The Jeff Gordon-Pontiac Connection

02/29/2016 – Since February 29 isn’t the easiest day to find some Pontiac Cup history, this post is a bit of a diversion, but this post’s title is not completely misleading as there is a historical Pontiac-NASCAR connection to Jeff Gordon, however brief and tenuous.

Gordon’s Cup career was completely Chevrolet based, but at the start of Gordon’s career in the Xfinity (then called the Busch Grand National) Series his first career NASCAR qualifying attempts and his first NASCAR race were in a Pontiac.

Gordon DNQ’d for the All Pro 300, October 6, 1990, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Hugh Connerty’s Outback Steakhouse Pontiac, then qualified 2nd for the 1990 AC-Delco 200, October 20, 1990, at the North Carolina Motor Speedway, Rockingham, crashing out on lap 33 and finishing 39th; Gordon’s final Pontiac appearance would be a DNQ for the Winston Classic at Martinsville Speedway, October 28, 1990.

Following this initial NASCAR foray, Gordon signed on with Bill Davis Racing and started his NASCAR career in earnest in a Ford, eventually jumping ship to Chevrolet in 1993 with Hendrick Motorsports and a hall of fame career was set in motion.

Side-note – Gordon’s final non-Chevrolet GM connection was at the 1991 Winston Classic, October 27, 1991, at the Martinsville Speedway where Bill Davis Racing provided him with an Oldsmobile rather than one of the Fords he been racing all season; Gordon finished 1 lap down in 8th. 

 

Today in History – Remembering Neil Bonnett

02/28/1988 – Goodyear NASCAR 500 – Calder Park Thunderdome, Melbourne, Australia – Neil Bonnett won the first NASCAR Cup event held outside of North America, bringing home the victory – from the pole position – in a RahMoc Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2.

While this was a non-points event, it has a unique place not only in NASCAR history due to its geographic location, but also in Pontiac NASCAR history.

This was the only superspeedway event won by the 2+2, its other victories were on the road courses and the short tracks (and all by Rusty Wallace); ironically, it was for the superspeedways that the 2+2 was designed.  The win in Australia is also unique in that it was the middle victory of a 3-race Cup sanctioned win streak that Bonnett was on. He won the bookend points races at the Richmond Fairgrounds and the North Carolina Motor Speedway in the new model Grand Prix (based on front-wheel drive GM W-body platform);  a unique win for the modern era by winning multiple consecutive races with the same manufacturer, but  different models.

“Racing is dangerous, but I’ve been in a lot worse situations as a pipe fitter.” – Neil Bonnett, 1946-1994

Today in History

02/27/2000 – Duralube/KMart 400 – North Carolina Motor Speedway, Rockingham, NC – Bobby Labonte wins in his Joe Gibbs Racing/Interstate Pontiac Grand Prix, starting from the 3rd position and leading the most laps (134 of 393).  Pontiacs finish 1, 3, 4 (Ward Burton in 3rd, Tony Stewart in 4th) and lead 234 of 393 laps (Burton leads 100 laps).

Today in History

02/26/1961 – Daytona 500 – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL – Pontiac sweeps the first three positions led by winner Marvin Panch (in a 1960 Pontiac), followed by Joe Weatherly and Paul Goldsmith.  Pontiac sweeps six of the top ten finishing positions (all 1961 models) and Pontiacs lead all but 10 of the 200 laps.

Welcome; Today in History

02/25/2016 – Welcome to the Pontiac Racing blog, which I hope will be a regularly updated, long-running and informative blog regarding Pontiac’s history in NASCAR’s premier Cup Series.  I welcome and encourage participation from racing fans of all kinds, not just Pontiac or NASCAR fans.

The initial and primary foundation for this blog is my book, Pontiac Stock Car Racing Factbook, which is available on amazon.com as a Kindle download here:

Pontiac Stock Car Racing Factbook

However, if you would like a copy for free in PDF (239 pages), just let me know and I’ll ensure it’s E-Mailed to you as soon as possible.

02/25/1961 – Daytona 500 Consolation Race – Daytona International Speedway, Dayton Beach, FL – Junior Johnson won this exhibition/unclassified race (i.e. no points) in Rex Lovette’s Holly Farms sponsored 1961 Pontiac, leading all ten laps. Johnson started 3rd, and immediately took the lead from pole winner Paul Goldsmith (driving a 1961 Pontiac) who would finish 12th.  The only other Pontiac in the field that day was driven by Marshall Sargent who started 15th and finished 13th; all 3 Pontiacs finished on the lead lap.