Racing "Did You Know" Thread

[Alpineopossum]

This is a thread to put interesting/obscure facts about racing.

I'll start it off with some interesting ones.

* Mario Andretti is an identical twin. His twin brother Aldo Andretti raced with him in the 1950s and 60s. To my knowledge they are the only identical twins brothers to ever race against each other in a major automobile race. Aldo and Mario do not look like identical twins because Aldo had face reconstructive surgery following a crash in 1967.

* Until 1985, nobody had won the Indianapolis 500 from the 8th starting position, causing may people to claim that the 8th spot on the grid was jinxed. Although the curse was broken, the "8-Ball Curse" remains a relatively popular urban legend today.

* Toyota was not the first foreign car to win a NASCAR race. In 1954, NASCAR held a road course race on an airport track in New Jersey. The series encouraged sports cars to enter, and the starting field included MG TCs, Porsche 356 Speedsters, and Jaguar XK120s among others. A Jaguar driven by Al Keller won the race, and one of the Speedsters was a major contender.

* The first NASCAR race held outside the US wasn't Mexico City or Montreal, and it wasn't the exposition races held in Japan in the 90s. It was a race held on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls in the 1950s.

* In 1946, a returning GI got his hands on a Mercedes W154 grand prix car and entered it in the Indianapolis 500. It was probably one of the most potent and definitely one of the most technologically advanced cars ever to enter the race at the time. It was very quick but mechanical issues took it out of the race. It last appeared in 1957, by which time it had a Jaguar engine. The car, originally driven by Manfred von Brauchitsch in Grand Prix racing, has since been restored with its original engine.

Post your obscure trivia here!

[bsoyuz]

This is a thread to put interesting/obscure facts about racing.

* Mario Andretti is an identical twin. His twin brother Aldo Andretti raced with him in the 1950s and 60s. To my knowledge they are the only identical twins brothers to ever race against each other in a major automobile race. Aldo and Mario do not look like identical twins because Aldo had face reconstructive surgery following a crash in 1967.

Post your obscure trivia here!

Angela and Amber Cope also raced against each other in the 2010 Kroger 200 in Martinsville by the Camping World Truck Series

Now my three trivias about Rubens Barrichello:

*Rubens Barrichello was the first brazilian to race for Ferrari.

* To race in the Formula 1 in 1990, Rubens used his father driving license, because he hadn't the minimum age (18 years old). His father has the same name and birthdate of his.

*In 1992, Rubens raced in Formula 3000 at the Italian circuit of Pergusa, Sicily, and had an accident. His car ran out of brakes and collided with a tow truck that had entered the track to tow another vehicle. The impact was so strong that cracked the driver's helmet, tested to withstand a shock of a ton. The ambulance carrying Rubens, suspected of having suffered head trauma, collided with a car on the way to the hospital. Taken to exams, Rubens realized that the other patients wore a strange uniform. That's because he was treated in the Prison City Hospital, which was the closest race track.

[Alpineopossum]

This is a thread to put interesting/obscure facts about racing.

* Mario Andretti is an identical twin. His twin brother Aldo Andretti raced with him in the 1950s and 60s. To my knowledge they are the only identical twins brothers to ever race against each other in a major automobile race. Aldo and Mario do not look like identical twins because Aldo had face reconstructive surgery following a crash in 1967.

Post your obscure trivia here!

Angela and Amber Cope also raced against each other in the 2010 Kroger 200 in Martinsville by the Camping World Truck Series

Now my three trivias about Rubens Barrichello:

*Rubens Barrichello was the first brazilian to race for Ferrari.

* To race in the Formula 1 in 1990, Rubens used his father driving license, because he hadn't the minimum age (18 years old). His father has the same name and birthdate of his.

*In 1992, Rubens raced in Formula 3000 at the Italian circuit of Pergusa, Sicily, and had an accident. His car ran out of brakes and collided with a tow truck that had entered the track to tow another vehicle. The impact was so strong that cracked the driver's helmet, tested to withstand a shock of a ton. The ambulance carrying Rubens, suspected of having suffered head trauma, collided with a car on the way to the hospital. Taken to exams, Rubens realized that the other patients wore a strange uniform. That's because he was treated in the Prison City Hospital, which was the closest race track.

I don't know of any other male twins to have raced each other.

