I have ran across several pictures of Linda Vaughn lately where she had different titles. We all remember her as Miss Firebird and Miss Hurst Golden Shifter but does anyone remember her as Miss Pontiac or Miss Illustrated Speedway News?
Just for fun, how many titles did she hold in stock car racing? I don't know, do you?
I think her original title was Miss Atlanta Raceway in 1961.
Legends of NASCAR site has a pretty comprehensive list of her various titles at this link below:
http://www.legendsofnascar.com/Linda_Vaughn.htm
But to answer you question, I don't remember the Pontiac title or Illustrated Speedway News.
From the Ray Nichels Story on the Cotton Owens Garage site:
The '61 USAC Stock Car Champion Paul Goldsmith and '61 NASCAR Champion Joe Weatherly are shown during a promotional tour for the record-setting Nichels Engineering Pontiac Teams. Shown in the middle is a teenage Linda Vaughn, Miss Pontiac.
Her first beauty job was being the first "Miss Atlanta International Raceway " (AIR). Jimmy Mosteller got her the job, as he was the track's announcer until 1982, when he had a massive heart attack. At the time (1960), he was still peddling cigars (Hav-A-Tampa, the company he would later lead as Sr. National Vice President) Anyway, he was in the town of Dalton where Linda is from, when he stopped in a store of some kind, to offer cigars to sell. As the transaction was being made, he commented to the store owner what a pretty young lady that was in a picture on the wall. The store owner replied that it was his daughter and she was fresh out of high school. Mosteller said that at A.I.R, they were looking for a pretty young woman to become their trophy queen. Her father went to get her, the two talked, and all of a sudden, Linda Vaughn earned her first of many beauty titles.
-Cody
Thank goodness for cigars and Jimmy Mosteller.
Thanks for sharing that cool story, Cody.
Linda will be at the York Musclecar Madness July 12-13 in York, Pa. She always has the longest autograph lines. Always a hit at this and any show she attends.
By the way..if you can get there.....go to York to this show. Darwin Doll and crew do a fantastic job with this (his 12th annual) show.
Linda Vaughn - Miss Gratiot Auto Supply - WORLD'S LARGEST HOT ROD SHOPS
Linda Vaughn - Miss Hot Rod Magazine
Miss Linda Vaughn becomes Mrs. Billy Tidwell
80's Jack Gladback photo "Night Before the 500" Midget race at Indianapolis Raceway Park, driver Warren Mockler checking out Linda Vaughn
Miss Hurst Golden Shifter Linda Vaughn & Drag racer Billy Scott
Coming from a small town in Georgia, Linda Vaughn's first association with motorsports was her becoming Miss Atlanta Raceway in 1961.
GM noticed all the attention she was getting and made her Miss Pontiac in 1962.
She became Miss Pure FireBird in 1963 and carried that title through 1966 representing Pure at nearly all the NASCAR races.
She became Miss Hurst Golden Shifter beginning in 1966 and the rest is history!
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va. USA
