50 First Victories – NASCAR Drivers’ Breakthrough Wins
Author:
Al Pearce and Mike Hembree Published by: Octane Press ISBN: 978-1-64234-098-3
Given the enduring popularity of NASCAR in the US it is perhaps surprising how little this multimillion dollar sport gets mentioned in the UK media. The drivers and their associated teams might be well known in the US, indeed in certain parts of the country they are household names, but apart from a few of the celebrity drivers from the past, most are unknown over here.
Despite that, this recently published book recounting stories of 50 NASCAR drivers’ breakthrough wins is a fascinating and enjoyable read, even if many of the racers’ names are not immediately recognisable. The book’s authors have both reported on the sport for decades, so they had considerable access to insider accounts of the trials and tribulations of getting those first wins.
Not wanting to spoil the stories, which are entertainingly written and interspersed with a smattering of monochrome photos, I’ll just mention some examples. You’ll all have heard of Richard Petty, one of the sport’s most successful drivers. What’s not generally known is that his first NASCAR Cup Series win in 1959 was overturned following a protest from his father, Lee, who had come second. Unsurprisingly, bonus money was involved and Richard knew every dollar counted, so he was content with second. Ned Jarrett gambled that he would win both major races one weekend, having bought a strong car with a $2,000 cheque, despite knowing his account was empty.
Thankfully he did win and the purse was almost sufficient to cover the cost on the Monday. Mario Andretti’s only NASCAR win was the 1967 Daytona 500. He surreptitiously swapped engines and defied Ford’s desire for a better-established team-mate to win, securing the victory himself. Bill Elliott’s first NASCAR win at the Riverside road course in 1983 was down to appalling weather and a late race crash between drivers ahead that gave him the lead by the barest margins. There are many more exciting reminiscences from drivers famous and not so in this fascinating book, which is almost a potted history of NASCAR. Read about the Pettys, the Earnhardts, the Jarretts, Kyle Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Junior Johnson, Fireball Roberts, and many more. Great fun!
1979 Mercury Cougar XR-7 – Sold £4200
Wow! Someone got a bargain – this enormous smog era Cougar for just over £4k; further proof that classic Yanks can be the biggest bargains of the classic car world. This particular Mercury was dispatched from the factory on June 1, 1979 and was owned by just two keepers in the US prior to its importation to the UK in 2019. According to Historics, the vendor (who has owned the car since 2019) is a knowledgeable car enthusiast and has kept the Cougar as original as possible, choosing only to fit a stainless-steel exhaust system. Other items that had been changed recently included the fitment of a new fuel pump, fuel lines, spark plugs, HT leads, starter solenoid and a headlamp switch. Handsome, with good grey coachwork and a matching grey interior, Historics said of the car: “We are advised the 5.0 litre V8 engine runs well and the car drives with no known faults.” Hats off to whoever got their mitts on this one!