NASCAR'S PONY CAR DIVISION
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NASCAR'S PONY CAR DIVISION
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In 1968, NASCAR decided to cash in one the rapidly - growing, widely - popular pony car movement. With all American manufacturers trying to catch up with the success of Ford and its Mustang. NACAR probably felt that they could depend on having Mustang, Camaro, Cougar, Firebird, Javelin, Dart, and Barracuda - a least. Then they planned on letting foreign makes in, at certain races, like Porsche and Alfa Romeo. What they forgot to factor in was that it is almost always cheaper to race with the Chevrolet than it is the other makes - especially at that time. So, the class was always top heavy with Camaros.
Ladabouche Collection
Mark Donhaue pits Roger Penske's Trans Am
Camaro. Cars like this probably got the Frances to thinking of having their own.
Perhaps, in deference to the
sports cars they hoped to attract, they first called the class The Grand Touring
Division. Later, as the foreign cars seemed to play less of a role, it was
called The Grand American Division. At the end of the life of the division, it
had only five races of its own and the pony cars simply ran in with the short -
lived Grand National East Division.
The class was typical of the
NASCAR major league support division, in the sense that it had both well -
financed and shoestring teams which had to contend with invading Grand National
drivers with the best equipment money could buy. The regulars [with the
exception, at varying times of Lund, Paschal, and Baker] were usually running
for second or third place.
Ladabouche Collection
Wayne Andrews leads Al Straub on a dirt track
during one of the northern tours of the division.
STRICTLY PONY CAR YEARS
 Randy Ayers Model Forum Bud Moore's earlier entry, a Mustang primarily for sports car races. |
 Al's After White Photo via Photo Selter.Com Peter Gregg was a regualr competitor in the earlier years of the division. |
 Courtesy of Robbie Watson Tiny Lund's Pepsi Cougar is one of the more well - remembered cars in the history of the division. Whether is was Bud Moore's or not I am not sure. |
 Randy Ayers Model Forum Bud Moore's Cougar. |
 Times Union Photo Dr. Wilbur Pickett, another sports car regular on the early circuit, leads Jack Ryan in the 36 Porsche. Ryan finished third in points in the first GT season. |
 Courtesy of Robbie Watson Pete Hamilton raised hell in this Camaro the second season, winning 12 features.  Randy Ayer's Model Forum |
 Pisrtone Website Photo Tiger Tom Pistone spent considerable time around the division - especially with friend, Tiny Lund. |
 Courtesy of Jeff Gilder Phil Wills was a regular in the division for most of its existence. |
 Courtesy of Jeff Gilder Richard Childress began his career in this division. He was, however, not one of the big teams yet. |
 Courtesy of Jeff Gilder Portrait of Richard Childress, at that time. |
 Courtesy of Robbie Watsonr Wayne Andrews came on board, won Rookie of the Year. and became a top runner from then on. |
 Courtesy of Andrews Family At home with the Reid Shaw Mustang of Andrews [which had a decidedly Moore look to it]. |
 Racers' Reunion Site Photo Lund and Bud Moore with a promo shot featuring the Cougar as top billing. |
 HAMB SIte Photo Wayne Andrews leads Joe Dean Huss in the 33. |
 HAMB SIte Photo By the second seasson, the Javelin [well - financed at that] had burst on the scene with Jim Paschal and his Warren Prout 14. |
 Connors Family Photo Florida sportsman legend Paul Connors had been the first to try a Javelin on the circuit. He didn't have the financing to run the more expensive AMC equipment. |
 HAMB SIte Photo Tiny Lund occasionally driove Camaros. Here he passes Paschal in the same sequence as the shot at left. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Seiichi Suzuki spent some time in the Daytona races with a Pistone Camaro. |
