Phillip Payne
Bannister Cougar
Here is a pic for the Grand American guys - this is from one of my old NASCAR programs that I can't put my fingers on at the moment. This looks like one of the old Bud Moore TA Cougars (notched rear deck lid). Maybe one of the ex Shaw Racing Enterprises Cougars?
When Dennis Andrews sees your photo, he can probably identify the Cougar.
Randy Bannister is listed as finishing 13th in the February 1971 Daytona Citrus 250 NASCAR Grand American race in Cougar #29.
Yes, that sounds correct. I remember that it was of particular interest that it appeared that one of the Bud Moore, ex-Trans-Am Cougars was still wearing it's '67/'68 sheet metal in 1971. Bud says he built 3 Trans-Am Cougars and that is all that ever appeared at the same time at Sebring. He took 2 into NASCAR in '68 and sold the 3rd to Charlie Rainville that was wrecked at the 1968 Sebring race. I have photos of 3 Grand American Cougars in Bud's shop in '68 so he built at least 1 more Cougar exclusively for the GT series. Did he sell 2 of them to Reed Shaw (1 of which was re-bodied as a '70 and 1 that stayed a '67/'68 that went to Bannister) and then the 3rd to Tom Pistone/Tiny Lund?
#36 H.B. Bailey, #29 Randy Bannister, #39 Bob BrewerThe Cougar is one of Bud Moore's cars that was purchased in 1969 by Reid Shaw. Reid bought two Cougars from Bud. The first was used as a short track car and had the #15 on it when purchased. The second car was first driven by Wayne Andrews at the Bama 400 in '69 and was called Bud's "R & D" car. It had all the windows (door glass and vent windows) and the doors still opened on factory hinges. It had holes in the floor board just ahead of the rear fire wall that had been used for rear suspension links at some point in time. Dad ran the car with rear leaf springs and had to add some side bars to the roll cage to make it Nascar legal. Because of these facts we have always assummed that this was one of the TA cars. I'm not 100% sure but I think the second Cougar was the one that was rebodied with '70 sheet metal and ran in GA in '70 and '71 by Shaw Racing Enterprises. If that is the case then the Cougar pictured here was the first one Reid purchased from Bud and then sold to Ron Trout in late '70 or early '71 and driven by Randy Bannister. James Trout cangive more detail onthis. Next time I see Reid I will ask if he remembers which car was rebodied and get some later history of the car.
Phillip, Please explain what you mean by "notched rear deck lid". Thanks.
Dennis, thank you so much for the info. As I have said, I would like to conduct an interview with your Dad via email and I'd love to ask Mr. Shaw and Mr. Trout some questions too. I don't have any claim to any of these Cougars, I am just a life long Mercury Cougar enthusiast and racing fan and I think this info is very important. A lot of the Cougar racing history has been forgotten (in large part over shadowed by the Mustang) and the accomplishments of men like your Dad and Reid Shaw and Ron Trout need to be remembered. Anyway, as for my rear deck comment, I have noticed that Bud put a notch in the lower lip of the trunk lids to clear the double fuel fillers he used when the Cougars were raced in the Trans-Am in 1967 (see pic). One way to sort of trace which is an ex TA car is to look for that notch in the trunk. Again, thanks to all for the absolutely great information.
Phillip, Did Bud ever have all 3 Cougars at the same race in 1968? I know he had 2 cars in the same race several times, like Rockingham, Bristol and Daytona. Also, Little Bud Moore ran a Cougar in '68 (#1), was it a Bud Moore car? Tiny drove a '69 bodied Cougar in '69 for Tiger Tom Pistone that I always thought was a old BME car. Am I right about that? I don't think the Little Bud Cougar and the Pistone Cougar are the same car. Since Reid Shaw bought 2 cars I thought that Pistone's car was the third one but if the R&D car Reid bought was a TA car then there was at least another Cougar out there somewhere.
Hey Dennis, I had always heard that the Cougar that "Little" Bud Moore drove was one of the BME Cougars. If so, then they were all at the races that you mention, but it is confusing. I have two photos (from old Stock Car magazines) that show 3 Cougars, all painted the same (red and black I assume) in Bud's shop so I don't know when they painted the one Cougar that pale yellow (or is it white?) for "Little" Bud. One day soon I am going to get out all my magazines and racing programs and photos and really try to put together a timeline. But yes, I'm curious about the Cougar Tiny drove in '69 with that year's Cougar sheet metal, the two that went to Reid Shaw, one of which that got '70 sheet metal and the other that stayed a '67/"68. That one went to Bannister and did the Reid Shaw "1970" Cougar go to Tiger Tom? Or did Tiny and Tiger put '70 sheet metal on the '69? I really do want to try and get this as straight as I can so I can ask your Dad some intelligent questions!
Phillip, Reid's Cougar that had the '70 body was raced by dad through the '71 season. After that Reid kept it for a while and converted it to a late model and ran local short tracks. He eventually sold it to a guy he called a Boot Legger in South Carolina. Don't know what happened to the car after that. The last time I remember Tiger Tom's car was at Talladega in '70 when Bill Ward drove it to the win, we blew the engine in the '70 Cougar. Some results call Tom's car a Cougar and some call it a Ford. I've seen pictures of the car that look like a Mustang front and Cougar rear. I do know that Tom's car and Reid's '70 Cougar were not the same car.
Talking about the '70 Cougar reminds me that Reid gave Dad the center section of the grill that bolted to the front of the hood. Told him that was the only part of the car he did not bend and thought he ought to have it. Nice to know they can look back and laugh about things.
Great information Dennis, thanks! So, by the time the Cougar was converted to a "late model", how much of that old Cougar was left? And would you happen to know if, by the time your Dad and Mr. Shaw got the Cougar's from Bud, were there any VIN numbers on them from when they started out as production Mercury Cougars way back in '67?
Next time I have a chance to talk with Reid I'll ask him about the vin #'s. The car had been cut up pretty good with a front snout added and it was run wider and lower than in GA trim. My guess would be that about the only things left unchanged would be the roll cage and roof.
Great story about the '70 center grill! That part of the hood on a 1970 Cougar is referred to by owners as "The Fang" - those things have a habit of smacking you in the head and drawing blood when you've got the hood up and your working on the car! One more question (maybe ask Mr. Shaw when you see him), where did he get the 1970 Cougar sheet metal that replaced the '67/68 sheet metal? Did they strip a production Cougar or did Mercury supply them with it!
One more Cougar story. You have probably read the post on the Grand American club pages. Jim Reep Jr. knew Rick Newsome and the Cougar that Rick ran in Grand National East in '71 and '72 was an old BME car. I don't know but it is possible that it is the car that Tiger Tom ran in GA. I get from reading the stories and looking at the pictures that this is the car that was found at Pistone's and restored to the #16 TA colors.
Phillip, Dad said the '70 Cougar sheet metal was from factory.
Ok, that is a VERY cool fact to know!Thanks Dennis, and thank your Dad for me!!