03/23/2017 – Pontiac never had much success at the plate tracks, just one victory – 1998, Bobby Labonte at Talladega which has been documented on this blog – and it took until 1993 (plate racing started with the 1988 season) for Pontiac to win its first pole position.
Kyle Petty won 8 career poles (1990-1993), all in Pontiacs and all during his association with Felix Sabates (1989-1996). When you mention the Kyle and Sabates tenure, the first thing that comes to mind are his dominating wins at Rockingham, but Kyle did etch his name in the Pontiac Cup record book by winning the Red Dart’s first restrictor plate pole for the 1993 Daytona 500.
Kyle had shown speed all weekend in the Mello Yello Grand Prix which translated into the pole position and once the race started, the car demonstrated it could draft well also (the front end of the superspeedway Pontiacs looked hugely non-stock, but so be it). Kyle stayed up front as the race progressed, showing good speed and eventually leading 19 laps on the day (not all at the start of the race) until he was caught up in a wreck with Bobby Hillin on lap 158, prematurely ending his day with a 31st place finish. The 1993 Daytona 500 would ultimately be known and remembered for the now legendary ‘Dale-and-Dale Show’ as Dale Jarrett and Dale Earnhardt battled for the win with announcer Ned Jarrett (coaxed and prodded by the broadcast producers) exhorting his son to the win.
Despite the awkward start to the season, Kyle would ultimately have an excellent 1993 with 1 victory (Pocono) and a 5th place finish in the final Championship standings; the 1993 Daytona 500 would be Kyle’s final Cup career pole.
Pontiac Racing 