[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Do you recall who was the last driver to run a Lincoln ?

Hmmmmmmmmm? A toughie. I know Harold Kite and Jack White won a couple races in 1950 in a Lincoln and Bob Flock ran a race or two for a family friend in Georgia who owned a Lincoln dealership in the early 50's. Without doing some in-depth study, I'll have to guess Bob Flock, probably in the 50-51-52 time frame?

[LSC9901]

Bob, good luck with the indepth study. I believe I know who drove a Lincoln for the last time but cannot find it in writing anywhere .... yet. If I am correct it was within the last 10 years.

[Lefty Noob]

Well, I found this photo - http://public.fotki.com/lannyhaas/re...mark_viii.html - of John Andretti driving a Lincoln Mark VIII around the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 8, 1996. So was it Andretti?

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Bob, good luck with the indepth study. I believe I know who drove a Lincoln for the last time but cannot find it in writing anywhere .... yet. If I am correct it was within the last 10 years.

OK... Penske and Rusty tested a Lincoln Mark IV back in...? 1993 or 1992. They had either two or three ready to go, the aero was a bit better than the T-Bird because of the configuration of the rear deck. NASCAR refused to OK the car for competition and it never raced in a race. To my knowledge the last FoMoCo car, other than Ford to make the NASCAR approved list was the 1993 (? A SWAG on the year) Mercury Cougar. This was a joke because the car had a vertical rear window and those were pre-Taruas (sp) days when the cars actually had to look somewhat like the cars on the street. The thing was as aerodynamic as a brick, and to my knowledge the only one ever tested was done by, I believe, Cale's team.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Well, I found this photo - http://public.fotki.com/lannyhaas/re...mark_viii.html - of John Andretti driving a Lincoln Mark VIII around the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 8, 1996. So was it Andretti?

YES ... to the best of my knowledge. Your article seems to say that it was just tested but I'm sure that it was raced ......... I think !!!

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Well, I found this photo - http://public.fotki.com/lannyhaas/re...mark_viii.html - of John Andretti driving a Lincoln Mark VIII around the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 8, 1996. So was it Andretti?

I have to quit relying on memory!!! I thought it was 1993, and remembered it as a Mark IV. So much for my credibility, eh?

Anyway, I'm positive that NASCAR never approved the LIncoln and it never turned a wheel in Cup competition. I recall I heard somewhere that Kranfoos-Haas also tested one but my focus was on Penske, and they completely slipped my mind.

Thank you for sharing the picture, and for keeping me on my toes.

[LSC9901]

I guess I'll just have to give in on the racing of one. I still think Andretti did but I just cannot find it anywhere. I remember seeing it on TV but Bob and I are in the same boat. We shouldn't rely on our memories. I really thought I saw it during a race. The reason I recalled it was due to the continental kit on the rear lid. Maybe I've gone over the edge ??????

[lilsexy08]

Bob I found the information in Nascar Illustrated! I'm a devoted fan!

[Lefty Noob]

Did some more digging and found this:
http://www.markviii.org/LOD2/nascar.htm

"The car attracted a lot of attention during the two day test at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 8-9, 1996. John Andretti drove the Mark VIII for those test laps, recording one of the highest speeds for those days. They were the focus of attention not because of the lap times but because it was a Lincoln Mark VIII. NASCAR officials said they would allow the Lincoln Mark VIII to be used in Winston competition, but Ford asked the team to stop the development program. 'Ford's foremost objective is to sell cars,' stated Michael Kranefuss, who has a 30 year association with Ford. Ford wanted a sales leader represent Ford in NASCAR. Also, at the time, Ford did not want Lincoln to have a race image."

So, it could've raced. It would've been allowed to. But Ford didn't want it to.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

So, it could've raced. It would've been allowed to. But Ford didn't want it to.

Somehow that doesn't suprise me.

[lilsexy08]

Ok everyone new trivia question time!
Buddy Arrington was a stock car racer but, what did he own on the side and made good money at it? He was known back in the day in the "independent" ranks. How can get this one?

[Lefty Noob]

http://www.moparstyle.net/racing/nascararrington.htm

"He persevered with hard work and volunteer-labor and made a living doing what he loved. Arrington Racing never had a big sponsor and if Buddy didn’t have a good day at the track, his used car lot and VW repair business paid the bills."

It also goes on to say that his fan club also contributed financially to Arrington's racing efforts. "Members made contributions, old racing items were auctioned off and raffles were held to raise money to freshen an engine or to buy a set of sticker tires for that special track where Buddy usually did well."

[Team Yates]

A used car lot and VW repair shop?

[lilsexy08]

Good job Lefty and Team Yates! Your right! Let me find something else!

[lilsexy08]

Here is a new one! This should be easy! Who was the first woman to be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and is known as the " First Lady of Racing"?