Betcha y’all didn’t know 126

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May 6, 1991, 51-year-old race car driver Harry Gant racks up his 12th National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Winston Cup career victory in the Winston 500 in Talladega, Alabama. In doing so, Gant bettered his own record as the oldest man ever to win a NASCAR event.

A native of Taylorsville, North Carolina, Gant quit the family carpentry business in 1978 and raced his first full Winston Cup season in 1979, at the relatively advanced age of 39. He was a candidate for Rookie of the Year, but lost to Dale Earnhardt. In 1981, Gant joined the Mach I/Skoal Bandit Racing Team and competed in the team’s No. 33 Pontiac, owned by the movie producer Hal Needham and actor Burt Reynolds.

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Harry Gant had several nicknames, Hammering Harry (he ran a construction company), Hard Luck Harry in the early part of his career due to ten second place finishes, Handsome Harry, and The Bandit in recognition of his sponsorship by Skoal. His best nickname was earned when he won two Busch Series races and all four Winston Cup races in September 1991 and earned the nickname "Mr. September" at the age of 51. His crew chief was Andy Petree and together they went on a winning streak of six straight national series triumphs.

Other drivers with Hall of Fame credentials have amassed wins in fours since the dawn of NASCAR’s modern era in 1971, but other factors beyond his age make Gant’s performance a singular achievement. He won all four premier-series races with the same car — a Leo Jackson-owned No. 33 Oldsmobile Cutlass — and same engine at all four tracks.

“We’ll probably run it until we wreck it,” Gant said back then. The car was involved in two crashes during the four-race romp, but never lost its winning edge.

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I saw him run at a local dirt track near Mendota, Illinois.  I think he was running in a modified class.  His car was in the same livery as his NASCAR car.

 

He didn't win.  A couple of the local hot shoes had their cars dialed in to the track better.  I think he took third.  There were a few other cars in the field that could keep up with him, but nobody could pass him - he knew how to make his car take up the whole width of the track.