@david-staten9 years ago I wonder if the car on the postcard is the 76 Daytona winner mentioned in the article below? This article is taken from the website of the "Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, NE."The Car:
David Pearson's 1976 Mercury Montego #21 is one of the most celebrated cars in the history of NASCAR. The Wood Brothers Racing Team out of Stuart, VA, built the car and raced it in 40 Superspeedway races from 1976 through 1980. The 1976 Daytona 500 win was one of the ten Superspeedway wins in 1976 for the Wood Brothers and Pearson. Pearson also won NASCAR's Triple Crown that year in the #21 Mercury with victories at the Daytona 500, the Charlotte World 500 and the Darlington Southern 500. Its last win was the 1979 Talladega 500 with Neil Bonnett at the wheel. The car became obsolete when NASCAR downsized the Grand National cars for the 1981 racing season, and was sold to the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for use in a promotional tour. It was later stripped, the body and chassis returned to Wood Brothers, and sold to a local junk dealer who eventually relocated his business to Florida.
The Race:
At the 1976 Daytona 500, David Pearson and Richard Petty were running neck and neck on the final lap of the race. Coming out of turn four, their cars touched twice. The second touch was enough to send both into the wall. The two battered cars bounced to the infield only a few hundred feet short of the finish line. Petty was closest, but could not restart his #43 car. Pearson kept the smashed #21 Mercury running and drove it back onto the apron to take the win at around 15 miles per hour.
Donnie Gould restores cars and sells them. In 1989, while looking for parts at a Florida junkyard for another project, Gould stumbled onto the old Mercury race car. The owner told the doubting Gould it was a Daytona 500 winner. Gould's later research supported the man's story, and he purchased the car. It languished in a corner of his business for several years before Gould took detailed photos of the car to the Wood Brothers who were able to verify that this indeed was Pearson's #21 Superspeedway car.
With help from many people across the country, Gould's shop was able to complete the car's restoration in early 1996. The engine was professionally rebuilt to 1976 race specifications using authentic parts and with the assistance and advice of the Wood Brothers. Following its restoration, Gould showed and raced the car at numerous vintage and historic race events before Speedy Bill Smith acquired it for his
@dennis-garrett9 years ago
THE WINSTON NUMBER 1 SHOW CAR 1976 MERCURY COUGAR POST CARD WAS COPYRIGHT IN 1979.
COULD BE THE 1976 DAYTONA 500 WINNER? DON'T KNOW WHAT RACES WAS THE 1976 MERCURY COUGAR RACED IN ? MAYBE WOOD BROS. MUSEUM OR HE WINSTON CUP MUSEUM MIGHT KNOW ABOUT THE THE WINSTON NUMBER 1 SHOW CAR 1976 MERCURY COUGAR RACE CAR?
WINSTON NUMBER 1 SHOW CAR 1976 MERCURY COUGAR POST CARD OO5B REAR
I wonder if the car on the postcard is the 76 Daytona winner mentioned in the article below? This article is taken from the website of the "Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, NE."The Car:
David Pearson's 1976 Mercury Montego #21 is one of the most celebrated cars in the history of NASCAR. The Wood Brothers Racing Team out of Stuart, VA, built the car and raced it in 40 Superspeedway races from 1976 through 1980. The 1976 Daytona 500 win was one of the ten Superspeedway wins in 1976 for the Wood Brothers and Pearson. Pearson also won NASCAR's Triple Crown that year in the #21 Mercury with victories at the Daytona 500, the Charlotte World 500 and the Darlington Southern 500. Its last win was the 1979 Talladega 500 with Neil Bonnett at the wheel. The car became obsolete when NASCAR downsized the Grand National cars for the 1981 racing season, and was sold to the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for use in a promotional tour. It was later stripped, the body and chassis returned to Wood Brothers, and sold to a local junk dealer who eventually relocated his business to Florida.
The Race:
At the 1976 Daytona 500, David Pearson and Richard Petty were running neck and neck on the final lap of the race. Coming out of turn four, their cars touched twice. The second touch was enough to send both into the wall. The two battered cars bounced to the infield only a few hundred feet short of the finish line. Petty was closest, but could not restart his #43 car. Pearson kept the smashed #21 Mercury running and drove it back onto the apron to take the win at around 15 miles per hour.
Restoration of the #21 Mercury:
Donnie Gould restores cars and sells them. In 1989, while looking for parts at a Florida junkyard for another project, Gould stumbled onto the old Mercury race car. The owner told the doubting Gould it was a Daytona 500 winner. Gould's later research supported the man's story, and he purchased the car. It languished in a corner of his business for several years before Gould took detailed photos of the car to the Wood Brothers who were able to verify that this indeed was Pearson's #21 Superspeedway car.
With help from many people across the country, Gould's shop was able to complete the car's restoration in early 1996. The engine was professionally rebuilt to 1976 race specifications using authentic parts and with the assistance and advice of the Wood Brothers. Following its restoration, Gould showed and raced the car at numerous vintage and historic race events before Speedy Bill Smith acquired it for his
THE WINSTON NUMBER 1 SHOW CAR 1976 MERCURY COUGAR POST CARD WAS COPYRIGHT IN 1979.
COULD BE THE 1976 DAYTONA 500 WINNER?
DON'T KNOW WHAT RACES WAS THE 1976 MERCURY COUGAR RACED IN ?
MAYBE WOOD BROS. MUSEUM OR HE WINSTON CUP MUSEUM MIGHT KNOW ABOUT THE THE WINSTON NUMBER 1 SHOW CAR 1976 MERCURY COUGAR RACE CAR?
WINSTON NUMBER 1 SHOW CAR 1976 MERCURY COUGAR POST CARD OO5B REAR
http://racersreunioncom.jamroomhosting.com/data/media/0/0/Ning_Media/photos/0/656_photos.jpg