I am familiar with many of Hershel McGriff's driving accomplishments, but until I read his induction writeup to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, I did not realize that the 1950 Olds he raced in the first Southern 500 was the same stock Rocket 88 with which he won the Mexican Road race in 1950. He drove that 1950 Olds all over the country.
Amazing!! When cars were cars and men were men.
Let's see Robbie Gordon top that!!
In 1950 Hershel McGriff accomplished one of motor racing's most amazing feats. The 22-year-old McGriff took time off from his Oregon lumber business to take a 1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 from the showroom, drive it to Juarez, Mexico, and with co-driver Ray Elliott won the first Carrera Panamerica, a 2,135-mile, six-day race the length of Mexico. When he reached El Ocotal, near the Guatemala border, he was the winner by 76 seconds.
"The car was just like it was driven from the factory," he said. "About all we did was take out the back seat, put a second gas tank in the trunk and stuff four spare tires behind the seats."
Then he drove the Olds back to Portland, washed it off, put on some new tires and drove it to Darlington, S.C., where he and the same Olds finished ninth in the first Southern 500. The next day he tore the tape off the headlights and drove home to Portland.
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM