In the late 60s-early 70s, Lennie Pond of Ettrick, Virginia moved from modifieds to the new (in Virginia) NASCAR Late Model Sportsman division, campaigning his beautiful yellow and gold #1VA Chevelles at Southside Speedway and South Boston Speedway with much success, leading to a NASCAR Virginia State Championship. Richard Petty was so impressed watching Pond, that he convinced him to go Winston Cup racing, where Pond and owner Ronnie Elder's crew kept the same beautiful yellow and gold livery, now sporting #54, and beat out Darrell Waltrip for 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honors as an independent. In 2016, a number of Lennie's little Ettrick, Virginia crew gathered to remember Lennie at his little shop, where the beautiful #1VAs and #54 cars were built and maintained. RR member Don Evans photographed the gathering of those now gray haired Lennie Pond volunteer crew members remembering the good times and hard work in racing's bygone era and put them together in a video tribute:
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 11/18/17 10:04:17AM