That's a great story about Rubens at the Prison hospital.

[bsoyuz]

This is a thread to put interesting/obscure facts about racing.

* Mario Andretti is an identical twin. His twin brother Aldo Andretti raced with him in the 1950s and 60s. To my knowledge they are the only identical twins brothers to ever race against each other in a major automobile race. Aldo and Mario do not look like identical twins because Aldo had face reconstructive surgery following a crash in 1967.

Post your obscure trivia here!

Angela and Amber Cope also raced against each other in the 2010 Kroger 200 in Martinsville by the Camping World Truck Series

Now my three trivias about Rubens Barrichello:

*Rubens Barrichello was the first brazilian to race for Ferrari.

* To race in the Formula 1 in 1990, Rubens used his father driving license, because he hadn't the minimum age (18 years old). His father has the same name and birthdate of his.

*In 1992, Rubens raced in Formula 3000 at the Italian circuit of Pergusa, Sicily, and had an accident. His car ran out of brakes and collided with a tow truck that had entered the track to tow another vehicle. The impact was so strong that cracked the driver's helmet, tested to withstand a shock of a ton. The ambulance carrying Rubens, suspected of having suffered head trauma, collided with a car on the way to the hospital. Taken to exams, Rubens realized that the other patients wore a strange uniform. That's because he was treated in the Prison City Hospital, which was the closest race track.

I don't know of any other male twins to have raced each other.

That's a great story about Rubens at the Prison hospital.

Twin brothers I don't make any idea too.

[flyingturns89]

*Indianapolis Motor Speedway annually gives out special "awards" to the final three starters of the Indy 500. The 31st, 32nd, and 33rd place starters receive checks for 31, 32, and 33 cents respectively.

*Racing brothers Dick and Jim Rathmann once switched names so that the younger of the two could enter a race he was too young to run. They ended up making it permanent, where Dick became Jim, and Jim became Dick.

*Formula 1 driver Max Chilton became one of only half a dozen drivers to be running at the finish of every race in an F1 season last year, and the first to do it in his rookie season. Among the other drivers to finish every race are F1 World Champions Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen.

[Milan655]

*Minardi's first entrant as a team came in the 1976 International Trophy at Silverstone, where Giancarlo Minardi entered Giancarlo Martini (the uncle of the very impressive Pierluigi Martini who also later drove the majority of his career with Minardi) in a privately entered Ferrari 312T as Scuderia Everest.

*The very successful early 60s sportscar competitor, the Ferrari 250 GTO, was entered to run in the 1984 Le Mans 24 Hours 16 years after it's last competitive race. The car, unfortunately, never arrived.

[Nascar9fan]

*The number 05 that Peter Brock made famous was run for a campaign against drink driving. The number 05 meant the legal blood alcohol limit for driving, which is 0.05%

[Pyrozooka0]

This is a thread to put interesting/obscure facts about racing.

I'll start it off with some interesting ones.

* Toyota was not the first foreign car to win a NASCAR race. In 1954, NASCAR held a road course race on an airport track in New Jersey. The series encouraged sports cars to enter, and the starting field included MG TCs, Porsche 356 Speedsters, and Jaguar XK120s among others. A Jaguar driven by Al Keller won the race, and one of the Speedsters was a major contender.

* The first NASCAR race held outside the US wasn't Mexico City or Montreal, and it wasn't the exposition races held in Japan in the 90s. It was a race held on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls in the 1950s.

Post your obscure trivia here!

The aforementioned Niagara Falls race was also the first start for one Richard Petty.

[Cynon]

The last time a car carrying #58 has run the Indianapolis 500 was in 1977. Eldon Rasmussen was the driver.

Three times, the pole sitter for the Indy 500 never completed a lap; Dick Rathmann, Roberto Guerrero, and Scott Sharp are the men that hold this "honor".

[Alpineopossum]

The #3 is the winningest number in Indy 500 history.

There is usually a car #17 entered in the Indy 500: In the past few years, Michel Jourdain, Sebastian Saavedra, Raphael Matos, Ryan Hunter Reay, and Vitor Meira have driven it. But that number hasn't won the event since 1916. Meanwhile, #16 has won the event four times but hasn't been in victory lane since 1946

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has no garage 13. The garage between #12 and #14 is labeled "12A"

Despite being widely regarded as one of the worst drivers in CART/IndyCar history, Hiro Matsuhita was dubbed "King Hiro". The nickname arose when Emerson Fittapaldi yelled "F*cking Hiro" on his radio when he was blocked by the Panasonic heir. However the voice activated microphone would always cut off the first sylable, so it came out "King Hiro".

