Joe Dover, whose Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Dover Cylinder Head Service was a longtime sponsor of his stepson and Hall of Fame Dirt Late Model racer Dale McDowell, died Sunday. He was 79.

"We lost a great man yesterday," Shane McDowell Racing posted on its Facebook page. "Joe Dover wasn’t just Dale and Shane’s stepfather, but a huge fan and supporter of the 17m. A kind man with a heart of gold who will be missed greatly ... rest peacefully and pain-free Joe ... we love you!"

A Walker County, Ga., native who formerly lived in Greenville, S.C., Earl Joseph Dover of Rossville, Ga., operated Dover Cylinder Heads for more than 60 years with its logo often seen on cars fielded by the McDowells throughout the country.

Preceding him in death was the McDowell brothers’ mother, Renva B. Callaham Dover, who died in 2011.

Besides the McDowells, survivors include two sons and four grandchildren. Visitation is 5-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, at Wilson Funeral Home-Fort Oglethorpe Chapel in Rossville followed by memorial services. Entombment is 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at Tennessee-Georgia Memorial Park in Rossville. For a full obituary, visit wilsonfuneralhome.com.