Ford wanted Cox on its team and offered a package that would be similar to that of the famous Wood Brothers, Junior Johnson, Banjo Matthews and Holman-Moody if he would field a team that would compete in the elite Grand National division, later to be named the Sprint Cup Series.

Cox thanked the Ford people for the invitation, but once again, he stuck with his conviction that Sunday was a worship day for him and his family. With Cox turning down the offer, Ford went to Bondy Long in Camden, who graciously accepted and named former Cox driver Paul “Lil Bud” Moore as his driver.

Everyone in the racing community became family, and Preacher touched many lives on and off the track with his wisdom. At the age of 68, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and his motor building skills began to drift. Although he retired as an owner, he never retired as a fan. His nephew, Kenny Hughes, would come by and pick him up every Saturday and would take him to the track to watch the new generation of drivers. The last Grand National race Cox attended was at Darlington, where it all began for him. His three sons, Mike, Randy and Dowie took him to the garage area to re-live his racing days.

In 1996, Cox passed away, but his passion for the sport is still alive today. His wife and children pass down the numerous stories about a humble man who simply followed his passion. His family still enjoys the races and keeps in contact with their racing family. His son, Mike, who drove a race car for his father, continues to follow in his Dad’s footsteps by owning his own machine shop in Kingstree, and is an official for the UARA series.