This season, Jeff Gordon, Joe Nemechek, and Tony Stewart are the only remaining full time Sprint Cup drivers who competed full time in the 1990s.

[navycook75]

Even though the Indy 500 was part of the World Championship in the 50's, only one Formula 1 driver made a start. Alberto Ascari started the 1952 Indy 500, and finished 31st.

In 2005, Marco Andretti won the 2005 Liberty Challenge, as a result, it was the first time in 36 years that an Andretti won at Indy. 

On that note, Indy Lights first raced on the Indy Road Course in 2005 and until this year, raced until 2007, which was a double header.

[Spannerhead29 (Nelson)]

One night at Valvoline Raceway, the podium in the Sprintcar A-Main was Farr, Farr, and Farr. Robbie won from older brother Colin, while their father Dennis finished 3rd.

[Alta]

-There was post-race pit road brawl between the crew of Scott Riggs and Kevin Harvick at Texas in 2006 which resulted in Delena Harvick getting shoved down.

-The famous video of the paramedic getting hit under a yellow occurred in the closing laps of the 1990 ARCA 200, The wreck that paramedics were attending to at the time was the one that ended up taking Slick Johnson's life.

-According to RockyDennis, (Those who watched my 2002 Daytona 500 commentary will know what i'm talking about) Former Nascar driver Tammy Jo Kirk is a lesbian and owns a bike shop now.

[SpeedDemon37]

- Until 2013, either a DEI/Earnhardt-Ganassi car or the car of Dale Earnhardt himself (the #3, the #29) had won the Daytona 500 every 3 years since Earnhardt Sr.'s maiden 500 win in 1998 (Waltrip, 2001; Earnhardt, Jr., 2004; Harvick 2007; McMurray 2010).

- Bill Elliott withdrew from the 2001 NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award so that it could be awarded posthumously to Dale Earnhardt, who had never previously won it.

- Mark Martin and Ryan Newman both won their first career NASCAR Winston Cup poles in their third starts, and both in a car numbered 02.

- In the 2007 Coca-Cola 600, Casey Mears became the first first-time winner since Brian Vickers won the 2006 fall race at Talladega in the same Hendrick Motorsports #25 Chevrolet. The last time that consecutive first-time winners had driven the same car was in 1950, when Harold Kite and Tim Flock won in Kite's #21 Lincoln.

- In the 1958 Southern 500, Eddie Pagan's Ford crashed through the outside guard rail, became one of three drivers that day to land outside of the speedway after a crash. Drivers were warned not to race too closely to the broken rail, and the race was continued with a gaping hole in the wall.

- The Trans Am Series changed their configuration of Michigan International Speedway's original infield/outfield road course during the 1969 race weekend to include turns 3 and 4 of the oval and bypass the straightaway that cut off those turns (due to cars repeatedly bottomed out while crossing the slightly-banked backstretch of the oval during practice sessions).

- Aside from Monaco, the only other racetrack that ever featured a tunnel in Formula 1 was the 1980's pre-Belle Isle Detroit circuit (although Yas Marina could be considered a third with its pit exit tunnel).

[navycook75]

Billy Wade is the only driver in Nascar to get his first win then back it up with three more wins in a row. (He did it in 1964)

[Cynon]

- Aside from Monaco, the only other racetrack that ever featured a tunnel in Formula 1 was the 1980's pre-Belle Isle Detroit circuit (although Yas Marina could be considered a third with its pit exit tunnel).

F1 never ran on Belle Isle. They ran in Detroit, but not on Belle Isle. CART took up the F1 event after F1 left, and in 1992 moved to Belle Isle.

[BWard]

-As a result of Russell Ingall retiring from V8 Supercars, 3-time champion Craig Lowndes is set to break the record in the 2014 for the most starts in a career. Ingall made 233 starts in his career, while Lowndes currently has 222 starts.

-The Indy 500 in 1979 had 35 starters instead of the usual 33 due to controversy that regarded the technical regulations of the turbocharger wastegate inlets.

