Lennie Pond car # 93 NASCAR Late Model Sportsman race 1968

If anyone could helpme out with this I would greatly appreciate it. I have researchedhundreds ofpages and found the following information. Lennie Pond raced in the Permatex 300 NASCAR Late Model Sportsman race in Daytona Beach, FL February 24, 1968 120 laps on 2.5 mile paved oval; 300 miles.

Lennie drove a 1964 Ford #93 and was in a accident with Donal Bumgardner (car 4). The front end of Pond's car was torn up while Bumgardner's vehicle escaped with less severe damage. The crash took both drivers out of action in the event at the Daytona International Speedway.

Is this correct? As much as I have never heard of this about Lennie. Please click on link for photo of car.

Any additional informantion would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much,

http://www.apimages.com/OneUp.aspx?st=k&kw=%22Lennie%20Pond%22&showact=results&sort=relevance&page=1&intv=None&cfas=__p%2C-1&sh=10&kwstyle=and&adte=1325987158&pagez=60&cfasstyle=AND&rids=3611748ac87e4eb48cb5a161572cdf03&dbm=SContent&xslt=1&mediatype=Photo

there is a boxscore of this race on the site ultimateracinghistory.com. lenny started eighth in his 1964 ford.

on closer examination, pond's car has small fins that would indicate that it is a 1961-62 model year. it is not uncommon for old records of races to miss the model year. it would also be interesting to know where pond was running at the time of the crash. we have a local driver, billy taylor , who finished ninth in that race. i don't know if he would remember much about that event or even if he's still alive. i will try to find out more for you.

To me Pond's car looks like a 63 Fairlane. It appears to have the wide chrome strip at the bottom of the c-pillar and the fins of a 63 Fairlane. It is hard to tell for sure at the angle of the pic. but to me it also looks considerably shorter than the # 4 Galaxie beside of it.

i thought the same thing at first. but i don't remember that model being eligible for the race. i would be interested in knowing if the fairlane body style was indeed eligible.

I have tried to find out if the Fairlane was eligible for this race or not but have had no luck.

Ricky, you've got me scratching my head on this one. I'm sure I knew the answer back in 1968, but darned if I have any recollection today. Interestingly, 1968 was the very first year of the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division and Lennie's fellow Virginia competitor, Joe Henry Thurman of Rocky Mount won the first National Points Title in the division that year. Lennie had finished 2nd in National Sportsman points to Rene Charland in 1965, the only year he cracked the top-10 in national points. I look forward to one of our members providing the answer as to whose car Lennie was piloting in that 1968 inaugural Daytona Late Model Sportsman race.

It is a 1963 Ford Fairlane 2door hardtop. 1963 wasthe last year of the 'fins" on the rear of the quarter panel.The full size Fords did not have this feature. Also the 1962 Fairlane was not offered in a hardtop. So it would be a '63.

This could possibly be a Junie Donlavey car. I know he had one (Fairlane)and it existed up into the mid 1980's where I saw it at South Boston Speedway before a Busch Series race. The number may have been changed from 90. I know Sonny Hutchins also drove a Donlavey Fairlane at one time. Just a thought.

NB, I wondered the same thing. Junie used to take a #90 Starliner to Daytona for Sonnyin the familiar blue livery. In 1968, the first year of Late Model Sportsman, Junie had a little #90 Fairlane for Sonny that ran the Virginia tracks. Jack Bilmeyer (who had a Greenville, NC Ford dealership and later headed American Honda), a good friend of Junie'shad a near identical #90 Fairlaneright down to Junie's paint scheme that ran at Wilson County Speeday dirt track.

Our member Dave Redman of Smithfield, VA posted several pictures on his profile page several years ago of the #90 1964 Fairlane that Junie Donlavey built in 1968 for Sonny Hutchins to drive at Southside and South Boston Speedways in the first year of Late Model Sportsman. Note the cars carry the familiar "S" on the rear quarter signifying Swansboro Motor Company and the always amazing Hendrick Construction Co. on the front fender, owned by Sonny's biggest rival, Ray Hendrick!

The 1961 Ford Galaxie Starliner that Sonny Hutchins drove for Junie at Daytona and Charlotte in Late Model races:

The # 93 is a '63 Fairlane and the #4 is a '61 Starliner. I'm suprised that they used a Fairlane of the '62-64 group because of the top design. I guess in '68 the '66-67 body styles were still legal in Grand National as the "Cup" cars were called then and weren't legal in sportsman yet. We ran a '63 and a '66 Fairlane on dirt in the late sixties, they sure make pretty race cars.

As far as the #93 goes, if you will remember that is the number that Junie would run in Cup if he ran a second car. Jody Ridley ran the #93 in Atlanta back in '73 or so and the # 90 was also in the race. Sorry about the quality of the photo but this was back in the $2 camera days.

Thanks for all your input. Its great to see so much knowledge of yesterday racing, Thanks again. I think I will take Woody Delbridge advice amd call Heritage tomorrow. I would think Lennie is retired by now. If I can talk with him I have a hundred questions but I will let yall now what I find out.

Thanks again!

N.B. - Check this link:

http://stockcar.racersreunion.com/forum/topics/1964-fairlane-late-model

Sounds like Mr. Redman now has that car.

Dave Redman Photo Collection

Sonny Hutchins in the Junie Donlavey Ford Fairlane at Trenton, NJ - 1970

I do still have the 1964 #90 car. It has become sort of a workbench in the middle of my shop. Found this thread during my semi-annual (whenever I get fired up about my old stock cars, HAHA) search for Junie Donlavey/Sonny Hutchins/etc info and photos. The 1963 car was a different car (I have one good photo of my car sitting in Donlaveys shop dated Jan 68, so they were definitely two different cars. The 63 did have a quick change like my car has (unusual for a superspeedway car). I have one really good photo of the1963 out of the Daytona Archives (can't post it or I will get busted!). PM me- would like to see what you may have found on the 63 car (as well as maybe my 1964).Thanks,

Dave

He is still there. We interviewed him not too long ago.