also never acknowledged his HIV status to the late Debbie Putman, the late Karen Beasey and to LaGena Lookabill Greene.

[@TheMouseAvenger]

@@Mr.Majestic77 I believe all that happened BEFORE he finally found out that he actually had AIDS. If he had known that beforehand, he definitely would have told them about his HIV/AIDS status. And he certainly would never give them HIV purposefully. And, luckily, none of these women appear to have HIV/AIDS.

[@craigkemmerzell5741]

Rest in peace

[@johnhopkins5933]

He was the best!

[@sodapop8408]

Tim Richmond’s only vice was women same thing with magic Johnson and tommy Morrison.

[@John-eeeLaws]

Are they only a vice if they shorten your life?

[@Kin_Ton_Ti]

More like men. Aids is rarely results of hetero behavior.

[@douglasdixon524]

He did alot of drugs too. Tim failed the drug test for NASCAR more than once.

[@MIGGYME1]

Ill bet money they didnt get AIDS or HIV from vaginal intercourse and ill leave it at that. The same for Eazy E.

[@historybuff1483]

@@MIGGYME1what a dumb comment lmfao. Go back to school lol

[@TLT1986b]

I really think the reason he is not in the Hall of Fame and probably never be is because he hid the illness. He also sued NASCAR in 1988. not too many organizations are going to celebrate you if you sue them. As part of the lawsuit, Tim had to turn over his medical records as per the judge. Tim won the lawsuit as far as money but NASCAR found out the truth about his illness. He was a great driver. If he came out back in 1987, they would have forced him out at the time, but later in history, he would be viewed as a trailblazer.

[@darrellwalker5203]

This could have been me because of my attraction women and they were attracted to me every were I went I met sexually motivated women I ate it up alcohol and stimulate s helped the 80s and 90s was great time to live in.im fortunate to live until now 2022 .my sexually drive has shut down type1diabetes doesn't help but it might have save my life.rip Tim richmond I understand the temptation.

[@mselliot2]

The treatment (AZT) ultimately killed Tim

[@JasonNation72]

Where did you hear that? I've read for years it was pneumonia that officially did him in, which of course was brought on by the AIDS virus.

[@ripvega]

He can thank Fauci

[@Mr.Majestic77]

And he ultimately infected numerous women with HIV.

[@alvingriggs6932]

It was a time in our lives we all had to be careful with the life style

[@Liquid_Mike]

he was resurrected as Lt. Jim Dangle

[@muffdiver240]

LOL. Somehow, I never noticed that before.

[@ThomasWilliams-uq9lo]

Another one gone to soon

[@frankcastle5294]

Richmond lied all the way to the grave. Guessing it was embarrassment.

[@williamwaldrop6684]

He would had been as good as Earnhardt or better was my favorite as Earnhardt they was the dueo cutting Slashing style made from the exact same cloth

[@davescott686]

Unfortunately he would screw anything obviously. Sad ending.

[@saltybildo9448]

Sandusky speedway kid

[@a.westernmann4224]

He had GRIDS.

[@droldsw31]

"Ol Tim sit on one too many poles.

[@danielmoose1273]

Tim would pop you in the mouth for saying that if he was around, and I would laugh ...

[@dullahan7677]

@@danielmoose1273 Not trying to sh!t on the guy or his memory, but even back then, I can remember hearing rumors that Tim played for both teams. Even if that were true, I don't see that to be a detriment to his skill or persona on the race track, as what someone does in private is ultimately none of our business. However, this was a different time, and society was far less sympathetic to anyone with that awful disease, and even more harsh to those infected due to their own lifestyle. This is sadly illustrated by the death of Freddie Mercury, who only acknowledged his affliction on the last few days of his life.

[@Konformation07]

​@@dullahan7677Yeah that was the rumors but we just don't know if that's true or not. We do know that he slept with a lot of women and he knew about his illness for a couple of years before his death.

[@historybuff1483]

This guy slept with hundreds of women lmfao. Your still living in your mom’s basement.

[@brucealmighty7288]

The only drug was sex. Lots of it.

[@brentjannereth3599]

their was a real stigma with Aids back then it was thought of as a gay persons disease

[@burnychaplin4601]

Sexual Sin killed him I lived a wild life too it's a miracle I survived the 80s as well as a lot of people. It's a shame he died so young he was fearless behind the steering wheel and had natural talent should have still been alive and a living legend just like Earnhardt two bad losses along with Davey Clifford and Alan kulwicki and many others like Adam Petty that was awful he seemed like such a good hearted clean fine specimen of a young man God bless all those that lost loved ones too early racing can be so good and also so terrible .

[@jonaskessler326]

“Sexual sin”?? And your evidence to confirm this is where?

[@burnychaplin4601]

@@jonaskessler326 I did the same thing ran women read the Bible and you will understand I am no better than he was we shared a similar problem women I just call things as they are in the bible I am no better I still have a sin problem just not the same ones I don't drink and chase women but I have a foul mouth and sometimes don't treat people right but I am a lot better than I used to be I was a walking talking wild man at different times in my earlier life but I have been sober for many years and yet I am not a saint but I do believe in God

[@jonaskessler326]

@@burnychaplin4601 and you know for certain he didn’t contract HIV from a blood transfusion how?

[@burnychaplin4601]

@@jonaskessler326 don't care just wish he had lived find someone else to jack I don't have time

[@jonaskessler326]

@@burnychaplin4601 you’re the one who made the claim his “sexual sin” caused him to get AIDS with zilch for proof. I don’t have time either, for baseless assumptions.

[@charlesmorris3224]

Unfortunately he looked other people to a early grave

[@imcallingbs1883]

Was he promiscuous or gay?

[@sunnybeech74]

Promiscuous, just couldn't say no to the women.

[@Kin_Ton_Ti]

@@sunnybeech74 They try to convince you that aids also happens among heterosexual behavior but it doesn’t. Sharing needles and/or buttslamming is to blame.