-Former V8 Supercars Regular driver and current Dunlop V8 Supercar driver Paul Morris never finished in the Top-15 Points at the end of a V8 Supercar Season when Racing in the Series from 2000 to 2008. His highest points finish at the end of a Season was 17th in 2001, which even saw him winning a round that year at Calder Park.

[Nascar9fan]

*The famous Mount Panorama circuit that opened in 1938 was first built to replace The Old Vale Circuit which ran just near Mount Panorama. The Old Vale Circuit was extremely dangerous, mainly because there was a jump like piece of road too close to the braking point of, I think it was Turn 3, as well as the speeds pulled on the dirt/gravel road. The only racing that happened on it that I know of was bikes (I also drove around it. At the time, the start or finish line sign was still nailed to a pole)

[tommykl]

-In 1963, Mexico hosted its first Formula 1 championship Grand Prix, and in order to boost grid sizes, the organizers pre-emptively entered American drivers driving in or close to Mexico at the time. One such driver was 18-year-old Thomas Monarch, touring Mexico and the Bahamas in his Lotus 25 at the time. Monarch promptly withdrew his entry when he found out and remains the youngest driver to have been entered in an F1 weekend. A certain Frank Dochnal would be similarly entered. The 43-year-old failed to qualify and later became a mechanic for J.C. Agajanian and a USAC official.

[SpeedDemon37]

- Aside from Monaco, the only other racetrack that ever featured a tunnel in Formula 1 was the 1980's pre-Belle Isle Detroit circuit (although Yas Marina could be considered a third with its pit exit tunnel).

F1 never ran on Belle Isle. They ran in Detroit, but not on Belle Isle. CART took up the F1 event after F1 left, and in 1992 moved to Belle Isle.

I know, that's what I meant by "pre"-Belle Isle, because while the original Detroit races were not run on the island, the two circuits' names are synonymous to some.

[NASCARLOVER427]

Former F1 driver Luca Badoer has never scored a single point in his entire career. Badoer also has the record for the most grand prixes without a single point scored with 50 (so, basically, His entire career).

[Rykia]

2012 was the first recorded NASCAR Sprint Cup season where neither of the top two in points scored a pole.

[Sparkz47]

In one famous incident in NASCAR history, Lee Petty pulled into his pit for a routine stop and pulled out before he realized that a crew member had not finished wiping his windshield. Lee signaled for the crewman to hold on, and did a full-speed, green-flag lap with the crewman still holding on for dear life. Lee then came back into the pits to drop him off, and continued on with his race. Oh, and that crew member's name? Richard Petty.

The first true auto race (in which the winner was officially determined by fastest time) was the Paris-Bordeux-Paris race held in 1895. The winner was Emile Levassor, who finished the 732-mile race in just under 49 hours. His average speed was a blistering 15 miles per hour.

[flyingturns89]

The biggest points penalty in NASCAR history was 809 points, given to Lee Petty in 1950. The reason, according to Bill France, was because Petty ran non-NASCAR sanctioned races. As a result, the points Petty had when the incident occurred, which was 809, were taken away from him mid-season, and he had to start over again. Petty would still score 1,590 points in the second half of the season, but finished third to champion Bill Rexford, at 1,959 points, and runner-up Fireball Roberts, at 1,848.5 points.

[navycook75]

The biggest points penalty in NASCAR history was 809 points, given to Lee Petty in 1950. The reason, according to Bill France, was because Petty ran non-NASCAR sanctioned races. As a result, the points Petty had when the incident occurred, which was 809, were taken away from him mid-season, and he had to start over again. Petty would still score 1,590 points in the second half of the season, but finished third to champion Bill Rexford, at 1,959 points, and runner-up Fireball Roberts, at 1,848.5 points.

On that note, Bill Rexford also holds the distinction of being the only champion in Nascar history to have only one win to his name.

Oriol Servia won the 1999 Indy Lights championship with 0 career wins.

Marvin Burke is the only driver in Nascar to have a perfect record. He won a race in Oakland, California in 1951 and never attempted another race.

The youngest driver to start a Cup race is Tommie Elliott (no relation to Bill or Chase). He started the 1951 Altamont-Schenectady Fairgrounds race at the young age of 15 years, 7 months, and 5 days.

