Here's a question for you guys as all my internet searching doesn't seem to help me. I was wondering if there were any Nascar teams running Oldsmobiles in 1969. I know there were Oldsmobiles being raced in the '50's and in the '80's and '90's, but can't seem to find any info on late '60's. Thanks guys.

 

Don't know about 69, but I have seen a vintage photo of a 1967 Cutlass stock car in Hot Rod within the last year or so.

 

I got introduced to NASCAR in 1982 at the Kroger 200 in Clermont, Indiana. My 1st favorite driver was #00 Sam Ard, driver of an Oldsmobile.

 

Been a Nascar fan since 89, Not sure of that particular year,maybe not back then you had the 69 Dodge Daytona & the Ford Talladega's battling it out. I don't remember seeing an Olds that year though.

On a site note Nascar is changing the start time to 1:30 for the day races next year. I heard this on the radio this morning.

 

Pretty sure Buck Baker ran Oldses in some races from '65-68, though I don't think in '69.

 

I'm pretty sure he hopped into the seat of a 69 Dodge Daytona that year.In 70 he was the first guy to crack 200 mph


First driver to break the 200 mph barrier (Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, March 24, 1970).

 

there were some oddball cars back in the late 60's and early 70's,some buick skylarks and cutlasses

then 1978 came,and it broke wide open with regals and cutlasses


you have to understand NASCAR was more localized then,some guys only ran local tracks

 

Wow that is awesome! Also another picture I found.

 

A search if the site http://www.racing-reference.info/ showed of the 54 Grand National races run for that year 4 olds were run, 3 were one race deals, at the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside Int Raceway 2 67 olds ran, car 6 driver Ray Johnstone and car 16 driver Jerry Oliver finished 28 and 26 out of 44 cars. A 1969 cutlass found in the book Cars of Oldsmobile pg 336 ran in the Yankee 600 at Michigan Int Speedway, driver was Mel Gillette started 41 finished 40 out of 44 cars. Ken Meisenhelder raced a 67 olds in 16 races, The season was 54 races long started in november 1968 and ended december 1969. Daytona paid almost 39 thousand to win with 50 cars racing a number of races paid a thousand to win.

 

I know it's an old thread, but for what it's worth...

The #68 Olds is Don Simkin's Cutlass at Riverside, June 14, 1970. He started 38th & finished 12th (26 laps down). His name is visible above the door number. It was the only time this #68 Cutlass was run.

The #7 Cutlass appears to be belong to some sort of modern day race team out of Kansas City. They labeled the photo "NASCAR Street Stock 1971 Cutlass". I couldn't find evidence that a #7 Cutlass competed in the Grand Nationals between 1968 & 1973.

 

I can't/haven't found a picture yet but Ken Meisenhelder ran an Olds in 16 races in 1969.

http://www.driveraverages.com/nascar...673&yr_id=1969

My favourite Olds driver in NASCAR was Harry Gant. He used to sleep in the racecar before the race and during rain delays with the cover over the car because it was the quietest place on the track.

Adam

 

Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm a European, so it's a shame we don't have NASCAR here, I'd use my life savings to pave out an oval), but I thought all cars competing in NASCAR had to meet specific requirements, specifically, Car and Driver said:

I assumed all cars had to be one specific chassis and body, look the same, have the same displacement, and yet we have Olds racing?

 

I can remember some magazine talk back in '65 that the '88 with the 425 block could be a NASCAR sleeper that year. Apparently it was a deep sleep.

 

Don't forget about the FIRST Daytona 500 winner, Lee Petty in a 1959 Oldsmobile!

 

Back then it was pretty much run what brung. They just had to be a stock car.cubic inchs were unlimited as long as it was a production engine. Lots of cars were brand new stripped with a cage welded in. No sports cars. There some rules I'm sure especially safty.
Railguy

 

It had to be a production car. Those were the days, race on Sunday buy on Monday.

 

win on sunday sell on monday
railguy

 

Oops it was race/win on Sunday sell on Monday. You are correct.

 

NASCAR rules have changed over the years. At one time, stock cars were actually STOCK cars. Engines were 7 liter displacement in the 1960s. As the factories started building aero cars like the Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird, these specialized cars were slapped with smaller displacements. As teams started "customizing" sheet metal, NASCAR went to body templates to keep everyone honest.

Oldsmobile actually had a pretty extensive NASCAR and NHRA racing program in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The aerodynamic slope-nose 1977 Cutlass was a mainstay in NASCAR for the 1978-1980 seasons and AJ Foyt drove one with an Oldsmobile 350 engine (this is the fabled "NASCAR block").



