07/31/1960 – Dixie 300 – Atlanta International Raceway, Hampton, GA – Fireball Roberts takes the pole and the win in John Hines’ 1960 Pontiac. Pontiacs takes positions 1-4, with Cotton Owens, Jack Smith, and Bobby Johns finishing 2nd through 4th; this was the first Cup race at Atlanta.
07/30/1961 – Volunteer 500 – Bristol International Speedway, Bristol, TN – Johnny Allen takes the checkers in relief for Jack Smith as Smith’s 1961 Pontiac dominates, leading 243 of 500 laps on the day; Fireball Roberts finishes 2nd in Smokey Yunick’s 1961 Pontiac for a 1-2 Pontiac finish. This was the first Cup race held at the legendary .5 mile track.
07/29/2001 – Pennsylvania 500 Presented by Pep Boys – Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA – Bobby Labonte leads only 4 laps on the day, but they include the last 3 of the race as he takes the win in Joe Gibbs’ Interstate Batteries Grand Prix. Labonte’s teammate Tony Stewart finishes 3rd in the Home Depot Grand Prix and Johnny Benson Jr finishes 5th in the Nelson Bowers Valvoline Grand Prix as Pontiacs take 3 of the top 5 finishing positions.
07/28/2016
07/27/2003 – Pennsylvania 500 – Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA – Brett Bodine never drove a Pontiac in his Cup career and this event was his only attempt to qualify in one with the McClure Kodak Perfect Touch Grand Prix; unfortunately Brett DNQ’d.
07/26/1998 – Pennsylvania 500 – Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA – Ward Burton wins the pole in his Bill Davis MBNA Platinum Grand Prix, but can only lead 15 laps and then crash out with 29 laps to go to finish 34th; Bobby Labonte was the highest finishing Pontiac – in 4th – driving Joe Gibbs’ Interstate Batteries Grand Prix.
07/25/1958 – Monroe County Fairgrounds, Rochester, NY – Driving the only Pontiac in the field, Cotton Owens takes the win in Jim Stephens’ 1957 Pontiac, leading 105 of 200 laps at the last Cup race (and the only Pontiac win) at this facility.
07/24/1983 – Like Cola 500 – Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, PA – Tim Richmond wins the pole and the race in Raymond Beadle’s Old Milwaukee Grand Prix; Pontiacs bookend the top-10 finishing positions as Richard Petty finishes 10th in the STP Grand Prix.
07/23/1989 – AC Spark Plug 500 – Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, PA – Rusty Wallace leads the most laps on the day (68 of 200) in the Kodiak Grand Prix, but can’t seal the deal as Bill Elliot takes the lead with 6 laps to go and takes the win as Wallace finishes 2nd. Morgan Shepherd finishes 8th in the RahMoc Valvoline Grand Prix to place 2 Pontiacs in the top-10.
07/22/1961 – Rambi Raceway, Myrtle Beach, SC – 1961 Pontiacs finish 1-2 with Joe Weatherly taking the win from the pole and Jim Paschal finishing 2nd. Ironically the other 3 Pontiacs in the race finish in the final 3 positions with Jack Smith, Fireball Roberts, and Junior Johnson in 20th, 21st, and 22nd respectively.
Pontiac Racing 