[tommykl]

-The Tom Jones who failed to qualify for the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix was once mistakenly thought to be a legendary Canadian rally driver before 2001, when F1 Rejects revealed that this Tom Jones was actually a young Texan amateur who later competed in F5000 and Can-Am. Jones set relatively competitive practice times, but an electrical failure in qualifying session brought an end to his weekend. The previous evening, a local company offered to align his suspension for free. While doing so, they disconnected some wires and failed to fit them back in properly. In qualifying, vibrations disconnected the wire and the car stopped after a slow reconnaissance lap. Jones now runs a welding factory in Cleveland.

[Mystrsyko]

-The practice of waiting until a driver arrives at a hospital to declare them dead following a crash was started by Dr Steve Olvey after the fatal crash of Gordon Smiley at Indianapolis in 1982. Because they declared Smiley dead on track, to comply with state law the incident became a coroner's case. All work ceased in the medical center until the coroner arrived, who was stuck in the qualifying day traffic.

-Mario Andretti began racing at 13 years old. He raced in sprint cars, midgets, indy cars, stock cars, and formula 1. He won the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, and Formula 1 Championship. According to Dr Olvey's data compiled in 1982, Mario had never received a single injury in a racing car during that time.

[bsoyuz]

According to Dr Olvey's data compiled in 1982, Mario had never received a single injury in a racing car during that time.

This is really incredible

[Cynon]

During the 1987 CART race at Road America, a turtle (somehow) crossed the track during the race between turns 12 and 13 and made it across the track safely. At the time the incident was reported, there had not been a full-course yellow.

[Sparkz47]

-Mario Andretti began racing at 13 years old. He raced in sprint cars, midgets, indy cars, stock cars, and formula 1. He won the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, and Formula 1 Championship. According to Dr Olvey's data compiled in 1982, Mario had never received a single injury in a racing car during that time.

That doesn't sound right. He was burned pretty heavily in a practice crash for the 1969 Indy 500. He was able to run the race in a back-up car (and win it!), but I would definitely call that an injury.

[GamerAzuzu]

In 1994 a modified Porsche 962 won overall at the 24 hours of LeMans. It managed to enter the GT class using loopholes since it was based on a old chassis that was converted to be street legal and thus qualified for GT at the time. Why is this important? Because the 962 was a 10 year old Group C car.

[bsoyuz]

The two F1 races interrupted by intruders on the track were won by the same driver: Rubens Barrichello.At the 2000 German GP, an employee of Mercedes entered the old Hockenheim track and allowed the first victory of the Brazilian . In the 2003 British Grand Prix , the priest Cornelius Horan - the same that fumbled Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima in the Olympic marathon in Athens 2004 - decided to protest, but was contained and saw another win for Rubens .

Every race that Lewis Hamilton won in 2012 , he abandoned the next one.

Kimi Räikkönen , was the most consistent rider of the 2012 season, completing all races. But you know who holds the ' podium ' with him ? Daniel Ricciardo and Felipe Massa in this order.

The driver with the most races in the IndyCar is the brazilian Hélio Castroneves. by the end of the 2012 season , has started 180 races.

The driver that raced the most on IndyCar, but never won, is the brazilian Vítor Meira.Started 133 races, but his best finish were 8 runner-ups.

Did you know that Jacques Villeneuve is allergic to Nomex, the material of the drivers' suits. That's why he looks "chubby" sometimes. His suit is bigger, to not let his skin to touch his suit .

The first two Adrián Fernández wins on CART were marked by deaths. Toronto 1996 (Jeff Krosnoff) and Fontana 1999 (Greg Moore).

The only reminder that Casey Stoner has of his 111 bike championships won in Australia is a photo. Before going to Europe, the pilot saved all the trophies, but they were eaten by moths.

[flyingturns89]

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie field last season ended an odd trend that had developed. In all eight seasons from 2005 to 2012, at least one driver who declared for Rookie of the Year at the start of the season would not run enough races during the year to remain eligible. This included Eric McClure in 2005, Brent Sherman in 2006, Brandon Whitt in 2007, Jacques Villeneuve in 2008, Dexter Bean in 2009, Terry Cook in 2010, TJ Bell and Brian Keselowski in 2011, and Timmy Hill in 2012. Hill is also the only one of the bunch to make a second attempt at ROTY.