 Courtesy of Dennis Andrews Troy, NY driver Phil Spiak joined the division in the second or third season. Here he runs outside of Phil Wills. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Parnelli Jones ran some early events for Bud Moore. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Parnelli Jones, in Bud Moore's Mustang is outrunning Lloyd Ruby in Gene White's Camaro. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Another familiar - looking car is this Smokey Yunick Camaro, here driven by Paul Goldsmith. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Series champ Ken Rush [44] duels with Bill Hemby at the Paul Revere 250. |
 WSJ,Com Photo Two very rare entries in the division: a Barracuda and a Dart. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Citrus 250 action. Ed Hinchcliff leads the Camaro of Buck Baker and Peter Gregg's Porsche. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Daytona action. Buck Baker leads Randy Hutchinson's Camaro 22 and a Mustang whjose number I can't make out. |
 Courtesy of Robbie Watson Venerable T.C. Hunt spins at Daytona as Joe Huss gets by on the top. |
 Courtesy of Robbie Watson Two well - financed teams go at it: Bobby Allison in M.L. Joseph's 49 Mustang vs Jim Pascahl in Warren Prout's AMC. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Bill Chevalier leads Frank Sessoms and Richard Childress [3] at Flemington Speedway, NJ. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum An early Bud Moore Cougar. |
 Courtesy of Robbie Watson Randy Hutchinson spins as Wayne Andrews looks for room. |
 Ladabouche Collection Ken Rush, 1969 GT champion. |
 Courtesy of Robbie Watson Ken Rush and Johnny Wheeler's 44. |
 Source Unknown Jim Paschal's second Javelin operation - The Huggins 27. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum A Paschal promo giveaway postcard. |
 Courtesy of Dennis Andrews More Paschal / Prout photos. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Jimmy Vaughn was always an effective competitor on the circuit. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Jimmy Capps brings in the Camaro for a pit stop. |
 Florida Stock Cars.Com Parnelli Jones ran some early events for Bud Moore. |
 Source Unidentified This car was not identified with the photos other than "Red's Camaro". It could be Bill Hemby's car. |
 Source Unidentified See photo to left. |
 Source Unidentified See photo to left. |
 Hemby Site Photo This actually Bill Hemby. Looks like the same car. |
 Felton Collection Gene Felton's Camaro looks like they barely got it ready in time for this road course race. |
 Felton Collection Gene Felton's Camaro at speed. |
 Courtesy of Indy Big John Al Straub was a consistent strong runner. |
 Courtesy of Phil Butler Big John Sears started in this division and went on to several years as an independent in the Grand Nationals. |
 Racing One Photo Bill Ward sported the same sponsor as Elmo Langley here. It could be a Tom Pistone entry. |
 Apl.ning.com Photo Bobby Allison and the other good 'ol boys got to do something they didn't ordinarily do at Daytona - race in the rain. Most didn't like it much. |
 Racers' Reunion Site Bobby Allison's Mustang at speed. |
 DieCastPub.Com Bobby Allison with the Potent M.L. Joseph / Coke Mustang. |
 |Courtesy of Ken Adams This is said to be M.L. Joseph, at Holman _ Moody's with his car. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Bob Tullius, shown here trailing Richard Childress and Joie Chitwood Jr, is in a Javelin at Daytona. he also drove a Dart at one time. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Bob Tullius, shown here in same race - with a pit stop. |
 NASCAR Record Book Bob Williams finished 5th in his rookie season and won Rookie of the Year honors. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Buck Baker, in the 1968 Atlanta 250 with the Camaro he used before he got into the Firebird program. |
 Legends of NASCAR Site Texan H.B. Bailey, who faithfully fielded Pontiacs. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Buck Baker later switched to Pontiac and had this flashy Firebird. |
 Courtesy of Dennis Andrews Buck making a pit stop. I think this is still the Camaro. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Another Buck shot [sorry] |
 Ladabouche Collection A pose with the Firebird and its sponsor, Pist n Lube. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Buck in action. |
 Courtesy of Robbie Watson Bunkie Blackburn, with Smokey Yunick's second GT project, a Mustang.| |
