The early years of NASCAR featured at least one kind of diversity: an astonishing variety of cars on the track. Here’s a big photo essay celebrating the colorful weekly car show that was NASCAR. –Photo above by John Lacko Photography
In NASCAR Sprint Cup circa 2013, there are three manufacturers—Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota—competing with three body styles: Fusion, Chevy SS, and Camry. And sure, the competition is close, but there’s not much variety on display.
Compare and contrast to the first several decades of NASCAR, when dozens of years, makes, and models were all competing on the track at the same time. For example. in the Grand National Series 1969-70, fans could find Ford Fairlane, Galaxie, Torino, Thunderbird, Comet, and Cyclone body styles trying to make the show. And those were just the Fords. Plymouth, Dodge, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Olds, Buick, and American Motors products were in the mix as well.
Check out the lead photo: There’s the King, Richard Petty, up in the top lane running the latest Ford equipment for 1969, the aero-beaked Torino Talladega. Running the bottom is the legendary African-American privateer Wendell Scott in a ’67 Galaxie. Actually, the car is probably older than that—most likely a reskin, the only good reason to be running a full-sized chassis in 1969. Scott won just one career Grand National race, but he raced as far on a dollar as anyone in NASCAR.
But hey, times change. For one thing, many of the brands that once raced in NASCAR don’t even exist anymore: Pontiac, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Mercury, American Motors. And racing has become so specialized, sophisticated, and expensive that it’s no longer possible for teams to race any brand without manufacturer funding and technical support. Advanced technology and corporate uniformity now rule the day.
But fortunately, we can look back to a time when when stock cars were mainly stock, and variety was part of the show. By the way, we slipped in some ringers. These aren’t all Grand National cars. As teasers, included are a few cars from other NASCAR series from years gone by: the convertibles (previously featured at MCG), the compacts, and the Sportsmen. Look for future MCG features on these great cars. Gallery below.
Mark Donohue + AMC Matador = Awesome.
There’s a great chapter on the Matador adventure in Donohue’s book, The Unfair Advantage.
That 1967 Buick Skylark of JD McDuffie looks like it has a lift kit installed. I think that’s so they can change the tires without jacking it up 😉 JD never did have money for a proper pit crew.
I don’t see many photos of Nash stockers. I wonder if that photo has been re-sized, pinching in the sides. It looks a bit more Metropolitan than Statesman. It also could be that I’ve seen few actual 1951 Nashes and I’m referencing that photo with the long, low, lean distortions used in all of the ads of the time.
Valiants with the big slant sixes dominated the NASCAR compact sedan class during the early sixties against the likes of Corvairs, Falcons, and Tempests. I can’t imagine driving a four door Valiant at 130 mph on a super speedway. Drivers were brave to say the least
Great pic of the Holman Moody Ford of Fred Lorenzen. Interestingly the sign on the dash “Think W H M ? Refers to Ralph Moody coaching Fred on how to get around Curtis Turner . Fred needed the reminder ” THINK What the Hells the Matter .
I am currently researching a piece on the Compacts — also the Tempest that ran in the Daytona Continental one year.
…I was very glad to see Lorenzen nominated for the HoF this year. Quite deserving, lives in IL with Alzheimer’s.