[Milan655]

The two F1 races interrupted by intruders on the track were won by the same driver: Rubens Barrichello.At the 2000 German GP, an employee of Mercedes entered the old Hockenheim track and allowed the first victory of the Brazilian . In the 2003 British Grand Prix , the priest Cornelius Horan - the same that fumbled Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima in the Olympic marathon in Athens 2004 - decided to protest, but was contained and saw another win for Rubens .

He later appeared on talent show, Britain's Got Talent  

Spoiler:

[flyingturns89]

In 1947, NASCAR driver Bob Flock had an extra incentive to drive fast during a race. Flock, who was a bootlegger, had a warrant out for his arrest. During a race he was running in 1947, multiple police cars drove onto the track and chased Flock around during the race. Flock did manage to escape, but turned himself in the following day.

[bsoyuz]

In 1947, NASCAR driver Bob Flock had an extra incentive to drive fast during a race. Flock, who was a bootlegger, had a warrant out for his arrest. During a race he was running in 1947, multiple police cars drove onto the track and chased Flock around during the race. Flock did manage to escape, but turned himself in the following day.

I cannot even imagine how crazy this race was.

[Jason Hamilton]

The website of the crap 1990s F1 team Pacific Grand Prix is still online to this day.

[Sparkz47]

The website of the crap 1990s F1 team Pacific Grand Prix is still online to this day.

"This site is optimized for Netscape 1.1"

"Last Modified: 1 October 1995"

Wow.

[SpeedDemon37]

The biggest points penalty in NASCAR history was 809 points, given to Lee Petty in 1950. The reason, according to Bill France, was because Petty ran non-NASCAR sanctioned races. As a result, the points Petty had when the incident occurred, which was 809, were taken away from him mid-season, and he had to start over again. Petty would still score 1,590 points in the second half of the season, but finished third to champion Bill Rexford, at 1,959 points, and runner-up Fireball Roberts, at 1,848.5 points.

To add to this, some penalties dealt by the American Automobile Association for participating in non-AAA-sanctioned races were even harsher. Bill Holland, winner of the 1949 Indianapolis 500, was kicked out of the series for a year after competing in a non-AAA race in Florida. To be specific; a three-lap charity race.

Interestingly enough, my grandfather was at the track to watch the 1949 Indianapolis 500. He also went one other year (either '48 or '50), but I can't quite remember which.

[Alpineopossum]

-The Tom Jones who failed to qualify for the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix was once mistakenly thought to be a legendary Canadian rally driver before 2001, when F1 Rejects revealed that this Tom Jones was actually a young Texan amateur who later competed in F5000 and Can-Am. Jones set relatively competitive practice times, but an electrical failure in qualifying session brought an end to his weekend. The previous evening, a local company offered to align his suspension for free. While doing so, they disconnected some wires and failed to fit them back in properly. In qualifying, vibrations disconnected the wire and the car stopped after a slow reconnaissance lap. Jones now runs a welding factory in Cleveland.

If it's the same Tom Jones, my father may have done some work with him. My dad works in a car parts business in Cleveland and has has done business with a long list of welding contractors  


Of all the drivers to compete in the IndyCar Series since 2011, only three are taller than 6'0": Ryan Hunter Reay (6'1"), Graham Rahal (6'2"), and Justin Wilson (6'4"). There are many drivers of surprisingly small stature: Felipe Massa is 5'5", Danica Patrick is 5'2", and Takuma Sato is 5'4".

In 1990, a Sportscar race in Montreal was interrupted when a Porsche 962, running heavy ground effects, lifted up a manhole cover from the track surface, causing a serious accident.

In 2001, Ralf Schumacher won the Canadian Grand Prix, with Michael finishing second. This was the first time two brothers have ever finished first and second in F1. This would happen four more times, all with the Schumachers.

[bsoyuz]

Discovered another twin brothers double: Tim and Tom Coronel. Tim is running on the Dakar and Tom if I remember well, was racing in the BTCC

[Mother of Invention]

1990 NASCAR Grand National Champion Chuck Bown, never won a race or Pole on a track a mile or longer. (I'm not counting Nazareth as it is technically .9 miles)

In fact he didn't score a single top 10 on a track longer then a mile until 1991.

[gone-sovereign]

-Lee Petty supposedly chose his signature number, #42, from a license plate he saw. Other numbers run by the Petty family were usually continuations of this.