 Courtesy of Robbie Watson C.B. Gwynn and a nice - looking Cougar. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum The Gwynn car on the hauler. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Donnie Allison this potent Mustang at his disposal for a while. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Don Yenko, shown here at Daytona, was a force when he competed. |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Ed Hinchcliff's Mustang at Daytona. |
 Richard Moser Site Richard Moser, at speed, with the same number Bill Chevalier sometimes used. |
 |Randy Ayer's Model Forum Grand Touring drivers heading out for the start of the Atlanta 250 in 1968. |
 Legends of NASCAR Site Buck Baker and H.B. Bailey's Firebirds pace the field at Daytona. |
 Jerry Melton Photo H.B. Bailey's "guest driver" Firebird, a team car to his 36. |
 Firebird Gallery.Com Herb Adams leads his car owner at the Daytona race in 1970. |
 Camaros.Com Jerry Melton tries out a Bailey car. |
 Houston Architecture.Com Herb Adams blows a tranny while leading the Citrus 250 for H.B. Bailey. |
 Ladabouche Collection James Hylton won a Daytona race with this Camaro. |
 Pinterest.Com Site More Hylton. |
 Ladabouche Photo [In the dusk thru a fence :(] Catamount Stadium 1970: Ken Rush's crew works as a man in a sports jacket talks to a man who could possibly be T.C. Hunt. |
 Ladabouche Photo [In the dusk thru a fence :(] Catamount Stadium 1970: Bobby Brewer's pit area. |
 Ladabouche Photo [In the dusk thru a fence :(] Catamount Stadium 1970: Through the fence, looking towards Rush's pit. |
 Ladabouche Photo [In the dusk thru a fence :(] Catamount Stadium 1970: Best photo I got. Is this Charlie Blanton ? |
 Burlington Free Press Photo Ladabouche Collection Catamount regular Tom Tiller, a Kentucky native, got a chance to run the Camaro of Stan Starr, Jr. |
 Ladabouche Collection Bobby Brewer, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection Bobby Fleming, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection Buck Baker, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection David Boggs, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection Harry Gailey, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection Jerry Hufflin, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection Jimmy Capps, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection Jim Paschal, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection Joe Huss, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection Paul Tyler, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection Phil Gibson, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection Randy Hutchinson, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection Richard Childress, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection T.C. Hunt, 1971 Photo |
 Ladabouche Collection 1971 Driver Photo Page |
 Ladabouche Collection 1971 Program Cover |
 Randy Ayer's Model Forum Action in the Camp Dogwood 250. |
 Moser Web Site Richard Moser, probably 1971. |
COurtesy of Robbie Watson Randy Hutchinson loops it and Wayne Andrews avoids. |
 HAMB Site Photo Stan Starr, Sr. wrecks at Flemington. He sustained some injurines in this one. |
 Ladabouche Collection Wayne Andrews Rookie of the Year Article. |
 Kevin Andrews Photo Wayne Andrews and Ken Rush ply the high banks of Talledega. |
 Ladabouche Collection Tiny Lund, 1971 Photo |
 Courtesy of Jack Anderson Jack Anderson's entry for Jim Vandiver. |
 Ladabouche Collection Tommy Andrews, 1971 Photo |
 Courtesy of Robbie Watson A formal Hurtubise pose. |
 Courtesy of Robbie Watson Jim Hurtubise with the Chitwood car. |
 Ladabouche Collection Tommy Lechlider, 1971 Photo |
 Courtesy of Robbie Watson Frank Sessoms |
 Courtesy of Jim Watson Al Straub |
Al Stilley Photo
Division drivers hold an informal meeting at
Springfield, MO after their program was suddenly cancelled.
1969 Grand Touring Division Driver Photos From the 1970 NASCAR Daytona Program.
GRAND NATIONAL EAST YEARS
Grand National East.Com
GN driver Ray Williams
attempted to start up a series that would allow the lower - budget GN drivers to
compete by themselves.
This poster shows that. He was not successful but it may have led to the
formation of Grand National East.
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