06/20/1999 – Pocono 500 – Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA – Bobby Labonte leads the last 15 laps (27 on the day) and holds off Jeff Gordon by .3 seconds to take the win in the Joe Gibbs Racing Interstate Batteries Grand Prix. Tony Stewart finishes 6th in the Home Depot Grand Prix and Ernie Irvan finishes 8th in the M&M’s Grand Prix as 3 Pontiacs place in the top-10.
06/19/1962 – Augusta Speedway, Augusta, GA – Joe Weatherly’s 1962 championship march continues as he wins from the pole by a 1-lap margin in Bud Moore’s 1961 Pontiac at Augusta’s 1/2-mile dirt track, leaving with a comfortable points lead over Richard Petty.
06/18/1989 – Miller High Life 500 – Pocono International Raceway – Long Pond, PA – Rusty Wallace starts from the pole in the Kodiak Grand Prix and leads the most laps (100 of 200), but falters late in the race to finish 22nd; Morgan Shepherd was the highest finishing Pontiac in the field – 5th – in the RahMoc Valvoline Grand Prix.
06/17/2016
06/16/1962 – Myers Brothers 200 – Bowman-Gray stadium, Winston-Salem, NC – Johnny Allen takes the lead from Rex White on lap 23 in Fred Lovette’s 1961 Pontiac and leads the next 178 laps to take the win by a thread (6 inches) over White as he subsequently launches himself over the turn 1 wall after crossing the start-finish line. This was Allen’s only Cup win and it comprised the bulk of the 291 laps led in his Cup career.
06/15/2016 – Fred Thompson had 2 career Cup starts, one in 1951 in a Mercury (unknown owner) and one in 1963 in E.A. McQuaig’s 1963 Pontiac at the Fairgrounds Raceway, Birmingham, AL, on June 9, 1963. Thompson started 14th and finished in 8th place and was the second highest finishing Pontiac on the day behind Buck Baker who finished 3rd in his self-owned 1963 Pontiac. Unfortunately nothing else is known about Fred, it appears he was one of several proficient, local racers who had a opportunity (or 2) to run with the ‘big boys’ as NASCAR was establishing its nationwide presence.
The Fairgrounds Raceway (also known as Birmingham International Raceway, Birmingham Super Speedway, Birmingham Super Raceway, and Birmingham International Speedway) was torn down in 2008.
Fairgrounds Raceway, Birmingham, AL
06/14/1998 – Miller Lite 400 – Michigan Speedway, Brooklyn, MI – Ward Burton starts from the pole in the Bill Davis MBNA America Grand Prix, but can only lead 6 laps on the day and finish 8th; Bobby Labonte in the Joe Gibbs Interstate Batteries Grand Prix is the highest finishing Pontiac on the day and finishes 7th.
06/13/1993 – Champion Spark Plug 500 – Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, PA – Kyle Petty dominates on the day, leading 148 of 200 laps, and brings home the win in Felix Sabates’ Mello Yello Grand Prix.
Trevor Boys – Canadian-born driver who competed Cup full-time for one season, 1984, and ultimately had 102 career Cup starts – finishes 35th in his last-ever Cup start in James Hylton’s Rumple Furniture Grand Prix, leading lap 25 (under caution).
06/12/1988 – Budweiser 400 – Riverside International Raceway, Riverside, CA – Rusty Wallace takes the win in the Kodiak Grand Prix, leading the most laps on the day (43 of 95). Richard Petty manages a 6th place finish in the STP Grand Prix, and Neil Bonnett finishes 10th in the RahMoc Valvoline Grand Prix (and leads 5 laps), placing 3 Pontiacs in the top-10.
This was the final race at storied Riverside, the racing grounds are now occupied by various shopping complexes and homes.
06/11/2000 – Kmart 400 – Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI – Tony Stewart gives Pontiac manufacturer bragging rights in the motor state by taking the checkers in the Home Depot Grand Prix; teammate Bobby Labonte finishes 3rd after starting on the pole.
Pontiac Racing 