Some old NASCAR trivia

[Frasson118]

Ruttman was replaced by Tim Richmond.

Richmond previously drove for DK Ulrich, in an UNO-sponsored car. Bob Tezak was the owner of the UNO card game, and was a big supporter of Tim, including backing his Indy car career before the switch to Nascar.

DK also was the first to give another relatively unknown driver his first shot at a full Nascar season... Ernie Irvan in the Kroger sponsored #2.

[Jacque Debris]

Here's a few more for you guys to look up on Google....

1 - Which driver won the Winston Cup title using three different car numbers and three different makes of cars? BONUS.... What year did he win the championship?... and ... what were the three different makes of cars and three different car numbers that he used that year?
2 - That was the number of the car that won the very first Winston Cup championship?
3 - How did Glenn "Fireball" Roberts get his nickname?
4 - What is Buddy Baker's full name?
5 - Who is the only driver to win a Winston Cup event in a car with an automatic transmission? BONUS.... What year and where?

Here are the answers to the questions above....

1 - Herb Thomas, who won five races in Hudsons (Nos. 6 and 92), one race in a Plymouth (No. 92), and one race in an Oldsmobile (No. 2)..... Ancrdave, you got that one exactly right.
2 - The answer is No.22. I guess I should have used the term NASCAR Cup champion and not "Winston" Cup champion. I was looking for the very first Cup champion. Petty was indeed the first "Winston" Cup champion.
3 - "Fireball" Roberts was indeed a pitcher and that's how he got his nickname. (Good job Frasson 118)
4 - Buddy Baker is actually Elzie Wylie Baker Jr. (Kudos again Frasson118)
5 - The only driver to win with an automatic transmission (according to my book) was Tim Flock on February 27, 1955, at Daytona's Beach and Road Course. Ancrdave... any record of this anywhere???

[ancrdave]

In 1982, J. D. (Jim) Stacy was listed as car owner on the #2 (full-time) and #5 (part-time) cars on the NASCAR Cup circuit... The #5 was driven in a total of 8 races by Jim Sauter, Robin McCall and Rodney Combs... Joe Ruttman started the season in the #2 but Stacy fired him after five races...
Question: Who did Stacy replace Ruttman with? Also, this driver failed to qualify for the 1982 Daytona 500 before joining Stacy... Who was he driving for at Daytona?

[Trash Inturn4]

Here's a few more for you guys to look up on Google....

1 - Which driver won the Winston Cup title using three different car numbers and three different makes of cars? BONUS.... What year did he win the championship?... and ... what were the three different makes of cars and three different car numbers that he used that year?
2 - That was the number of the car that won the very first Winston Cup championship?
3 - How did Glenn "Fireball" Roberts get his nickname?
4 - What is Buddy Baker's full name?
5 - Who is the only driver to win a Winston Cup event in a car with an automatic transmission? BONUS.... What year and where?

5)Wendall Scott, 1963, Speedway Park in Jacksonville Fl in a Chevy Bel-Air (The series wasn't known as Winston Cup yet though)

[ancrdave]

In regards to #1... can't find just what you are looking for... BUT... check this stuff out:

1950 - Bill Rexford won the championship driving three makes of cars (Ford, Mercury, Olds) for the same car owner (Julian Buesink) and used six numbers (8, 20, 59, 60, 62 and 80)... He won the title despite winning just one race...

1951 - Herb Thomas drove a Plymouth, Olds and a Hudson for four different owners utilizing the numbers 2, 6, 92 and 99...

1956 - Buck Baker drove a Chrysler, Dodge and Ford for three different owners and used nine numbers: 00, 31, 87, 300, 300C, 301, 500B, 501 and 502...

Richard Petty won his first title in 1964 driving Petty Enterprises Plymouths using numbers 41, 42 and 43...

