Pontiac (automobile)

Pontiac is a U.S. autmotive manufacturer and division of General Motors is the maker of the Pontiac Grand Prix used in the Cup series from 1977-2003.

Following the 2003 season, GM pulled all factory support for Pontiac to focus exclusively on Chevrolet. Several Pontiacs competed part-time in the 2004 Nextel Cup season, none of them finishing in the top-20. After this, Pontiacs could still be found in the Busch Series until 2005, and were still running in the ARCA Racing Series as late as 2007. Starting in 2009 until the brand's demise in 2009, Pontiac provided factory support for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. As of 2019, at least one car in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, driven by Chase Dowling on a limited schedule, uses a Pontiac engine, and Pontiac-bodied cars can still be found in local and regional stock car leagues.

A notable driver is Richard Petty.

History
Pontiac had just been hanging on in Cup racing, covering only five teams and ranked fourth (last) in manufacturer standings after Joe Gibbs Racing, the team of champions Bobby Labonte (2000) and Tony Stewart (2002), switched to Chevrolet this season.

Jeff Gordon won the 2001 title, and his three other championships, for Chevrolet. Doug Duchart, General Motors director of racing, said Tuesday's announcement is part of the company's consolidation into all-Chevy efforts in NASCAR.

"GM Racing will focus its 2004 NASCAR program on the Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and will no longer race or support the Pontiac Grand Prix race car," Duchart said Tuesday.

But Pontiac competitors anticipated only sentimental setbacks, and that GM will support their transition to Chevrolet.

"We're disappointed," said Cal Wells, owner of the last Pontiac to win a Cup race, driven by Ricky Craven at Darlington, S.C., in March. "[But] we're continuing our preparations for 2004 and beyond, and we're looking forward to the opportunities available with Chevrolet."

"This is a surprise," said Johnny Benson, the only other driver to win in a Pontiac in the last year, at Rockingham, N.C., last October. "We heard some rumors at the beginning of the season about Pontiac not continuing. But I don't think anyone would have guessed that it would come this soon.

"Obviously I have mixed emotions hearing the news. It's disappointing we're going to lose a car in the series. [But] I would guess that most of the Pontiac teams will switch to Chevrolets, and I hope GM continues to support them the way they did when we were running Pontiacs."

GM's two competitors in Cup racing, DaimlerChrysler and Ford Motor Company, have for years supported only one brand and model each, the Dodge Intrepid and Ford Taurus.

So GM's multibrand efforts--which over the years also have included Buick and Oldsmobile--often were seen as redundant, considering that Chevrolet consistently has been the corporation's winningest make.

Following the end of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, GM consolidated its resources in NASCAR to exclusively support the Chevrolet Monte Carlo as Pontiac departs the series. "GM Racing will focus its 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series program on the Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and will no longer race or support the Pontiac Grand Prix race car," said Doug Duchardt, director of GM Racing. "This transition will enable GM Racing to strengthen its Chevy Nextel Cup program and, at the same time, work with Pontiac on its future racing plans."

California native Tom Hubert attained 11 starts over the course of an intermittent ten year Cup career (1997-2009) while focusing primarily on road courses. Tom managed to get Kurt Roehrig’s Bradford White (‘White’ being part of the sponsor’s name – a water heater manufacturer – not the color of the racecar) Pontiac Grand Prix in the field for the 1999 Save-Mart/Kragen 350 at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, California, held on June 27, 1999. Qualifying 33rd and finishing 31st, one lap down – running at the finish – this would be Hubert’s sole Pontiac start in Cup. Hubert did attempt to qualify Roehrig’s Grand Prix (then showing co-ownership with track legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee) for the Pepsi 400 at Michigan later that Cup season, but did not qualify.

New York native Earle Canavan was an owner-driver in Cup whose career spanned 14 years (1969-1988) during which he attained 68 starts while driving a wide variety of brands including AMC, Dodge, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Buick, and – for his final Cup race and qualifying attempt – Pontiac.

Entering the twilight of his career in 1986, Canavan obtained one of the slick, new Grand Prix 2+2’s and – with sponsorship from Gates Rubber – attempted to qualify for races 3, 5, 6, and 7 (Rockingham, Bristol, Darlington, and North Wilkesboro) for the 1986 Cup season. Canavan qualified for Rockingham (starting 35th and finishing 32nd due to a blown engine) but then unfortunately DNQ’d for the remaining three races; Canavan’s career ended in 1988 after he withdrew his self-owned and unsponsored Pontiac from the Summer Talladega race.

Earle Canavan passed away in 2016.