-Richard Petty was the Republican nominee for the North Carolina Secretary of State in 1996. He lost the general election.

-The last dirt race that NASCAR's primer series ever held was the 1970 Home State 200 at North Carolina State Fairgrounds. That race was won by Richard Petty.

-It started hailing during a time trial session for the 1985 ARCA 500 while a car was on track.

-There has been a superstition in racing about driving green race cars and peanuts. This superstition originates from races in the early 20th century, where various accidents associated with fatalities have been linked to green colored race cars, and peanuts still in the shell found in the driver's seat after a wreck.

-Lake Speed and Morgan Shepherd have something in common. Both of numbers they had run at some point, specifically Speed's #83 and Shepherd's #89, specifically pertain to the years they became born-again Christians.

[Spannerhead29 (Nelson)]

-There has been a superstition in racing about driving green race cars and peanuts. This superstition originates from races in the early 20th century, where various accidents associated with fatalities have been linked to green colored race cars, and peanuts still in the shell found in the driver's seat after a wreck.

Steve Kinser says fuck you to this.

[flyingturns89]

-Lake Speed and Morgan Shepherd have something in common. Both of numbers they had run at some point, specifically Speed's #83 and Shepherd's #89, specifically pertain to the years they became born-again Christians.

This is still true, but Shepherd's number would be #75. He became born again in 1975, and he ended up driving a #75 for Butch Mock and his RahMoc Enterprises later on.

[Spannerhead29 (Nelson)]

One night at Valvoline Raceway, the podium in the Sprintcar A-Main was Farr, Farr, and Farr. Robbie won from older brother Colin, while their father Dennis finished 3rd.

I actually found out last night, it was Colin, Dennis, Robbie.

[bsoyuz]

-The last dirt race that NASCAR's primer series ever held was the 1970 Home State 200 at North Carolina State Fairgrounds. That race was won by Richard Petty.

If I remember well, Petty won this race by a 2 lap advantage.

My trivia:

- The biggest advantage ever, by laps, in a NASCAR sanctioned race, was 22 laps, the race winner was Ned Jarrett, who also has the farthest advantage by mileage, after winning the 1965 Southern 500, by a gap of 14 laps and 2 car lenghts.

[BWard]

-The wall by the final chicane at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada earned it's nickname the 'Wall of Champions' when during the 1999 Canadian Grand Prix, 3 previous World champions hit that wall and crashed out. First was 1996 champion Damon Hill in a Jordan, then 1994-1995 champion Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari, and finally 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve in a BAR.

-The Qualifying Session for the 1997 European Grand Prix holds the record for the closest result for Pole Position, when Williams drivers Jacques Villeneuve, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher all set equal times for 1st place.

-The highest Top Speed ever achieved in Formula 1 was at the 2005 Italian Grand Prix, when McLaren's Juan Pablo Montoya set a blistering speed of 231 mph (372 km/h).

-Vitor Meira holds the record for the most starts without a win in IndyCar, with a total of 131 starts.

-For those who have already seen the crash in Race One at Phillip Island during the 2002 V8 Supercars Championship, Jason Bargwanna went to confront Greg Murphy before the start of Race Two before being restrained by other team members, as Murphy was the one who sent him into the wall and flipping.

[Milan655]

Between 2000 and 2001, the US had it's own national Formula 3 championship. The largest field of F3 cars was in the San Diego Grand Prix in 2000 where 12 cars competed of which 5 were 1993 Reynard's from the Mexican F3 championship (which was replaced by Formula Renault in 2003). In it's final year, a maximum of only 3 Formula 3 cars entered each round; only Amato Ferrari's EuroInternational Dallara F300's contested each round that season with the rest of the field made up of Formula Vee and historic F5000 cars.

[SpeedDemon37]

- As terrible as what looks like will be NASCAR's "new-and-improved" Chase system appears, the 1974 Winston Cup Grand National season also had a very confusing and unfair points system. Points were awarded in relation to money won each race, but, more significantly, were added and multiplied to whatever the driver's points tally was before the race (exactly how, I'm not entirely certain).

The exponential system nearly assured the winner of the high-purse Daytona 500 the championship, and Richard Petty locked up the title before March. As an example, he finished in 35th in the Southern 500 after crashing out, but he still scored more points than Darrell Waltrip, who had finished in 2nd.

[Sponsored content]