Barkdoll began racing in 1981, making his debut in the 1984 Winston 500 where he finished 35th after an engine failure on the 60th lap. In 1985, he raced for his mother-in-law’s team, Helen Rae Motorsports, driving the No. 00 at both Talladega races, finishing 35th and 22nd, respectively. The cars fielded by Helen Rae Motorsports were known as the “Helen Rae Special.”
In 1987, Barkdoll was involved in a spectacular accident during a Twin 125 qualifying race for the Daytona 500, getting airborne and flipping into the fence before coming to a halt. He suffered another significant crash in the 1988 Daytona 500, slightly tapping Richard Petty and causing Petty to crash and be t-boned by Brett Bodine. During the 1989 Daytona 500, Barkdoll’s Oldsmobile slid into the embankment on the backstretch, ending up on its side.
In 1990, Barkdoll fielded a second car driven by Stan Barrett (the father of Stanton Barrett) for the Daytona 500, and Phil Parsons during the Winston 500 and the Winston. In 1991, Barkdoll spun off turn four during the Daytona 500, lifting off the ground and losing his windshield, but ultimately finishing 20th. His final Winston Cup points-paying start came in 1992 at Daytona’s Pepsi 400, where he finished 28th, four laps down.
In 1993, after being diagnosed with cancer, Barkdoll had Stanley Smith drive his car in the Twin 125s at Daytona. Smith was involved in a first-lap wreck with Steve Kinser and failed to qualify for the 500. Barkdoll returned in 1994 but did not qualify for the 500, his first DNQ since 1987. In 1995, a crash off turn two during a second qualifying race resulted in another DNQ.
In 1997, Barkdoll returned to the 500 after missing the 1996 race. He qualified 25th fastest on pole qualifying day in his No. 73 Chevrolet, which earned him the 38th starting position after failing to finish in the top-fifteen of his Twin 125. However, SABCO Racing’s No. 42 Bellsouth Chevrolet, driven by Joe Nemechek, failed to qualify. SABCO team owner Felix Sabates purchased Barkdoll’s No. 73 car for Nemechek, leaving Barkdoll on the sidelines but financially compensated. Nemechek later crashed, finishing 27th. Barkdoll attempted to qualify for Talladega later that season but did not make the field.
Barkdoll owned the cars he drove in most races, with the exception of the two races in 1985 when his mother-in-law, Helen Rae Smith, owned and sponsored the entries. He also fielded cars for drivers including Ken Bouchard, Jim Sauter, Mike Wallace, Joe Ruttman, and Morgan Shepherd. In 1998, Barkdoll fielded a car in the Daytona 500 sponsored by X-1R Performance, qualifying with himself before handing the ride to Mike Wallace, who finished 23rd. The following year, Barkdoll fielded his No. 73 with sponsorship from Three Stooges Beer at the Daytona 500, but Ken Bouchard did not qualify.
Barkdoll died at his home in Vinton, Iowa, on September 2, 2025, one week before his 88th birthday.
Source: Wikipedia article "Phil Barkdoll". Information is limited to the provided source; primary archives, autobiographies, period programmes, and specialist publications were not consulted.