[Alvin]

On today’s Speed NASCAR Live! Coverage of Daytona they briefly showed this 1962 Pontiac Smokey Yunick / Fireball Roberts Daytona winner


They also briefly showed the infamous 2002 race w the Trans Am pace car w the field stopped for red flag… and Sterling Marlin jumping out of his car pulling his front fender away from his passenger side front tire.

Pontiacs at Daytona – got any pictures to post here?

“After winning three poles, Roberts continued the Fireball/Smokey strategy: lead from the start, run balls out, and hope it lives. It did in ’62, beating Richard Petty’s Plymouth”

Smokey’s switch to Pontiacs didn’t sit too well for the NASCAR establishment after he won the pole at the new Daytona speedway in 1959, 1961, and 1962. Yunick—never one to go along to get along—P.O.’d the Ford and Chrysler factory teams with his pole-sitting privateers. The factories sniveled to France, who was afraid of losing their support, so he had his inspectors give Smokey’s cars the ultimate thrice over. This nitpicking eventually led to Smokey’s lifelong feuds with both the Senior and Junior France.

http://www.fireballroberts.com/smokey_yunick1.htm

[77 TRASHCAN]

Care to guess a name that might NEVER be in the NASCAR Hall??? That would be Smokey. Read his book, nuff said there.

I've wondered if tha France family may have created the Hall of Fame, just because of Smokey, so that he WOULDN'T be in it. Again, read Smokey's book, you'll understand...LOL

[fiedlerh]

Smokey criticized many things in his books, but never Pontiac.

[Nomadac]

Originally Posted by 77 TRASHCAN

I've wondered if tha France family may have created the Hall of Fame, just because of Smokey, so that he WOULDN'T be in it. Again, read Smokey's book, you'll understand...LOL

I wonder what Bill France Sr. would say now, as he stated back in 1982 that no Import would ever race in the Daytona 500. After the race back then all of the Pontiac Jacksonville Zone people were invited up to his suite for drinks and he told us stories about racing, etc. and made this statement to us. Who would have thought that a 2012 Toyota Camry would be the Pace car for his race today.

[Cammer-6]

Originally Posted by Nomadac

Who would have thought that a 2012 Toyota Camry would be the Pace car for his race today.

its a sellout for "mo mony"
since when is a Camry a performance vehicle

[Sirrotica]

My wife and I went to Erie this weekend to visit my daughter, son in law, and 8 month old grandson, we went to a restaurant that had a car theme and I was looking at some of the pictures on the walls around us and saw a picture of I'm fairly sure was 1963 NASCAR lineup. There were 3 cars in the photo, a 63 galaxie, and next to it a 62 Catalina, and in the row behind it a 63 Catalina. The 62 was number 35" and my wife and I saw it at exactly the same time and we both said "it's number 35", see the number I raced in my signature photo you'll see the interest I have in Pontiac race cars with the number 35 on them. It as a black and white photo and the car looked to be white with darker lettering on it, does anyone have any idea who drove it or who the car owner sponsor was? I had never seen a photo of this particular car anywhere before and would like to know something about it.

[Keith Vrabec]

here's some info about the car

http://www.randyayersmodeling.com/mo...ic.php?t=69846

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

My wife and I went to Erie this weekend to visit my daughter, son in law, and 8 month old grandson, we went to a restaurant that had a car theme and I was looking at some of the pictures on the walls around us and saw a picture of I'm fairly sure was 1963 NASCAR lineup. There were 3 cars in the photo, a 63 galaxie, and next to it a 62 Catalina, and in the row behind it a 63 Catalina. The 62 was number 35" and my wife and I saw it at exactly the same time and we both said "it's number 35", see the number I raced in my signature photo you'll see the interest I have in Pontiac race cars with the number 35 on them. It as a black and white photo and the car looked to be white with darker lettering on it, does anyone have any idea who drove it or who the car owner sponsor was? I had never seen a photo of this particular car anywhere before and would like to know something about it.

From your description it sounds just like the photo I was looking at Hobby Lobby last week! It was a Black & White Photo mounted on a MDF like frame. You can buy it too…I was thinking of buying it to add to our garage art, but @ $30 was too expensive IMO. If you wait, they always reduce prices by 50 to 80%. The image was located in the “Man Cave” section.

The photo: It has the Ford on the left, the 62 Poncho next to the Ford on the right, and the 63 is coming from behind both the Ford and 62 Poncho. Another reason I didn’t buy it was it shows more of the Ford than the two Pontiac’s. Still a neat photo though.

[77 TRASHCAN]

Originally Posted by fiedlerh

Smokey criticized many things in his books, but never Pontiac.

From reading Smokey's book, more than once, I totally agree. Some folks I've talked to about the book, Don't agree w/ Smokey's opinions, viewpoints of things and people. Crap HE was there, I wasn't, neither were the "know-it-alls", I've discussed the book with...whatever...

I think Smokey's association w/ Pontiac might have been some of the best of times, in his racing days. His description of Mr. Knudsen, was of a top notch person, at work, or anywhere, anytime. I can't imagine anyone else doing as much for Pontiac. Smokey, ws and is "The Man", automotive wise. His personal life and habits, I'll not, go there......

[Alvin]

Buck Baker, 1963 Pontiac

Richard Childress at Riverside...


Bobby Allison LeMans, Martinsville.


The famous photo of the first Daytona 500 finish, 1959. T. Taylor Warren photo...


Paul Goldsmith in a Pontiac, 1961…shows how stock those cars were back in the day. Still has the vent window, chrome trim, and even the door handle and lock...


Fireball Roberts, 1963 Pontiac at Riverside. I think this was the only race for the "factory" Pontiacs with this body style. GM pulled out and Fireball went to Holman-Moody...


Dale Sr. at Riverside...


Daytona lineup, 1960. Cotton Owens on the pole, Fireball Roberts outside...


Not a Pontiac, but still cool: Smokey Yunick pit stop, 1963...


Junior Johnson and a Pontiac on the beach...


Jack Smith, Darlington 1958...

[Alvin]

THE KING SWITCHES TO CHEVY IN 1978

and an interesting Richard Petty hero card from the mid 1980s

Can you say Stock Appearing?

As I understand it, all of the production 2+2s were silver. Well, all but one. The King, Richard Petty, loves his street cars black. When Petty Enterprises ran the 2+2 in the 86-87, Pontiac gave him a black version. I took a picture of it during a recent trip to Petty's Garage - Richard's restoration/custom business now operating in the old PE shops. Doug Murph, former PE car chief and current PG employee who showed me around, told me this one doesn't have a VIN so it will never be titled. I thought it was a pretty neat trivia item.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by Alvin

From your description it sounds just like the photo I was looking at Hobby Lobby last week! It was a Black & White Photo mounted on a MDF like frame. You can buy it too…I was thinking of buying it to add to our garage art, but @ $30 was too expensive IMO. If you wait, they always reduce prices by 50 to 80%. The image was located in the “Man Cave” section.

The photo: It has the Ford on the left, the 62 Poncho next to the Ford on the right, and the 63 is coming from behind both the Ford and 62 Poncho. Another reason I didn’t buy it was it shows more of the Ford than the two Pontiac’s. Still a neat photo though.

That's the picture, I did some looking for info on the car , driver, and sponsor, The car was raced by Ray Hendrick of Virginia and the car was owned and sponsored by Rebel Racing. It was ran at only 4 NASCAR races during the 62-63 season and they were in and around the Richmond Va area.

Hendrick went on to race NASCAR Modifieds and was somewhat successful, from what I could find the 62 Pontiac never fared too well in the races it was entered in.