2017 Darlington Throwback Schemes – Pontiac Connection, Part II

08/31/2017

Pontiac in Cup, 1951 – Race 6

08/30/2017 – After making history at Carrell Speedway with Pontiac’s first top-10 Cup finish, Erick Erickson once again made history when NASCAR’s top tier Grand National division visited the Arizona State Fairgrounds’ 1-mile dirt track for the first time on April 22, 1951.

Erickson, driving the same 1948 Pontiac that he campaigned at Carrell Speedway, finished 2nd to the Hudson of Marshall ‘King of the Beach’ Teague in what was not only Pontiac’s first top-5 and runner-up finish in Cup, it also was the first Cup lead lap finish of a Pontiac.

The Pontiac history continued at this race as Connecticut driver Bill Holland (the 1949 Indy 500 winner) finished 8th in his 1951 Pontiac, which placed two Pontiacs in the top-10 for the first time in Cup.

• Historical Note 1 – Pontiac’s first Cup top-5 finish.
• Historical Note 2 – Pontiac’s first Cup runner-up finish.
• Historical Note 3 – Pontiac’s first Cup race with multiple top-10 finishers.
• Historical Note 3 – Pontiac’s first Cup lead-lap finish.
• Historical Note 4 – Pontiac’s first Cup race at the Arizona State Fairgrounds.

Unsung Pontiac legend, Erick Erickson.

 

Pontiac Sunbird L-R Cup Prototype

08/29/2017 – A Pontiac Sunbird in Cup?  During the mid 1980’s it was seriously being considered.

Read more here –

http://www.racing-reference.info/showblog?id=3076

Bobby Labonte Pontiac-Lincoln Welders Promo

08/28/2017

Pontiac in Cup, 1951 – Race 4

08/27/2017 – While the name Erick Erickson does not evoke any great NASCAR accomplishment or deed in the mind of most NASCAR aficionados, it should for Pontiac fans as the melodically named Erickson was the first Pontiac driver to attain a top-5 finish in NASCAR’s premier series (this was Erickson’s first career Cup start).

Racing on April 8, 1951, in his home state of California at Carrell Speedway’s .5-mile dirt track in Gardena, Erickson finished 5th in his self-owned Advanced Electric 1948 Pontiac after starting 13th.

Pontiac actually had 2 cars in this race, the other driver being Les Bomar who finished 14th after starting 18th in his self-owned V-Gap Spark Plugs 1949 Pontiac

• Historical Note 1 – Pontiac’s first Cup top-5 finish/first top-5 dirt track finish.
• Historical Note 2 – Pontiac’s first Cup race at Carrell Speedway.

Erickson’s history-making 1948 Pontiac.

Pontiac 2001 NASCAR Promo

08/26/2017

2017 Darlington Throwback Schemes – Pontiac Connection

08/25/2017

Home Depot NASCAR Pontiac Promo Poster

08/24/2017 – The final glory days…

Rare Pontiac Paint Schemes, Kyle Petty

08/23/2017 – Kyle Petty’s primary sponsor for the 1996 season – Coors Light, a product of the Molson Coors Brewing Company – was engaged with the  licensing division of 20th Century Fox in a massive marketing campaign to promote their movie blockbuster-to-be Independence Day.

Petty sported the ID paint scheme on his Felix Sabates owned Grand Prix for the summer Daytona race (the Pepsi 400) which was held on July 6, 1996, 3 days after the domestic release of the movie.  While the movie went on to legendary status (along with a sequel in 2016), Petty’s performance did not as he finished 24th (on the lead lap) after qualifying 37th as the race was halted short of the scheduled 160 laps after lap 117 due to rain.

Pontiac in Cup, 1951 – Race 1

08/22/2017 – While official factory participation was still a few years away, Pontiac again made its seasonal debut at the opening race of the 1951 Grand National season at the Daytona Beach and Road Course, February 11, 1951.

The sole representative of the Tin Indian was little-known Earl Coleman who qualified 36th and finished 48th (out of 55 participants) in his 1950 Pontiac.  Little is known about Georgia native Coleman, this was his only Cup race and only known professional competitive event as a driver.