But the guy who has everybody beat is Joe Weatherly... In 1963 Lil' Joe ran 52 races in winning the NASCAR Championship for NINE different car owners and used 10 numbers as listed below:

05 - Possum Jones
2 - Cliff Stewart
8 - Bud Moore
17 - Floyd Powell
36 & 361 - Wade Younts
41 - Petty Enterprises
57 - Pete Stewart
83 - Worth McMillion
88 - Major Melton

[Trash Inturn4]

Here's a few more for you guys to look up on Google....

1 - Which driver won the Winston Cup title using three different car numbers and three different makes of cars? BONUS.... What year did he win the championship?... and ... what were the three different makes of cars and three different car numbers that he used that year?
2 - That was the number of the car that won the very first Winston Cup championship?
3 - How did Glenn "Fireball" Roberts get his nickname?
4 - What is Buddy Baker's full name?
5 - Who is the only driver to win a Winston Cup event in a car with an automatic transmission? BONUS.... What year and where?

2) #43, 1972, the first Winston Cup. (#22,Red Byron , 1949, Grand National Champion)

[Frasson118]

As for the first Champion, I'm thinking it was Red Byron... who I also think won the first ever race at Martinsville. I can picture the face, seen him in several Victory Lane photos, but I can't think of a single picture that pans out far enough to see the car number.

[Frasson118]

I don't use Google, so I can't get them all...... but I can get a few.

Glen "Fireball" Roberts, was a pitcher for his local baseball team. I understand he grew up in Apopka, but played for a neighboring town, Zellwood (home of the Corn Festival).

Buddy Bakers name is actually Elzie Wylie Baker Jr.

[Jacque Debris]

Stupid me...

Question #2 should read...

"What" was the number of the car that won the first championship.

[Jacque Debris]

Trivial trivia

Here's a few more for you guys to look up on Google....

1 - Which driver won the Winston Cup title using three different car numbers and three different makes of cars? BONUS.... What year did he win the championship?... and ... what were the three different makes of cars and three different car numbers that he used that year?
2 - That was the number of the car that won the very first Winston Cup championship?
3 - How did Glenn "Fireball" Roberts get his nickname?
4 - What is Buddy Baker's full name?
5 - Who is the only driver to win a Winston Cup event in a car with an automatic transmission? BONUS.... What year and where?

[Jacque Debris]

1) Junior Johnson 1976-78
2) Darlington Raceway 1950
3) 1966
4) 3rd place, Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds, Spartanburg SC, 1961
5) 1964 Watkins Glen

Yep... Right on all five. Nice work

[Frasson118]

The 1984 Firecracker was Richard Pettys 200th and final win. The caution had come out with only a few laps to go when Doug Heveron flipped in turns 1&2.

The famous TV footage shows Petty battling to a photo finish with Cale Yarbrough, which Petty won by a nose.

However, this wasn't actually the LAST lap. Cale was all distracted from narrowly missing the win, that he came down pit road as the rest of the pack took the actual checkered flag. Harry Gant didn't make the same mistake, stayed on track, and was credited for 2nd, while Cale got 3rd.

When you see this footage again someday, notice the flagman, Harold Kinder, was throwing the yellow flag, not the checkers, at the 'photo finish'.

[Trash Inturn4]

I never heard of any Kruger, but I did know of Karl Kiekhafer of Mercury outboard motor fame.

This is from Lee Petty's Wikipedia page

Teams

Petty Enterprises 1949–1964

Gary Drake 1954

Carl Krueger 1955

[Trash Inturn4]

1) Junior Johnson 1976-78
2) Darlington Raceway 1950
3) 1966
4) 3rd place, Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds, Spartanburg SC, 1961
5) 1964 Watkins Glen

[Jacque Debris]

Here's more kick-ass trivia....

1 - Which car owner was the first to win three consecutive Winston Cup titles?
2 - What was the first paved track on the Winston Cup circuit?
3 - Fireball Roberts came up with the idea for inner liners for racing tires, and Goodyear introduced the safety devices into competition in what year?
4 - What was Maurice Petty's best finish as a driver in Winston Cup racing? What year and at which track was it?
5 - Where was Lee Petty's last race? What year and at which track?