Mobilgas Economy Run

It wasn't stock car racing, but do you remember the Mobilgas Economy Run each year? It supposedly was run with "stock" autos bought at various dealers around the country, but the auto companies eventually figured how to plant the cars they wanted. Back in the day it was a big deal and featured in all the automotive magazines as well as the national press. When I was around the track there was a married couple who worked for Simpson Safety Equipment, but also worked for NASCAR checking the contingency sponsor decals on all cars. I remember that both Bill & Nikki had driven in the Mobilgas Economy Runs and it was interesting to hear their stories. If it could ever be policed properly (which it probably couldn't) seems like this would be a great time to have those economy runs again, what with gas prices approaching coffee prices these days.

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

I remember those as well as the Pure Oil Economy Runs. I worked for Pure Oil during some of the years of the Pure Oil runs. They were held at Daytona at the speedway and featured most of the top Detroit "iron" of the day. To the best of my foggy memory, it was 1966 & 67 and I has various duties that included monitoring the speed of the cars on the backstretch through a "speed trap" that was set up mid-way down the backstretch. NASCAR and Pure Oil put the cars through several phases of "break-in" before the actual controlled runs to test milage. And I'm sure some "fudged" a bit but I had a ball as a kid doing that.

IN 1973 AND 74 AT THE END OF THE SEASON THE NASCAR OFFICALS ALL HAD CERTIFIED CHECKS AND WAS SENT TO A DEALERSHIP CLOSE TO THEIR HOME AND BOUGHT A SPECIFIC CAR AND YOU JUST WALKED UP TO THE DEALERSHIP AND PICKED OUT THE PLYMOUTH VALIANT LIMITED AND FILLED OUT THE CHECK AND GOT YOUR PAPER WORK AND PAPER TAG AND DROVE TO DAYTONA. THEN NEXT WEEK YOU WENT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AND GOT THE CHEVROLET CAPRICE WAGON OR WHICH EVER CAR WAS ON YOUR LISTAND DROVE IT TO DAYTONA THAT SERVED AS THE BREAK IN PERIOD AND THIS WAY THE FACTORIES HAD NO IDEA WHICH CAR CAME FROM WHERE. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE EYES OF A SALESMAN WHEN YOU WALKED ON THE LOT AND SAID I WANT THIS CAR AND PAID FOR IT ON THE SPOT AND LEFT WITHOUT EVEN GIVING HIM A CHANCE TO GIVE YOU THE SALES PITCH.THOSE WERE THE ONLY TWO YEARS THAT WE DONE IT THAT WAY AND THE FUEL MILAGE ON SEVERAL OF THOSE CARS PLUMMETED. SO DAVE MIGHT HAVE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WHEN HE SAID THE MANUFACTUERS WERE TINKERING WITH THE CARS BEFORE THEY WERE TESTED MUCH LIKE IT IS DONE TODAY. i ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHERS LOVED TO SPEND NOVEMBER AND HALF OF DECEMBER IN DAYTONA ON UNICALS EXPENSE IT WAS A BLAST. OH THE MEMORIES OF THE GOOD OLE DAYS.

Above photo:
year?
Driver name? race driver Mickey Thompson
Beauty Queen Model name?
car model and year?

Thompson website identified Mickey Thompson's car as 1963 Pontiac Star Chief and the beauty queen as Miss Thunderbird Casino. Mickey's wife, Judydrove a Pontiac Tempest that year.

Dennis Garrett said:

Above photo:
year?
Driver name? race driver Mickey Thompson
Beauty Queen Model name?
car model and year?

--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

Thanks Dave for the Mickey Thompson information.

I had to typed in "mickey thompson + Miss Thunderbird Casino" search to get the following website.

http://www.thompson-motorsports.com/economy.html
I guessed this is the Thompson website you are talking about.

I couldn't find the website under "Mickey Thompson" search instead I got "Mickey Thompson Tires".

Know if Mickey Thompson Tires was ever used in any known NASCAR races? Oval - road course?

How about Mickey Thompson Tires used in NASCAR Drag races?