Starting in 2007, NASCAR went to the Car of Tomorrow, which is a "spec" body shell that everyone uses. This, along with very restrictive rules, has turned NASCAR into one of the most boring race series ever.

 

Ahhh the good ole' days when a stock car was A STOCK bodied car... I lost all interest after the homogenization (mid-late 80s?)and painted on head lights. And especially now since allowing in the Rice. Older IS better. Thanks for the cool old pics all!

 

There's a photo of a '69 442 stock car in the book Chevy Stock Cars by John Craft. It was a somewhat amateurish entry. I can't find my copy of it but if I do I'll post the pic.

 

In one of my old parts book there is a 4 page section listing "heavy-duty" parts. I believe this was GM code for race car parts. Pretty much everything mechanical could be bought as a separate heavy duty package. Every part is described as heavy-duty without any other explanation. Complete transmissions, complete rear ends from 3.90 to 4.87 gears, Heavy duty wheels, hubs, lug nuts, and every suspension part, even front "Air Lift" shocks. They even list a heavy duty intake manifold and heavy duty intake gaskets.

 

A quick scan thru years '68 -'77 shows NO Oldsmobiles listed in the yearend standings for top tier (Grand National) NASCAR. There may have been some privateers in one-off races that didn't make the final standings. Oldsmobiles show up mightily starting in '78.

Agreed, but still go to an occasional race.

I learned that it was a traveling circus back in the early 90s. Local track here, Indianapolis Raceway Park in Clermont, used to host the 2nd tier Busch (now xfinity) series in the Kroger 200 years before the Brickyard 400 was conceived. They bring in a few top level drivers for crowd draw. Was a great way to spend a summer night. We were walking thru the pits after the race and spotted Ernie Irvin's yellow #4 Kodak Chevy Lumina. But when we got close we could see that it was an Oldsmobile Cutlass body (I think Olds was out of NASCAR by then) painted to look like a Lumina. The grill & rear side windows were just black painted Lumina shape and the large black 'LUMINA' letters on the back were painted over the still embossed 'OLDSMOBILE' in the rear bumper.

Since I owned an '88 Cutlass Int'l at the time, I was offended ! Offended, I tell ya! What ? It's all fake ? Geez...

 

Here is 1978 the first year since the 50's that Olds won Nascar with Cale Yarborough driving. You can click years forward or back in the top left.
http://www.racing-reference.info/rac...=1978&series=W

 

Yes, though interestingly, those 1978-1980 cars were 1977 model year Cutlii. The fastback 77s were more aerodynamic and better handling than the notchback, square-nosed 1978 cars. I think NASCAR allows up to three year old cars (since the whole point of factory participation is advertising of CURRENT model year cars). Fortunately, the slope-nose 1981 models came out just in time.

 

It's my understanding that the tail started wagging the dog. It got so expensive to race NASCAR that teams and manufacturers started grousing about pulling out unless it was more "fair" for everyone. But the downside is that you could no longer pull for a certain driver AND/OR manufacturer... because everyone had pretty much the same car. Ideally it should have made for closer more exciting racing...but I think something was lost.

Same with Indycar. As a young boy I could pull for the Offy, the Novi, the Chevy, Ford or even Buick....OR Andy's turbine car! Wow...those were the days! Is it just me?

 

No it's not just you I stopped watching pretty much when Rupert Murdock got into it. Back in the 70s I watched Jimmy Spencer and his dad race late models every Saturday night. I like the 410s now not the outlaws but I don't go much any more.
Railguy

 

Probably the ugliest (to some) Olds ever produced was the 78/79 Salon slope back cars. From all accounts that body was developed for NASCAR but didn't cut the air like it was supposed to because of the flat frontend. It never was a performance giant. Even the 442 had low power 260's or 305 chevy's with the four speed.

 

Quote>>>Agreed, but still go to an occasional race.


Oh ya. Im a regular at Watkins Glen. The noise and the smells are about the same. The camp ground is out of control.

 

I used to camp in the infield at Pocono. It s alot of fun but if you're going to see a race you're going to be disappointed. We watched the race on TV on top of motor home .
Railguy

 

I know this is getting a little off-topic, but I've been to NASCAR races (including the final race ever at Ontario Motor Speedway), CanAm races (Riverside), and IndyCar (VIR), but as a spectator I still like NHRA the best. I've been to NHRA races at Pomona, Firebird, and Virginia Motorsports Park, and the racing, as well as the pit access, are phenomenal.

 

I've never been to a drag race. Legal one that is. Nothing like a 410 race .a regular Saturday night show at Port royal speedway in pa has 410 sprints and the big late models. On a good night the sprints go in to the turns at 140 mph. 1375 lb. With driver over 1000 hp. No transmission . Railguy