09/30/1955 – Raleigh Speedway, Raleigh, NC – This race saw 2-time Champion and NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Ned Jarret in a Pontiac. While primarily known for driving – and attaining high-level success – in Fords, Ned drove a few different brands of cars in the early days of his career (this was his 6th career Cup start). Ned had a total of 3 career Cup starts in Pontiacs; for this race he started 27th and finished 33rd in Mellie Bernard’s 1955 Pontiac.
09/29/2016 – Great story of a legendary Pontiac in Winston Cup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNQhJMOXfjM
09/28/1958 – Orange Speedway, Hillsborough, NC – Joe Eubanks gets his one and only career Cup victory behind the wheel of Jim Stephens’ 1957 Pontiac at Orange Speedway’s .9 mile dirt track. Joe only had 9 career Cup starts in a Pontiac, making this a very memorable win for Joe as well the Tin Indian statistically. Joe was a very consistent driver achieving a remarkable (for the era he competed, 1950-1961) 50%+ top-10 finish rate over the course of 159 starts with 81 top-10’s. Joe (who was the 1949 NASCAR Southeast Champion) had his most successful season (aside from his 1958 Pontiac win) in 1954 when he finished 5th in the Grand National Championship standings, attaining 24 top-10’s in 33 starts piloting Phil Oates’ tank-life Hudsons.
This picture shows Joe in the #6 Pontiac taking the highline at the Southern 500 a few weeks prior to his win at Hillsborough.
09/27/1998 – NAPA Autocare 500 – Martinville Speedway, Martinsville, VA – Ernie Irvan wins the pole position in Nelson Bowers’ Skittles Grand Prix, but can only lead the first 14 laps and eventually finishes 8th as the highest-finishing Pontiac, 1 lap down. This was Irvan’s last career Cup pole.
Bobby Labonte finished 10th in the Interstate Batteries Grand Prix to place 2 Pontiacs in the top-10; John Andretti had a stellar run going in the STP Grand Prix and actually led 41 laps on the day, but faltered toward the end and finished 37th many laps down.
09/26/2016 – Great video of Roy Tyner’s Ram Air V-equipped Grand Prix meticulously restored under the care and watch of Dr. Keith Vrabec.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow6CIRuEUss
09/25/1988 – Goodys 500 – Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, VA – Rusty Wallace wins the pole in Raymond Beadle’s Kodiak Grand Prix and leads the first 39 laps, but finishes 3rd to Darrell Waltrip in the Hendrick Tide Chevrolet; Wallace was the only Pontiac in the top-10 at the finish.
09/24/2000 – MBNA.com 400 – Dover Downs International Speedway, Dover, DE – Tony Stewart leads the most laps on the day (163 of 400) and takes the win in Joe Gibbs’ Home Depot Grand Prix; Johnny Benson Jr makes it a 1-2 Pontiac finish by taking 2nd in Nelson Bowers’ Aaron’s Rents/RCA Grand Prix.
This race also was Rick Mast’s last career top-10 as he finishes 10th in A.J. Foyt’s Conseco Grand Prix.
09/23/1984 – Goodys 500 – Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, VA – Dave Marcis is the highest-finishing Pontiac on the day, piloting the Rahilly and Grady Grand Prix to a 7th place finish and leading 1 lap. The car pictured is Marcis’ Pontiac, but with a different sponsor (for Daytona).
09/22/1996 – Hanes 500 – Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, VA – Bobby Hamilton wins the pole in the Petty STP Grand Prix and leads the most laps (331 of 500), but can’t hold off Jeff Gordon and Terry Labonte in the Hendrick Chevrolets and finishes 3rd.
Rick Mast finishes 4th in Richard Jackson’s Hooters Grand Prix for his last Pontiac and career Cup top-5 finish.
09/21/1986 – Goody’s 500 – Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, VA – Rusty Wallace gets the second win of his career in Raymond Beadle’s Alugard Grand Prix 2+2. Wallace led 171 of 500 laps on the day and held off pole sitter Geoffrey Bodine in the Hendrick Levi Garrett Monte Carlo at the finish by 2 car lengths.
Pontiac Racing 