Tag Archives: Holman-Moody

#FordRacing has a Rich #NASCAR History at #Martinsville Speedway

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After having a week off, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to action for the first of two races this season at Martinsville Speedway.  This marks the beginning of a stretch that will see two of the next three events take place on half-mile tracks.  Here’s a look at Ford’s history at Martinsville.

A FIRST FOR FRED
The first time Ford won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway also marked the first career victory for 2015 NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen.  The date was April 9, 1961 and Lorenzen battled Rex White, who led the first 118 laps after starting on the pole.  Lorenzen, was driving for Holman-Moody when he grabbed the lead on lap 119 and held it until rain came ending the race prematurely after 149 circuits.  Little did anyone know that 54 years later both men would be enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of the same induction class.  Martinsville was a place Lorenzen dominated, winning six times, including four straight from 1963-65.  He was absolutely unbeatable in 1964 as he led 990 out of a possible 1,000 laps (487 in the first and 493 in the second) in winning both races. Continue reading →

Todd Gilliland Chasing #NASCAR History with Winning Ways

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Todd Gilliland (L) looks to make history by beating Dan Gurney's (R) record of winning four straight races. Photo - Getty Images

Todd Gilliland (L) looks to make history by beating Dan Gurney’s (R) record of winning four straight races. Photo – Getty Images

NASCAR K&N Pro Victory At Kern Would Match Gurney’s 50-Year-Old Mark

Todd Gilliland heads to Bakersfield, California, on the hottest winning streak in 50 years.

Even if he doesn’t equal the all-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series mark for consecutive victories to start in the series, the 15-year-old from Sherrill’s Ford, North Carolina, is in pretty exclusive company.

It’s a club that includes two drivers in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the 2015 Daytona 500 winner and Gilliland. That’s it. In the 62-year history of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series – dating back to the West Series’ beginnings as the Pacific Coast Late Model Series – just four drivers in both the East and West have won the first two series races to start their career. Continue reading →

Throwback Thursday – A Big Day at Bristol in 1969

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1969volunteer500pettypearson

Where were you the day that man first stepped foot on the moon?

If you were Richard Petty, you were helping rival David Pearson drive the No. 17 Ford to victory lane at Bristol Motor Speedway – then called Bristol International Speedway.

The 1969 Volunteer 500 on July 20, was just hours before ‘one small step’ captivated mankind. It was the first Bristol race on the new, high-banked configuration put in by track owner Larry Carrier, who wanted the fastest half-mile track in the world.  Continue reading →

NASCAR Legend Bobby Allison at Elmhurst Historical Museum on April 4

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Bobby Allison Photo - BobbyAllison.com

Bobby Allison
Photo – BobbyAllison.com

It’s not every day that racing fans have a chance to encounter a NASCAR Hall of Fame driver of Bobby Allison’s caliber. Named one of the 50 Greatest Drivers of All Time, Allison has many accolades to his name: 85 NASCAR wins, three-time winner of the Daytona 500, six-time winner of NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver award, 1983 Winston Cup Series Champion, and over $7 million in career winnings.

On Thursday, April 4, 2013 from 5 to 7 p.m., the Elmhurst Historical Museum welcomes visitors to mingle with one of NASCAR’s legendary drivers during a Meet & Greet with Bobby Allison. Mr. Allison will be in the Museum’s first floor research library, and the hard-driving racer will sign official autograph cards (provided by the Museum for $5 each) and pose for photos. Continue reading →

Fred Lorenzen – Continues his Road to Glory in Elmhurst

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Photo - Elmhurst Historical Museum exhibit Feb 1 to May 19, 2013

Photo – Elmhurst Historical Museum exhibit Feb 1 to May 19, 2013

“On the Road to Glory: Fred Lorenzen,” Racing Legend and Hometown Hero

Designated as one of the top 50 NASCAR drivers of all time in 1998, Fred Lorenzen‘s, rise in NASCAR is like a shooting star, shining brightly during a substantial part of its golden era in the 1960’s. For five years from 1962 to 1967, Lorenzen’s star power was at its brightest as he dominated NASCAR’s racing circuit, winning numerous major races and defeating the best drivers of his day with an amazing 21 wins. Continue reading →